Recently in Ultra Mobile PCs Category

While you are waiting for the Asus Eee 901, 1000 and 1000H to hit the USA, Asus has announced they are going to launch the new Eee PC laptops which are the 904 and 905. What's new you ask? Well, these two models will have an 8.9 inch LCD but the chassis and keyboard will be taken from the 10.2 inch models. So they finally realized the keyboard is too small to use successfully? Are we going to see 704 and 705 laptops too?

Here's what Asus officials said:

The Eee PC 904 and 905 will adopt Atom processors and the major difference between the two and the previous 901 model is that they feature a bigger keyboard. Asustek is still evaluating whether to make changes to the two models battery and storage capacity.

The 904 and 905 should retail for almost the same price as the 900 and 901 do, and in time they will replace the first 8.9 inch models. It's also rumored that Asus will either drop 900 and 901 prices to sell them out or leave them to compete against the Acer One. If I were Asus I'd drop prices and have the 904 and 905 compete the Acer.

Asus, a producer of high quality handhelds, has released the Asus R700t GPS device. This handy gadget is not only convenient for inputting routes via a user-friendly interface but also uses a realistic 3D Maps to provide a 3D panoramic view that makes it simple for users to navigate complicated and multi-level junctions.

The device features a 4.3-inch touchscreen with 480 x 272 resolution, the R700t supports mp3 playback, Bluetooth 2.0 and microSD card slot. In addition, the R700t also features a built-in FM transmitter which allows the GPS unit to transmit phone conversations, navigational directions, and voice out SMS though the vehicle's speakers.

The TMC (Traffic Message Channel) provides real-time information on traffic conditions and allows users to be notified of accidents, road diversions, traffic jams, and traffic light breakdowns ensuring that you'll arrive at your destination on time.

After a yearlong wait, the HTC Shift, the company's first UMPC, will finally start shipments in the US. If you've forgotten, the Shift is a 1-inch thick 7-incher 2-pound UMPC with 1MP web cam, fingerprint scanner, touchpad, Bluetooth, Wifi, Interchangeable resolutions, and best of all, it comes with Sprint's EV-DO connectivity. The HTC Shift runs on 800MHz Intel A110 processor and \with Windows Vista Business factory installed. You'll get the HTC UMPC with 40GB HDD, 1GB memory, and an expandable microSD card slot of up to 4GB, all for US$1,500 which scares the heck out of me, but then again, it's all a matter of taste and whether you can afford it.

Taiwan-based company, Asus, launched its new UMPC called the R50, last week as CeBIT 2008. The Asus R50 UMPC, based on the pics by Aving, is quite the looker. It has a 1024 x 600 pixels resolution 5.6-inch LCD display, and runs on the new Intel's 1.33GHz Silverthorne CPU, now officially called the Intel Atom. The Asus R50 UMPC has a 1.8-inch 32GB SSD for storage and a 1GB RAM for working memory. Other features include WiFi b/g connection with HSDPA support, GPS functionality, Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, high-res camera, and even, for your security, a fingerprint scanner and recognition device.

More pics after the jump.

WIBRAIN Korea has announced the launch of its entry-level UMPC -- the B1L. The WIBRAIN B1L runs on Ubuntu Linux although it supports the Microsoft Office suite. It has a 1GHz CPU and a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution 4.8-inch LCD display. There are four different models available with different HDD, CPU, and memory specs. Moreover, for those who aren't accustomed or inclined to using Ubuntu, Windows XP installation is also an option. The WIBRAIN B1L UMPC is available in the Korean market for US$400+ to $500+.

Ah, the elusive Everex CloudBook. Its launch got delayed twice before it saw the light of day. Now it seems, another delay has happened on the company's front. This time, it has nothing to do with OS tweaks. The disruption was reportedly due to heavy snowfalls prior to the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year which caused power outage and transportation delays. Due to this, shipments of the Everex CloudBook to the rest of Taiwan's retail channel is delayed until mid-March. Let's hope what's out there will last 'til then!

