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DAWA D7 7-inch multi-touch MID

iKendra — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:50:01 +0000

KexunGuoJi, from Shenzhen is soon going to launch a nice 7-inch MID that boasts a capacitive display with multi-touch support. Under the bonnet, you will find the 720Mhz Telechips 8901 processor, 4GB storage (expandable via microSD card slot) and 256MB RAM. Inside, you will also find a lot of wireless radios - GPS receiver, Wi-Fi and 3G radios. The Dawa MID works perfectly as a PMP too. It plays those 1080p videos like a duck soup. Now, how many MIDs can do that?Right now, there is no information on its release date or price.

iRiver K1 MID – Runs Android OS

Peter — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:57:15 +0000

iRiver makes great eReaders and PMPs. Their newest offering is a MID that comes with Android OS which is getting adapted by many companies thanks to its open source nature. iRiver is highlighting its newest MID for web-browsing and other typical web-content.

The K1 MID has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a 480x320 resolution. For connectivity, you have to rely only on WiFi as it does not comes with built-in 3G. Supports a pile of file formats and even has a DMB TV tuner. There is no official word, if it would ever make it to US, but it will be launching in South Korea later this month. Pricing information is not available right now

SmartQ V5 hits the stores – Price $160

Jane — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:56:35 +0000

Many have been waiting for the SmartQ V5 to hit the stores, and finally its here. Peculiar thing about the SmartQ MID/PMP is that it is able to run Windows CE, Ubuntu and Android OS.It may be a bit hard to believe, but folks at Smartdevices claim that it can do 1080p videos. At $160, if you ask us, it sounds a bit unrealistic.

Fennec aka Firefox Mobile updated for Maemo OS

Jane — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:35:14 +0000

Guys over at Mozilla have updated the Fennec web-browser.- Go to the nightly repository. The repository is basically a large file server with folders for each combination of source code branch and language localization. - Choose the branch you want (trunk == mozilla-central / 1.9.2 == mozilla-1.9.2). Fennec 1.0 is being released from the Mozilla 1.9.2 source code branch, so you probably want to use “1.9.2_*” branch. - Choose the locale you want. You probably want the multi-locale bundle (”*_multi”), but you can choose a different one. - Click on the “*_nightly.install” file in the appropriate repository. This should automatically start the Application Manager on your Maemo device and Firefox for Maemo will be installed.It now has faster response time, thanks to the change in its installation location

COWON to launch its first MID – That too ATOM-based!

Paul Merak — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:10:12 +0000

COWON, a popular PMP maker, is going to launch its first MID, W2. The main highlight of this MID is that it will use Intel Atom processor.It will also sport built-in bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi and of course, high quality music and video playback.Commentary: Using Atom processor gives the users and manufacture the option to use Desktop OS on a MID which means that we may see Cowon with Windows 7. Windows 7 has proved that it can run pretty nicely on hardware that does not have a lot of muscle.Also, Atom processors are much more powerful than ARM processors that are mostly used in the MIDs. However, battery life does get a bit of hit in case of Atom-powered devices compared to ARM-processors, but still, Atom processors like entry-level Z-series Atom processors are considered very power-frugal.So, using Atom processor may not be a bad deal at all for the consumers as-well-as for the manufacture

CHUWI W3000 MID – A MID that runs Windows CE

Brooke — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:49:27 +0000

The W3000 is a local MID from China. It runs Windows CE OS and features an 4.1-inch display with WVGA resolution (800x480). It has a pretty decent battery, 2500mAh which should be more than enough for MID running on an non-x86 chip. It uses Telechips chip which is ARM-compatible.It has TV-out function, built-in WiFi (b/g/n), GPS, FM radio and a micro-SD card (upto 8GB supported). It comes with a photo-viewer, music as-well-as video player. Dimension: 129 × 76 × 14.5mm

Toshiba releases 3 new MIDs – Toshiba K01, Toshiba K02 and Toshiba L1 – Run Windows Mobile

