ultra-portables — GigaOM

ultra-portables

Nvidia impresssed us at CES with the Tegra2 processor and touted over 50 designs already built around the chip. But now, sources mention some issues with Tegra2 that could push products back into later this year. Read More »

Wondering where the Amazon Kindle for Android app is? You’re not the only one. New promotional documents for Dell’s Mini 5 Android device show a big clue that an Amazon Kindle for Android app is on the way. Read More »

 
 

The definition of a smartbook varies depending on who you ask, but ABI Research is sure about one thing — most of the smartbook devices sold in 2015 won’t have Intel inside. Here’s why the perfect storm of mobile ARM computing is coming to a head. Read More »

Laptop Magazine tries to define the varied categories of MID, media tablet and smartbook and rate the chances for success of each. But those definitions vary depending on who you ask. Which have the best chance at success and which are niche? Read More »

If you thought UMPCs were extinct, Fujitsu urges you to reconsider. Their new UH900 is nearly pocketable, weighs about a pound and run Windows 7 Home Premium. Speaking of premiums, this isn’t a cheap little laptop at $849 after rebate. Read More »

While our reader polls mainly indicated disappointed in Apple’s latest creation, there’s a big-picture question worth answering. Did Cupertino just pull a fast one and corner the smartbook market before anyone else could get that market off the ground? Read More »

The specs are here! The specs are here! ARCHOS is super-sizing its 5″ Internet Tablet and allegedly making a 7″ slate. Wait — what tablet did you think I was talking about? Is there some other one expected today that I don’t know about? … Read More »

While I’ve done my own share of mobile device battery testing, Steve Paine has easily done more. From smartphones to MIDs and UMPCs to netbooks, Steve has tested down to the milliwatt over the past few years. Today he observed that on the CPU side … Read More »

In case the Nvidia press event didn’t impress you enough, we decided to get a little one-on-one time with next generation Tegra-powered devices. Bill Henry, the Director of Tegra Product Management, shows off the graphical prowess of the ICD slate in this video. If … Read More »

Say goodbye to the cheap CrunchPad — it’s now known as the JooJoo, says FusionGarage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan. Although TechCrunch’s CrunchPad company cried “foul!” last month, FusionGarage is moving forward on its own with this product. Why? According to the web conference … Read More »

Remember the Psion? Not the trademark-busting Psion, the ones who built the cool PDA with a keyboard and nice form factor. Hang onto your wallets, as the PsiXpda looks to revive that great form factor and PDA device. It has been launched by … Read More »

Image Credit: Fujitsu

The Asia Pacific division of Fujitsu has a new handheld computer to show off, and it reminds me of a narrower version of the Sony VAIO P. The Fujitsu UH900 offers a 5.6″ inch multi-touch display and a full QWERTY keyboard in a clamshell form … Read More »

More Must Reads

I’m still futzing with the latest Android x86 build on my UMPC, so maybe this Android MID from Inbrics is the way to go. Actually, there’s not much information to go on other than the video and some specs that jkkmobile has from … Read More »

It sounds pretty certain that AT&T is dipping its toe in the Android pool within the next few months. The Dell Streak, captured on video last month, looks to be coming to AT&T in 2010 if you believe the Commercial Times out of China, says … Read More »

Earlier this month, rumors out of China indicated that we’d see Google Chrome OS devices running on Nvidia’s Tegra platform. I had a product briefing with Mike Rayfield, Nvidia’s GM of Mobile Business, and heard it directly from the source. When chatting … Read More »

Last seen at Computex, EB’s reference design Mobile Internet Device is making the rounds this week at Intel’s Developer Forum. Since it’s reference for now, EB is hoping to woo a device maker with their design — either a simple rebadge or … Read More »

As expected, ARCHOS has debuted their Android-powered tablet (PDF) today. Joanna Sterns from Gizmodo was on hand at the product launch and offers up insights. The device appears to excel at multimedia, which is no surprise — the device has deep roots … Read More »

Oh to be at IFA in Berlin right now. If I was there, I’d be looking at the prototype Toshiba JournE tablet that Engadget peeped. Now when I say “tablet,” I don’t mean “Tablet PC” in the traditional sense. This resistive 7″ touchscreen device is … Read More »

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrYqemylpIo&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1 Wondering how Maemo 5 will run on the recently announced Nokia N900 smartphone? Wonder no more, thanks to the videos coming from Nokia World. Maemo looks to be running silky smooth and offering the satisfied, full feeling of a fluid mobile operating system. In fact, … Read More »

The Android-based ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet is slated to launch on Sept. 15, but an online retailer has jumped the gun, as often happens. Retailer B&H has put the ARCHOS 5 on their site, in several configurations but has removed detailed information. The … Read More »

http://www.youtube.com/v/aDOB-vshc0E&border=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1 Anything But iPod dropped the $399 I wouldn’t — I thought about it, though — and they’re now the proud owners of a Creative Zii EGG developer edition handheld. This early video look offers a detailed introduction to the hardware as well as … Read More »