After the phenomenal success of the Asus Eee PC, it seems like a new mini-notebook comes out every other week. Not that I'm complaining. That market is yet to be fully explored, and it's exciting to see where the technology would lead us. Kojinsha Korea, for example, has announced its new mini-notebook PC, the E8. Designed to compete directly with the Eee, the E8 runs on AMD Geode LX800 CPU, with Windows XP as its default OS. It has a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution touch screen display, and features 40GB HDD, 512MB memory, USB port, memory card slot, built-in stereo speaker, and 3.5 hours of continuous using time. It will ship on February 29, 2008, for around US$600.

Tangent has announced a new ultra-compact notebook called the ePC under ASUS' brand. Tipping the scales at just two pounds, the ePC has a 7-inch screen and comes in four models with up to 8GB of SSD storage and 1GB of DDR2 memory. There is WiFi and an easy graphic interface, which gives quick access to internet, email, etc. The price starts from $299 and goes up to $499 with its top model boasting a webcam, mouse, and a carrying case. Another interesting feature is "Talk to Me" that can launch applications, surf the web, or even power off/on with just voice commands. From the looks of it, the ePC is certainly not built for heavy business use but more of a casual notebook for functions like basic word processing, browsing, and sharing, similar to ASUS' very own eeePC.

The ePC is available directly from Tangent starting at $299 in colors of black, pearl white, lush green, and blush pink

Finally! We're now informed with the official (delayed) release date of the Everex CloudBook. The much-anticipated notebook will hit WalMart by February 15, 2008. And with the upcoming release, what is Everex thinking? No, they're not worrying about sales figures and such, they're actually planning for more CloudBook variants! According to Everex's Director of Marketing, Paul Kim, the CloudBook will have a touch screen version to be released on Q3 2008, and will also be available in colors more attractive to the feminine persuasion (lemme guess…pink?). The company is also considering a CloudBook with SSD and a large-screened 22-inch CloudBook. Whew. That made me dizzy. As for me, I would prefer seeing the CloudBook up and close and personal first. All the rest can follow later.

There's still no official release date for the Everex Cloudbook. You might remember that they had delayed their supposed January 25th release to possibly the end of February. With the Cloudbook itself not released yet, one might wonder why there are talks about a Cloudbook XP driver. But according to Cloudbooker.com:

Paul Kim, the Director of Marketing for Everex, has confirmed via e-mail to me that Windows XP drivers will be posted on Everex.com.

The XP driver will apparently be showcased in the Everex.com web site soon. That's great. After all, it was the gOS that caused the delay in release dates, right? And with Cloudbook's 30GB storage, you won't have to worry about space like in Asus Eee PCs. Still, we'd prefer seeing the Cloudbook itself first before more talks about peripherals and enhancements. Won't you?

Following the footsteps of Asus's Eee PC and Everex's yet-to-be-released CloubBook, Micro-Star International of Taiwan announced their plans to build an ultra-portable low-cost notebook PC. The notebook will be based on Intel's new Diamondville microprocessor, a low-cost, low-voltage processor which Intel would unveil on April in the Intel Developer Forum to be held in Shanghai.

"When Diamondville is ready, our project will be ready," said an MSI executive.

Hence, no details about the device has been released yet, but come April, I bet we'll be seeing more of the MSI Diamondville-based device.

The Everex CloudBook has been one of the most anticipated UMPCs since its unveiling in CES 2008. Promising to be an affordable yet full-functional mobile computing solution, the Everex Cloudbook was supposed to be available in WalMart on January 25, 2008. However, according to a statement released by Everex, the company is making last minute software changes to the system. Everex Cloudbook will run on gOS, a Linux OS based on Ubuntu but optimized for 7-inch screens like the CloudBook. Late February seems to be the earliest the CloudBook can be released. Looks like we won't be seeing the 9-inch CloudBook soon after all.

