Along my show floor wandering, I stumbled across three prototype UMPCs / handheld MIDs running LimeOS, which is a Debian variant of Linux. Each of the three runs on the Freescale MPC5121e mobileGT processor offering 800 MIPS within a 2W power envelope. WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 and a microUSB also appear in each; where they vary is in the form factor. Here’s a quick rundown with a pic or two of each.
The UMPC is the largest of the three and offers a 5.6-inch touchscreen with resolution of 1024×600. Hard drive choices are 30-, 80-, and 100-GB; strange that there’s no 60 GB choice. The 450g unit is powered by a 4800 mAh battery that apparently charges by USB. The device should be available in China very soon and there’s hope of a U.S. release before end of year.
Next up is the HandheldPC, which is similar in size to my Apple iPhone. It’s a little thicker but I was told the final product could be as thin as 7mm. This device has a 4-inch touchscreen at 272×480 res and offers either 8- or 16-GB of flash for storage. The smaller battery is also USB charged and has a 1600 mAh capacity; weight is 170g. Here’s a shot with my iPhone for size comparison.
The PalmPC gets really small… maybe too small with its 2.86-inch screen at 240×400 res. Same flash storage capacity as its older sibling, the Handheld PC and of course, a slightly smaller battery. Again, this Freescale-powered device should be thinner if we see a release.
While the devices do work, they are still design concepts; we’ll have to see if someone picks them up for manufacturing and sales. Aimed squarely in the MID space, I hope we see them, if for no other reason than purely for choice. Unfortunately, a smaller company like this (with only $7m in sales last year) will have a hard time denting the market against the likes of Intel and partners like Lenovo, Toshiba and more.



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