Brooke — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:29:43 +0000

Toshiba is showing off 3 new MIDs: K01, K02 and L1. All of them sport touch screens. First MID, the K01, comes with an 4.1-inch slider touch screen and has thickness of mere 0.6 inches. Second MID, the K02 has an 3.5-inch screen having 800x400 (WVGA) resolution. It is equipped with a 10-key keyboard.Third one, the L1 has a bigger screen than aforementioned 2 models. It has a massive 7-inch screen. These MIDs will be released by end of the year 2010 and will run on Windows Mobile 6.5.Commentary: It is interesting to see manufactures still churning out MIDs based on Windows Mobile platform. This means that there is still a good market for the Windows Mobile MIDs since it also has its own advantages over the webOS, iPhone or Android OS., apart from the bucketfull of disadvantages when compared to other mobile operating systems.

Sigo S40 and Sigo S50 – runs 1080p videos

Brooke — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:46:56 +0000

How about having a device that can slip inside your pocket and play 1080p HD video playback? Here is one directly from China, from a company called Sigo. It has HDMI port too so that you can watch you videos on bigger displays in full glory.There are two Sigo MIDs that offers HD playback:

Sigo S40: It has 4.3-inch screen
Sigo S50: It has 5-inch screen

Supported codecs are AVC (H.264/VC-1) @ 30Mbps+ bitrates; MPEG-TS, MPEG4, XviD/DivX, Real 8\9\10, MKV, TS, MPG, AVI, VOB, RMVB and even FLV. Damn! This thing surely puts PMPs like iPod Touch and Zune HD to shame, at least in terms of codecs supported

SmartQ5 MID – first impressions

Brooke — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:40:36 +0000

Akiharabara folks were able to get their hands-on the SmartQ5 MID, which runs Android OS. Here are their immediate impressions on it:

This thing is slow!
Language can be changed from Japanese to English easily.
Exhibits "made in China" feel

The SmartQ MID has a 4.3-inch screen with WVGA resolution. It also has WiFI b/g and bluetooth connectivity. It has based on ARM-architecture and runs on Samsung CPU (668MHz) with a gig of RAM.

C-motech Mangrove – Best Windows Mobile device/MID ever?

Brooke — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Here is a MID from C-Motech that comes with the mighty 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. The most interesting thing about this MID is its 7-inch display that has WVGA (800x480) resolution (which is the maximum a Windows Mobile device supports).C-Motech has worked hard to make this look as sleek as possible. Its huge 3200mAh battery should keep your device running for days. If that was not enough, there is an optional 4000mAh battery, which we think is way too much for a device that is based on ARM-platform. Despite its huge dimensions, it still manages to stay light at 300gm.It is every single radio that you can imagine: 3G, WiMax, WiFi and GPS. For storage, you get 512MB and for running apps, there is 256MB RAM, which is more than enough for any Windows Mobile application out there.

Digicube Z8 MID – built-in 3G, runs XP

Brooke — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:26:08 +0000

Today, the Digicube Z8 MID was silently (and officially) launched. It has an Intel Atom Z series CPU with US15W chipset, 1GB RAM, 16GB SSD and has built-in 3G module which will let you use your 3G SIM to enjoy broadband speeds on-the-move.The best feature of this little MID is that it is based on x86-hardware which means that in theory, it can run any x86-compatible OS out there. For the time being, it will be sold with tried and tested Windows XP OS. But, we are sure that you won't face much problems to get Windows 7 working on this little thing. Its 5-inch display has WVGA resolution (800x480) and weighs just 420gm, that too with its 1800mAh battery includedIt has left and right click buttons flanked on the left side of the display. Speakers are at the back of the unit, just like cellphones.

RAmos W7 MID

Brooke — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:53:27 +0000

Remember the Rockchip MID that we mentioned last month? Well, some more interesting details have cropped up. It has a WVGA (800x480) capacitive display with a 4.8-inch screen slapped on it. Earlier, all we knew was was that it runs 600MHz processor, but its processor information was not known. Well, now we know it and it Rockchip's RK2808 processor. For storage, one can choose between 8GB or 16GB flash based storage. It can run 720p video just fine, although how many such movies that you can squeeze into 8GB storage memory is a question that needs to be answered.It has Wifi, built-in 3G which ensure that you are connected wherever you go. It has even has Adobe Flash support for that rich Internet experience on-the-go. It will be available in variety of colors: Orange, Green, Pink, White and BlackPriced attractively at $190 and $230 for the 8GB and 16GB models respectively, it is actually not a bad deal at all.

ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet is feature-packed!

Kamal DS — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:21:54 +0000

The new Archos 5 runs the popular Android platform. Archos 5 has a 4.8-inch WVGA display (800x480) which means that it has the potential to be one of the best video players around. Since it is running Android OS, you get access to all the great free apps out there for the Android operating system which are downloadable via Android Market.The Archos 5 supports all the popular codecs, including 720p MP4 videos, WMV (upto DVD resolution), H.264 (upto 720p) and so on. The best part is that now you won't have to pay anything extra for the video codecs.WiFi is included for your Internet pleasure. It has built-in Bluetooth and you can tether your cellphone to get you online if a WiFi hotspot is not around. Packed with pile of Android apps: including IM app and twitter app, this Android-based device has a lot to offer.Prices start at $249.99 for the 8GB model and go upto $439.99 for the mammoth 500GB model.It is important to note that the media playback is still handled by the Linux side of it.

Qi Smartbook U1000 – Windows Mobile 6.1 based MID

Paul Merak — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:32:24 +0000

Meet the Qi Smartbook U1000, a Windows Mobile MID that comes with a 5-inch screen and has 800x480 resolution (WVGA).It has a mighty 624MHz processor to keep everything breezy. It has built-in WiFi and a huge 1900mAh to make sure you are able to use the MID full day. There is a camera at the back of the unit too.The reason why this MID does not have more than WXGA resolution is the fact that Windows Mobile does not support more than WVGA (800x480) resolution. However, there is no excuse not to bundle it with Windows Mobile 6.5, which is the latest Windows Mobile version.

Rockchip MID – More powerful than iPhone! – Great for Mobile Internet on the go

Kamal DS — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:50:39 +0000

Rockchip is another MID using Google Android operating system that also has multi-touch functionality. The Rockchip comes with RK2800 CPU that runs at 600MHz clock speed and comes with Android OS version 1.5. It has 128MB RAM at its disposal.The Rockchip MID's 600MHz processor seems to be even more powerful than the iPhone as it surpassed iPhone in all browser tests. Not only dud the Rockchip MID won the contest, but it won by substantial margin. For example: Rockchip MID took 13.3 seconds to open amazon.com whereas iPhone took 21.2 seconds to open it. To open sina.com.cn, which is a Chinese site, Rockchip MID took 29 seconds and iPhone took 43 seconds. That is quite a difference.The only gripe is its low RAM. While most of the modern devices in the horizon come with 256MB RAM or more, the Rockchip MID comes with just 128MB RAM. Other than that, it is pretty powerful MID and is great for good Internet experience while on the go.

ENT ET-M43A MID – runs Android OS

Kamal DS — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:21:34 +0000

Meet ENT ET-M43A MID, a MID that runs Android operating system. This little MID, adorned in piano black suit loves fingerprints and has a slide out QWERTY keyboard to let you easily enter URLs when you are on-the-go. However, unlike HTC, folks at ENT have not customized the homescreen of their MID. But, even then it is still very functional.The keyboard on this ENT mid is back-lit, thus allowing you to use it in the dark. It has a full 3.5mm headphone jack for your music pleasure.ENT was intelligent enough to bundle an onscreen keyboard too for those who prefer SIP (soft input panel) over the hardware keyboard.The only thing missing from ENT mid is the 3G. So, in order to get online everytime, you will have to hunt for an Internet connection. Other than that, it is pretty decent MID. A rather odd thing that we noticed was the 'windows flag' key on the keyboard on the bottom-left of the hardware keyboard. What is a Windows Key doing on an Android machine?

Viliv X70 and Touch Driver in Windows 7 – not the best buddies

Kamal DS — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:56:00 +0000

If you are tablet user, you must be in on with the fact that the Windows 7 does not identifies the touch screen as HID (digitizer), but just as a mouse. As a result of which, the touch functionality provided by Windows 7 do not work well.One of the major areas where one can get frustrated is when you 'ink' on it.