In an effort to be competitive, UMPC Vulcan FlipStart now sells for only US$699. Still a bit pricey considering there are cheaper alternmatives? Sure. But US$699 is actually affordable for a UMPC. And besides, cut down from the original price of US$1,999, the current price is a bargain. The FlipStart runs on either XP or Vista, and features 1.1 GHz Intel Pentium processor, 5.6 inch SVGA, Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Sprint EV-DO Rev and a non-upgradeable 512MB RAM.

The market of ultra-portable computing devices has been booming recently. Whilst it was under-developed a few years ago, things have started to change, especially when Asus presented the affordable Eee PC. Presenting the Intel Shelton 08. It runs on Intel's single-core Diamondville CPU with 3-4 hours of battery time. The Shelton 08 features 7-8 inch LCD panel, 945GSE chipset, 802.11g Wi-Fi module and USB/PATA port SSD. Initial prices during launch will be around US$300-500 although since the production is low cost, prices could drop to US$100-300.

Fujitsu released their new ultra-portable notebook, the Lifebook P1620 Subnotebook which seems to be road warrior's perfect match. The little thing packs a punch with its gamut of features in its small frame. The LifeBook P1620 is actually a convertible notebook. Use it as a notebook when you want, or use it as a tablet. It runs on U7600 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, Ethernet, USB and SD card slot. You get your choice among different Windows operating systems, RAM (512-1GB), internet connection (Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965ABG or Atheros Super AG) and storage (standard 100GB hard drive or 32GB flash drive for an additional US$300). The 2.2 pound beauty comes with finger-print reader and built-in microphone. The most basic configuration costs US$1,599 although the price could soar up to US$2,224 depending on the specs you choose.

See product details.

Another pic after the jump.

If the mobile phone industry's gotten a kick in arse by iPhone, the laptop industry was wakened to the possibility of having affordable ultra-portable laptops by the Asus Eee PC. After the CloudBook, let's take a look at the German market to find the Maxdata Belinea s.book 1 mini laptop. It's an ultra-portable seven-inch laptop which weighs a mere 1KG. I must admit, although my first thoughts were that it's just another copycat, the specs impress me: 80GB HDD and DVD writer on a system running on Windows XP Pro.

Other specs are:

VIA C7-M processor and VIA VX700 chipset
Original Microsoft Windows XP Professional
80 GB S-ATA hard drive
1024 MB DDR2 SDRAM
7-inch WVGA TFT (800 x 480 pixels)
WLAN 802.11 b / g
DVD-RW optional
Other features: Bluetooth, VoIP phone, a touch-screen, DVI-I

In spite of its seemingly more favorable specifications, I'd still go with the Eee. Why? Well the Maxdata Belinea s.book 1 costs US$1,190 -- more than twice the price of the Eee. Oh, and besides, it's only available in the German market.

Another picture after the jump.

Remember the CloudBook UMPC unveiled during CES? Yep, the one to be released this January 25th? Well, Everex, the company that manufactures the CloudBook, seems to have already planned their next step -- a second edition 9-inch screen UMPC as opposed to the 7-inches of the current model. According to Everex, the 9-inch screen would STILL cost under US$500. The company is hoping to sell 20,000 of the first edition while planning to release the bigger second edition by June.

Taiwanese company E-TEN Information Systems announces their new Pocket PC mode -- the Glofiish X650. The model is equipped with VGA and a 500 Mz Samsung SC3 processor, 2-megapixel camera and FM tuner and transmitter. Weighing a mere 139 grams and measuring 107 x 58 x 14.7mm, this ultra-compact device boasts VGA display. It was May 0f 2007 when E-TEN introduced the concept of VGA on pocket PCs. This means sharper display, larger proportions of documents and web sites and more detailed images. The Glofiish X650 will be available worldwide in the coming two to three weeks.

