Ultra-portable news roundup
Today has already been a day for some significant news in the ultra-portable/ UMPC/ MID space so here goes. The Everex Cloudbook is now being delayed until February 25 for release according to engadget. The Cloudbook has already been delayed once and it seems Everex is having trouble getting it out the door once again. Kevin and I saw the Cloudbook at the CES in Las Vegas early this month and it is anxiously awaited as another low cost notebook to compete with the Asus EEE PC.
Speaking of the EEE PC, earlier rumors of a model with a touch screen are being shot down by Asus according to DigiTimes. Asus has determined that their customers do not want a touch screen on a notebook form factor and are not planning on introducing a model that includes touch. I personally don't see a need for a touch screen on a notebook device but that's just me, a lot of people expressed excitement at the news that there would be a touch EEE PC.
In other news, Shen also pointed out the company's market research has determined that touch screen is not a highly demanded feature for Eee PC customers, and therefore it will suspend plans to include the option of a touch screen panel in the next generation of Eee PCs.
DigiTimes also snuck in something we haven't heard before from HTC, the makers of the Shift and my beloved Advantage. In a press event covering the launch of the HTC Shift this nugget slipped in about the Advantage:
HTC plans to launch a 5-inch mobile computing device designed to replace the HTC Advantage in 2008, said company sources at HTC.
No word on what changes HTC might be considering for the Advantage but it's great to hear they are going to refresh what is already a dynamite mobile device.
*crosses fingers that Advantage part deux has slide/tilt action and backlit keys*
And an OLED display and 1 GHz processor, if I'm being whimsical.
Posted by: Keith | January 30, 2008 at 09:04 AM
May be more slimmer with polished rounded edges for a sleeky look and a better keyboard.
It would be great if they can replace Opera with skyfire :-)
I guess Win Mobile 6.1 will be the OS.
Posted by: Srini | January 30, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Oh man a new Advantage, I can't wait to see the specs. But it is a huge bummer that Asus won't make a touch screen for their umpc. Since there seems to be a lot of interest in this space I bet there will be a touch screen device some day. When it comes out it will be mine.
mobiletechfan.com
Posted by: Alslayer | January 30, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Damn you HTC! That's all I need, Fiend Kendrick doing video after video of a NEW Advantage!!
May all YOUR MBPs wind up at the Genius Bar too!!
Posted by: Mike Cane | January 30, 2008 at 12:31 PM
You cannot escape, Mike. Stop trying.
Posted by: James Kendrick | January 30, 2008 at 12:45 PM
I wonder if the "new" Advantage is just the one recently mentioned for T-mob UK with a larger (12GB?) microdrive? I'd really love to see the 5" screen meshed into a Universal like form factor (guts moved to the *backlit* keyboard side of the device for better weight balance), throw in optimized, driver supported video acceleration hardware and I'd be ready to pony up the dough.
Posted by: Galt | January 30, 2008 at 08:37 PM