Sharp NetWalker – PC-Z1 – cheap 5-inch MID and runs full Ubuntu 9.04 OS!

Paul Merak — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:20:44 +0000

A tiny 5-inch little MID device called the NetWalker PC-Z1 have been introduced by Sharp. This MID device has a 5-inch 1024x600 touch screen display and is backed by a FreeScale i.MX515 CPU (800 MHz) with 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi (b/g only) and small QWERTY keyboard. It runs Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS.It also has SDHC port, 1 USB and 1 mini-USB port. Sharp must have done several tweaks under the hood and that is why it sports a 3 second wake up time and 10 hours of battery life! However, we despise the fact that it comes with an internal battery. Weighing 409gm and measuring just 161 x 109 x 20 mm, this is way smaller than the VAIO P, which is 'touted' as a Pocket PCThe PC-Z1 features a quick launch function (approx. 3 seconds) similar to mobile phones, enabling users to conveniently check e-mail while on the road. Also, a long battery running time (approx. 10 hours) allows users to fully enjoy net services, such as videos or blogs. The high-resolution, 5-inch touch-screen LCD enables intuitive touch operation while the full keyboard provides for comfortable text input. Additionally, in business settings, users can create documents, spreadsheets, presentation materials, etc., and edit them stress free.As it is using FreeScale MX515 processor, it cannot be there in the US as it is banned there.It is expected to hit market on 25 September 2009 for 44,800 yen ($480) in Japan and will be available in White, Red or Black.Commentary: We are so excited to know that it runs full Ubuntu OS and not a proprietary Linux distro. Another great thing about it is that Sharp went for high resolution and not WVGA (800x480). This MID is made for professionals who always wanted full Firefox experience in their hands all the time. We dug into their press release and found that it will be able to run Flash (version 8) based files without any hiccups. However, sites using Java won't work at all.

MID Conceptual design by Petr Kubik – Design of things to come?

Brooke — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:59:42 +0000

Petr Kubik, a student at Brno University of technology has come with a great looking design that is meant for Mobile Internet Devices. The design makes use of folding screen concept, which basically lets you read webpages like a newspaper.To do the input, you can use the onscreen virtual keyboard.Click on read more to see more images.

Aigo MID Drivers and Bios – Same for Compal MID and Gigabyte MID

Paul Merak — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:50:02 +0000

morganj at umpcportal’s forum has uploaded drivers for the AIGO/COMPAL/GIGABYTE’s MID and they seem to work fine on the MIDs. [Download Link]

SmartQ MID now runs Windows CE OS too – costs just $150!

Paul Merak — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:35:48 +0000

We mentioned the SmartQ MID a couple of months back. At that time, it was able to run just Ubuntu Linux. Now, it will be able to run Windows CE as OS. This MID comes with an 4.3-inch screen and runs ARM processor. Although it raises the possibility of dual-booting, but I don't think that will be offered to the consumers.It is available at DealExtreme (non-affiliate link) online shop that has few units in stock and is being retailed at $150 (with free shipping too)

Dell working on a Mobile Internet Device to compete with Apple iPod Touch

Paul Merak — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:52:17 +0000

According to several online sources, Dell may be working on a non-cellular device that will run Google Android OS. The rumored device is said to be a little larger than the iPod Touch. Also, it is speculated that Dell will be selling it via mobile operators. Sources say that it will be launched in the second half of 2009.

Apple has been able to sell millions of iPod Touch devices all over the world even though it did not posses cellular capabilities. This clearly shows that people DO WANT a powerful pocketable Internet device. It would be great if Dell is able to get firefox on their upcoming MID as it will make help it to gain an edge over Apple’s iPod Touch in the context of FIE (Full Internet Experience).

LonMID M100 is a MID with built-in phone!

