HiVision Shows Off Sub-$100 Linux Mini Laptop

I am not sure how legitimate most of these articles are, considering I cannot find a company web page for HiVision, or for any of its products. Most of what I have read both intrigues me and makes the product and its company seem very allusive.

None the less, if this is a true product that can be  / will be purchasable in stores soon...this could very well be your UMPC / Low cost laptop winner.

According to Gizmodo, "For $98, you get a MIPS-based processor, 1GB flash storage, 3 USB ports, Ethernet, an SDHC card reader, WiFi, audio in and out, voice-chat and Firefox browser support on a Linux user interface. "

That's not a 95% laptop like you get with most other UMPC's. It is truly a MID, or a simple tool on the go. 

In my opinion, the price seems to reflect the usefulness of the product. It is not damn near a full fledged laptop, therefore, it doesn't cost as much as one does (or close to it)!

To this blogger / techy, this is where the OLPC team should've ended up. This is the on laptop for Everyone!

'Spark' UMPC Looks...Interesting

According to Gizmodo, this is a new comer to the UMPC market geared at educational and low end use.

While it may look a little alien, it seems to have more of an iPhone look and feel than that of a computer.

MID vs. UMPC vs. Lowcost Laptops

My current search to find the difference between Mobile Internet Devices (MID's), Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and Low cost Laptops has lead me to one simple conclusion:

They are all the same, depending on how much you want to spend.

For those out there wondering how this is, given the wide variances in the acronyms, allow me to justify my claim.

What do all 3 of these competitors have in common?

• They can get you to the Internet, typically via Wi-Fi.
• They are fairly low cost, low end hardware.
• They tend to be smaller form factors.

While some run a variant of Linux, typically Ubuntu, most can be purchased or upgraded to run Windows XP. The hardware is designed to run at lower voltages to increase battery performance. The packaging is designed to be small, easily transported yet usable.

What makes them different from one another, however, is the marketing plunge that can spell success or failure.

• MID's tend to look more like over sized Blackberry's - photo.
• UMPC's can look like a cross between a PDA Phone and a Tablet PC.
• Lowcost laptops, or subnotebooks, look like smaller, lighter laptops.

In the end, to me anyways, the classification of the device you are purchasing has less to do with the abilities and capabilities it has as much as it does whether or not it will fit into a coat pocket or does it need a notebook bag.

Acer - Aspire One Laptop on Sale At Best Buy

I saw this add in the weekend Best Buy adds. It is the Acer Aspire One Notebook, a competitor with the Asus Eee and such. The price tag alone had me very interested as it runs around $100 to $150 less than the comparable Eee.

The specs are very nice for the price, if you would desire an Intel Atom over a Centrino or C& processor.

Product Features
Intel® Atom™ processor N270Features a 533MHz frontside bus, 512KB cache and 1.6GHz processor speed.
1GB PC5300 DDR2 memory For multitasking power, expandable to 2GB.
Note: Optical drive not included Optional external DVD-ROM drive available (not included).
8.9" WSVGA widescreen display with Acer CrystalBrite technology and 1024 x 600 resolution Showcases movies, games and other images.
160GB SATA hard drive (5400 rpm)Offers spacious storage options and fast read/write times.
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950for lush images. High-definition audio support with 2 built-in stereo speakers.
Built-in 0.3-megapixel Acer Crystal Eye webcam Makes it easy to chat with and send video mail to family and friends.
Digital media reader Supports Secure Digital, reduced size Multi Media Card, Multi Media Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card.
3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports For fast digital video, audio and data transfer.
Built-in high-speed InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity Lets you wirelessly connect to the Internet.
Weighs 2.2 lbs. and measures 1.1" thinFor lightweight portability.
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system preinstalled With Acer eRecovery Management, Acer Launch Manager and Adobe Reader software.

Here is the link I found on the website.

Everun: The Latest UMPC Challenger

This little UMPC is causing quite a stir on the low cost, low performing laptop market. Although the price is not yet out for this laptop, if it can stay in the low $300 to $400 range, I think we will see a change in direction from the current trends, including small scale, low energy processors.

The specs below are from Gizmodo:

• CPU: AMD Turion 64x2 Dual Core 1.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache

• Graphic: ATI RS690E +64MB DDR2 Side port Memory, Full DirectX 9.0 support

• Memory: 1GB DDR2

• OS: Microsoft Window XP Home

• Display: 7-inch

• Dual monitor: supporting external display up to 1920x1200

• Storage: 60GB 1.8 inch HDD/UDMA100

• Wireless Connectivity: 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR

• Camera: 1.3M pixel CMOS

• Media Card: SD/MMC Slot

• Audio: ALC262 HD Audio

• Expansion Slot: 2xUSB host, 1 x USB mini, 1x mini PCIExpress Slot, USIM card slot

• Battery life: 2.5 Hours for web-surfing

• Size: 7.87 x 4.65 x 1.08 inches

Asus Eee 1000H On Sale!

We knew it would eventually happen. The inevitable fall of Asus prices for their over priced laptops.

According to Gizmodo, Newegg has dropped the price of the Eee 1000H by $100. That's not too bad, but still not as good as a brand new Compaq or Dell.