Can’t wait until the Sept. 15 ARCHOS event to see what’s coming from France? You may not have to, thanks to the Federal Communications Commission. It spilled the beans on two small tablets — the ARCHOS A5S and A5H. Engadget eye-spied pics … Read More »

Smartbooks are getting ready for the market, whether the market is ready for them or not. They are generally thought to be similar to Mobile Internet Devices, although laptop forms could easily be produced. They are expected to have ARM processors, meaning no support for Microsoft … Read More »

Although a handful of enthusists have enjoyed using the UMID M1 pocketable computer, you don’t see too many of these devices in the wild. Steve at UMPCPortal checked in to see if the company was still around or went the way of Read More »

Mobile Internet Devices are a hot topic today, but not in the way that MID makers would hope. It all started with Ars Technica explaining that these handheld computers are hard to find and buy. No news flash there since you can’t walk into … Read More »

When James and I caressed the “I am not a netbook” Sony VAIO P in a video this year at CES, we walked away generally impressed. But since we only had a few minutes to finagle with the device, we obviously couldn’t determine how … Read More »

I still don’t much about the Linux-based Plaszma operating system on the Zii EGG, but information abut the native browser landed today. A version of the popular Opera mobile browser will be fully integrated into the ZMS-05 processor powering the device. As I … Read More »

While some folks are still trying to figure out what smartbooks are supposed to be, I think Tim Bajarin is on the right track. He penned a post at PC Mag that’s right in line with my thoughts, called “Smartbooks: The New Netbooks.” … Read More »

Earlier this week, TheAppleBlog turned me on to the Zii EGG from Creative. I didn’t have much interest at the time because the EGG isn’t yet a consumer device. It’s available to developers and OEMs — meaning it’s more of a working concept than … Read More »

There must be some tech news today that doesn’t involve the Google Chrome OS announcement, but if there is, I can’t find it. The big news from Google and the upcoming new OS for netbooks is generating a lot of tongue wagging, but more importantly it … Read More »

It hurt the whole mobile community to hear the woes of OQO. Last month, the company that helped define the early UMPC and MID markets closed up shop due to financial challenges. As sad as someone’s bad times are, certain folks can find a … Read More »

http://www.youtube.com/v/3viE_mm9vnE&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01 I’m a little tongue-in-cheek with my post title, but watching the video of Kinpo’s Android tablet raises a good question about UMPCs in general. Why shoehorn a desktop operating system onto a mobile device? Obvious answers to that question mainly involve applications: support, availability, … Read More »

Intel has been madly pushing the Mobile Internet Device (MID) for some time. MIDs are positioned to be cheaper handheld web devices that fall under the UMPC in size and price yet are bigger than smartphones similarly equipped. Intel has been pushing them hard in … Read More »

The news that Psion and Intel have come to an amicable settlement to their “netbook” trademark fight was good to hear. The term “netbook” kind of snuck up on all of us who cover this stuff, and once it became widely used, it was only … Read More »

More insights on Qualcomm’s smartbook products arrive today, courtesy of a DigiTimes interview. Earlier today, they spoke with Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT). Here are some interview quotes that jumped out … Read More »

As I was out running some errands earlier today, Stacey over at the main GigaOm site did a little catching up with Qualcomm. Last time I met with them, they showed me some very basic netbook prototypes with tons of potential, but … Read More »

In the past, I’ve criticized the Nokia Internet Tablet platform as a nice device but one of limited use. Essentially, the product has evolved as a Mobile Internet Device that relied on Wi-Fi or a supplemental smartphone for its connectivity. That constraint may be a thing … Read More »

I don’t expect this to win me any friends in the Maemo world, but I think it’s a valid question. Believe me, I wish Nokia and the open-source community nothing but success with their mobile platform. This isn’t about me liking other operating systems or … Read More »

Updated: The UMID M1 has been available in Asia for a while but it’s only just starting to get available outside of Korea. Pocketables has received a unit from Australia and the obligatory unboxing has ensued. The UMID is basically a tiny clamshell that tries … Read More »

We recently broke the news that OQO, the maker of the little executive candy, was in trouble and facing an uncertain future. That news was picked up all over the web and while the company has not officially responded with information about their situation, … Read More »

OK, OK, ever since teasing you about the handheld gadget that is on the way to me at Mobile Tech Manor, my email inbox has been smoking. Everyone wants to know what is on the way so I’ll stop the teasing and let you … Read More »

Scott Moritz at The Street is hearing that Nokia plans for a new touchscreen tablet device by the end of this year. I don’t know how true that is or not, but if it does happen, Nokia should name it the Phoenix. It sounds … Read More »

I am having a great time sitting outside the local Starbucks using the Sony VAIO P computer. I am amazed at how well I can touch-type on this little thing which is a tribute to Sony for making this as small as possible without being too … Read More »

I am so happy to report that a bright, shiny new Sony VAIO P is on the way and should be here at Mobile Tech Manor in the next few days.  This loaner is thanks to our good friends at Dynamism, and I am excited … Read More »

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