Paul Merak — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:06:21 +0000

A lot of consumers have always yearned for a MID that has a phone function built-in. The LonMID M100 comes with a dedicated phone pad to easily dial the numbers. Inside, you will find a massive 4.8-inch display, which is even bigger than the Toshiba TG01 (Windows Mobile device). On the outside resides a 2.4-inch display. The bigger display comes with WVGA resolution while the display on the outside has QVGA resolution.It has Atom Z500 processor clocked at mere 800MHz and uses 1GB RAM. For memory expansion, there is a micro-SD slot. It runs MIDinux, a custom linux distro.Specs-wise, it is too slow to be a netbook and too big and heavy to be a smartphone.

Compal reducing R&D support for MIDs – Are they not selling well?

Paul Merak — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:38:55 +0000

MID (Mobile Internet Devices) is a segment which started along with UMPCs (ultra mobile PCs) and Netbook. Both UMPCs and MIDs simply failed to take off.The Compal Electronics has reduced its R&D resources specifically allocated for MIDs due to the uncertain business outlook for the segment, according to industry sources.However, Compal made a wise move by shifting those employees to the netbook R&D segment.

HTC TOUCH HD as a Mobile Internet Device (MID)- Review

Paul Merak — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:55:22 +0000

This time we are going to review it from a different perspective - AS A MOBILE INTERNET DEVICE. If you have been following the windows mobile scene from the past couple of years, you must have observed that the display size of the mobile phones has decreased in size over the years. Whether we all like it or not, but it was the iPhone that brought the big screen to attention to the mobile phone manufactures.

Soon to be launched: Samsung WiMAX MID AKA SWD-M100 AKA Mondi

Paul Merak — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:10:16 +0000

Samsung is all set to launch SWD-M100 (Mondi) in the US. The design is similar to Nokia N810 which is also a slider MID. I am personally a big fan of slider MIDs as you can hide the keyboard when you do not want to use them. However, there is one thing that sets the M100 aside from the rest of the MIDs available in the market. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and it will come with Opera Mobile for the web-browsing as the IE in WM 6.1 is only good for mobile websites. Here are its specifications:

4.3-inch screen
WiMAX
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0
Micro SD card slot
3.0 megapixel camera
256MB of ROM
TV out

It will only be available from Clearwire in the US.Commentary: The main question that comes to minds of a lot of people: Is it going to be successful with Windows Mobile 6.1 as its OS? Personally, Windows Mobile is not a bad choice at all especially with so many productivity applications under its belt. Perhaps they should go with the WM 6.5 which offers IE mobile 6 and better interface.

Meet the very cheap MID – SmartQ 5 MID

Paul Merak — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:40:08 +0000

The SmartQ 5 MID from China, costs just $130 (900 Yuan) and runs ARM-based Ubuntu. It has a 4.3-inch display with WVGA (800x480) resolution. The display should be crisp at that resolution. It also comes with built-in BT connectivity and WiFi b/g/a. It also comes with some pre-installed applications (StarDict dictionary and FBReader ebook reader). It may not be running the best CPU around, but we should not underestimate ARM-processor, which powers more than 80% of the phones that we use in our daily life. Also, I need not reiterate the fact how less power the ARM processors consume.

UMID M1 launches in Korea (plus typing demo video)

Paul Merak — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:08:52 +0000

UMID M1 has finally been launched in Korea. This tiny 4.8-inch little monster runs on Intel Atom processor and promises a whoping 6 hours battery life, which should be enough for a full day use. However, due to its small size, do not even think about writing a novel on this small device. According to slashgear, the keyboard is surprisingly nice for thumb-typing.The base model starts at $465 and goes upto $532 for high end model.Here is the thumb-typing demo:

“ARM Sparrow” processor for Netbooks, MIDs

Paul Merak — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:32:43 +0000

ARM processor is widely used in variety of phones including the likes of Windows Mobile, iPhone and Nokia. At the Mobile World Congress, the ARM announced their new processor. This time, it was not for the mobiles, but for the netbooks.

MIDs that will be shown by Intel at Mobile World Congress, 2009 [MID]

Paul Merak — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:30:03 +0000

This is a video by Intel where they show the various device which they will be showing at MWC. My favorite is the pink WiBrain! ;)