Asus Eee 901 Now Available

The Asus Eee 901 is now shipping, according to Gizmodos' website. The specs are as follows:

Atom processor

1GB of RAM

12GB of SSD

Linux Distro (Have yet to see a XP version.)

This will cost you $599.99. Hmm...That seems kinda steep for such a small spec'd laptop. If you go to Amazons' website, you can find the same model minus the Linux distro, plus XP Home for the same price.

You can also get the 900 20G for $549 and the MSI Wind
MSI Wind 10" Mini Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 3 Cell Battery) Black for $499.

I am not saying just because it has better specs and is cheaper that it is better...I am just saying shop around!

Asus Prices the Eee PC Out Of Its Own Market

I had a feeling this was going to happen given the trend of Asus's pricing on newer models.

According to Gizmodo's site, the new Asus Eee PC is gonna run you about $600 for XP or Linux models. That's the start of the price mark, going up to around $650 for the 1000H model.

At this price, why not buy a nice HP or Compaq or shoot, even Dell laptop? I am not sure what Asus's game plan is, but I think it's mildly ignorant of what the original 2G Surf was designed for.

Maybe it's just me. What do you think?

AMD Jumps Into Ultraportables With Low-Cost and High Performance Models

According to Gizmodo's site, AMD will be jumping into the low cost UMPC market with a model of their own.

The specs are as stated on the Giz site "These versions include a white 8.9-inch version with an AMD CPU, ATI's RS690 chipset, 1GB RAM and the Linux operating system along with a 7-inch black XP version featuring a 1280 x 600 display (possibly touchscreen) a 60GB or 80GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. Details are still sketchy at the moment, but more should be revealed in the next few days." [Gizmodo]

This market is getting pretty exciting pretty fast. I expect Intel to make a new formal announcement in the near future. Can't be outdone by AMD now can we!

Acer Gets Ready To Kick Asus!

These sweet looking UMPC's are on the ballot to challenge the current "King" of the UMPC and low cost laptop world...Asus.

The specs are nice (8.9" display, 1GB RAM and either 8GB Flash or 80GB HD) and a price tag that's' sweet to, around $380.

The system runs Linpus Linux Lite. Hopefully there will be an XP model eventually.

Gizmodo Link.

MSI Wind Reviewed

The MSI Wind was recently reviewed and put through it's paces. According to an article posted on Gizmodo, it seems to have performed very well.

Article here.

Subnotebook vs. UMPC vs. Netbook: What Is the Difference?

For those of you, like myself, who have asked this question, here is a good Gizmodo answer!

Asus Notebooks Getting Splashtop Instant Boot Linux OS

According to Gizmodos' web site, The Asus laptops shipping will get the Splashtop Linux OS. This is a RAM based OS so that means better boot time, less power draw and better reaction time.

Check the article out here.

Check out SplashTop here.

Ubuntu: Netbook Remix

According to an article posted on Gizmodo, Ubuntu will be getting a smaller and more targeted version of itself soon.

This new version is designed to compete in the UMPC OS market. With the likes of gOS, and "Sugar", Netbook Remix, will be designed for small ultra portable devices and laptops.

Does this mean there may be a Linux distro in the works to compete with the likes of Palm and Blackberry?

Is Via's OpenBook the Next (Little) Big Thing in UMPCs?

This new entry into the UMPC market may well surprise some other manufacturers...as well as consumers. This UMPC is "open", which means that pretty much every aspect of it, including the casing shells specs, are available for people to get.

While that may not seem too interesting, imagine this. A company doesn't do almost any design work, they get the specs for this puppy, they do a tweak here and there, they make their own low cost laptop...quickly. Interesting yet?

Gizmodo link.

Bestlink Alpha 400, The $250 "Eee"

Yup, theres another UMPC in the ol' Eee rat race. This one has low specs and an even lower price...$250! That's not too bad. The question is can you upgrade the pitiful 128MB RAM? That's' interesting...

Gizmodo Link

OLPC XO Laptop 2.0 Has Dual Touchscreens

If this article is even close to being accurate (which we hope it is!) then this is going to be a great boost for the OLPC group.

Pictured above is someones idea of what the OLPC 2.0 would look like. It has 2 touch screens and is much smaller than it's predecessor.

Since the OLPC group never got to their original price mark to begin with, I doubt this thing will be ported around by poor African kids anytime soon or ever.

Gizmodo link here.

Asus Eee 900 Available For Pre Order

According to Gizmodos' website, the Asus Eee 900 is available for preorder...or has been for a day or so.

Anyone gonna drop $549 on this bad boy?

Asus Competitor...The CTL IL1

It looks like Asus may be getting some more competitors...and at a lower price.

The CTL IL1 has some decent stats. Gizmodos site states, "A 1GHz Via processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB SSD or 60GB HDD plus an SD card reader, with Linux or Windows XP." [Gizmodo] And this model is supposed to run about $50 less than the base Asus 4GB model.

This race could get interesting soon.

Lightning Review: HP 2133 Mini-Note

The peeps at Gizmodo have handed down the verdict on the HP 2133 Mini Laptop. Click here to get the full deal.

The Price seems a bit high (for the $750 model) but it does seem to be a good fighter against the Asus Eee!