More post-CES news. Asus has unveiled and showcased their new Ultra Mobile PC, the R50A. The R50A UMPC runs on Intel Silverthorne processors and Intel Poulsbo chipset. It has integrated GPS with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. Having 1 GB memory, the R50A UMPC boasts 5.6-in touch screen with a 1024x600 resolution. As of current, only these specs are known but so far, so good. We're liking how the R50A UMPC looks. No price tag or release date, but according to Laptops Blog, it will cost less than the R2H does.

Freescale Semiconductor has developed an affordable "motherboard-on-a-chip" processor device which contains the functionalities of various hardwares and hence, could be used for very small PCs. Lime PC is no bigger than a deck of cards which makes it a perfect testing device for the new Freescale processor. The Lime PC M1 is a Linux-based UMPC by Chinese company Tsinghua Tongfang. It features touchscreen, 16GB flash memory, Bluetooth and WiFi. I weighs a mere 130g and measures 110 x 58 x 15.9mm. It is expected to retail at USD$299 in later 2008. A full UMPC at that price? I definitely want.

For some time now, the new Noahpad UMPC has been compared to the Asus Eee PC. It has, however, a range of features unique to it. Taiwan's E-Lead Electronic will showcase their Noahpad UMPC in CES 2008 next week. It features two 2.76-inch square touchpads which apparently mimic the feel of a real keyboard when pressed. It's also used as the as the trackpad. The screen is only 7-inches but the UMPC uses virtual screen technology which expands the viewing area to ten inches. Also, when the screen is flipped (as the Noahpad can be folded pretty much like a notebook), it turns semi-transparent. The Noahpad features 30GB HDD, 512MB RAM, and uses Ubuntu 7.10 by default although it is Windows XP compatible. The price isn't determined yet although it seems to be in Asus Eee PC range, meaning around USD$500.

More pics after the jump.

Come CES, ASUS' wildly successful EeePC might make a comeback, this time much more improved than its predecessor. Rumored updates to the current 701 UMPC are a bigger screen from its current 7 inches to 8.9 inches, Windows instead of Linux, and WiMax in terms of wireless connectivity. Another significant upgrade is a rumored 8GB Flash SSD instead of the current 4GB. But all this would just be speculation until Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas next week.

Digital Raon has just released the latest EVERUN Wibro model which is known in the Korean mobile phone market as the S60H Wibro. This new model is a clone of the earlier one with the Wibro wireless internet module as an addition. While the earlier version could connect to the Internet through plugging to a modem via USB, this one doesn't need the wired connection. The new EVERUN Wibro will retail for around USD$850.

The people at GottaBeMobile have put together a cool Xmas wish list for UMPC gadget lovers all over the world. Check how many times they say "I'd Like to See" lol . Heres is some of whats on their list.

"I’d like to see the rush to advertising on everything in order to provide free software and services slow down a little bit. I’m just asking here, but do you know anyone who has ever clicked on an ad? I don’t.

I’d like to see the good folks at Dell who think the pricing of the new Latitude XT is a good bargain reexamine their thoughts on this, and quickly.

I’d like to see Amazon, Apple, and other on-line music vendors who launched DRM free efforts succeed in a big way. DRM is still a curse and slows so much of everything down.

I’d like to see Apple come out with a Tablet this year, sooner rather than later.

I’d like to see Microsoft figure out just how woeful its marketing efforts are and put in a major course correction here. Now, please.

I’d like to see mobile computer OEMs take a lesson from Asus and the Eee PC, (and also jkk’s moding by adding a touch screen to it.) These price points don’t have to be so high. "

Webot, a remote media platform for browsers and mobile devices, now features a custom interface for the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. Touted as the first media player that lets N810 users access their media collection from anywhere over an internet connection, Webot customized its media search, sharing and player technologies to suite the tablet design.

Webot also supports the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. A nice thing about the service is that it can search and stream media from Windows, Mac OS and Linux machines.

More details at Webot