How does the WiBrain at sunlight?
I really looking into implement a cheap solution for mobile workers.
WiBrain looks like a great hardware. It only lacks of pictures from the back, you can not rotate the camera.

Thanks.

Although the Flipstart is now at an atractive price, I don’t think you can directly compare it with other UMPCs.
The design is more shrunken laptop, rather than tablet, it’s relatively heavier(810g) than the circa 500g Wibrain/OQO/Raon/Sony UX.
And of coarse, it lacks a touch screen, although the screen it has is a bit bigger than the sub 5 inches that are fitted to the above devices.
It is quicker than most of the others, so it comes down to what what your priorities are in such a device.
It is encouraging to see Vulcan finally settling on a $700 price tag for these devices. Lets hope this trend continues with other manufacturers.

You guys should give the Flipstart a try again. I just picked one up for $699 and I am enjoying it. Performance wise it is great even with Vista Business, and the size isn’t too rediculous compared to my OQO 02 with extended battery and stronghold case.

With the new pricing, it is a steal. And while I thought it would be a dog wigh 512mb memory, it is actually the other way around.

I’ve only had it for a day, but so far I am impressed…

After watching the video reviews and looking into the VIA Pico platform, which this device is apparently based on, I took the plunge and ordered a B1E from Expansys here in the UK.
According to VIA, there are 4 USB headers on the Pico board, so it should be possible to take the gubbins of a suitably small USB HSDPA adapter and fit it inside the case. Yes, I know that you’d have to plug the sim in and it might be a hassle if wanted to change it frequently, but has anyone thats opened up their Wibrain thought about this from a feasability angle?

Carol, yes I did use my USB727 EV-DO modem with the WiBrain. It does fit fine in the single USB port BUT (and this is big) you can’t effectively hold the device with both hands at that point, making it near impossible to use the right side of the split keyboard. My poor solution for that is to use a USB cable in the USB slot and attach the modem to the other end. Still tricky to type and now you have a cable to deal with.

Chuck, thanks for the clarification on the case; must be a Dynamism special. ;)

Elliot, you’re spot on with the OQO. It has an active digitizer and not a touchscreen. However, I think the touchscreen on the WiBrain is under-utilized due to XP Home on it. There are 3rd party options to get some inking on there, but at this res on the small screen, I think it would be a limited benefit.

Steve, you hit the nail on the head: it depends on what you plan to do with the device. The Advantage is very capable and has the added benefit of integrated 3G. If you can work in a Windows Mobile environment all day long, the Advantage might be the ticket. If you need a full OS with support for more apps, the WiBrain would be better suited in my opinion.

Great review. How would you say it compares to the HTC Advantage? I understand they have different operating systems, but perhaps a full blown OS may be overkill on a mobile device.

Kevin,

A correction is needed. The OQO model 02 “good” configuration does not have a touchscreen which means the WiBrain actually is a considerably better value than the OQO 02. Other than that, fantastic review as always.

Elliot

Great review Kevin; I just pulled the trigger or should I say wallet and purchased the Fujitsu U810 at Fry’s for 899.99. I really like the 1024×600 on the U810 and I changed the font size to be bold to make it easier on the eyes and more readable. I didn’t think I would be happy with this Tablet but so far its working for my needs. I also still have my Q1P with 2GB which I wish the U810 could be upgradable to 2GB. I have been running it with Aero and basic mode with some adjustments and runs good. Steve I will send you a way to change the fonts on IE7 without doing the 125% and works great for reading the small text and the web page stays pretty much the same.

All media links now open into new windows, so you won’t have to re-transmogrify a page with several media files after playing one. Note that this is dependent on the iPhone, sometimes it will blank other windows)
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http://www.vcao.net

Unfortunately, the production softcase does not have the UMPC lettering. It has no lettering at all.

still not as sexy as my sony ux. not as powerfull either. The Ux with it’s passive digitiser and same resolution is probably the best comparison. And the dock comes with the UX ans it’s smaller
Gordon

Great review Kevin. One point:

“I’d love to see a WiBrain model that is even cheaper and foregoes the touchscreen as I don’t think folks can take full advantage of it given the high res and small screen.”

That would be the FlipStart, right? :)

Did you have a chance to test your verizon aircard? If I recall there is only one usb and it looked like it might be difficult to handle having it stick out on this unit.

Great review, makes me look at the value of the WiBrain. It still doesn’t hit my $399 Eeepc price.

Good stuff. Thanks Kevin. I pretty much agree with all that.

I have increased the icon sizes and fonts on mine. Also using single-click mode which make any icon on the screen a nice touchable button. Running IE7 at 125% also improves readability for my tired eyes!

An update on the docking station. Its due at the end of Feb and should make a great addition. Its possible that the WiBrain could be used as a mini media center.

Steve /Chippy
UMPCPortal