Computex and Gigabyte's Slick UMPC, Linux SmartPhone

MojoKid writes "Computex Taipei is brimming with new technologies as usual this year and the first day of the show has proven to be a Tech Geek's nirvana of sorts. Highlights of the show for the handheld crowed include Gigabyte's slick UMPC, FIC's Linux-based Smart Phone, and Asus' sub-$300 Eee notebook PC shown at an Intel keynote address."

Comments

Huh?

[Aqua_boy17]

the handheld crowed...

I don't know about the rest of you but when my PDA starts crowing, I think it will be time for me to look for a nice quiet padded room somewhere.

Re:Huh?

[sharkey]

Well, perhaps it's an added-value feature: It keep basilisks away, a defensive device of tremendous proportions if you happen to be a Muggle or are Muggle-born.

Re:Huh?

[petehead]

the handheld crowed...

I don't know about the rest of you but when my PDA starts crowing, I think it will be time for me to look for a nice quiet padded room somewhere.

Dude, if you read the article, you would know that this is supposed to say, "handheld crowd"; apparently someone has finally figured out how to make a crowd fit in your hand. I've been waiting for this for so very long.

Re:Huh?

[nytes]

...And said the handheld, "Nevermore!"

Nice $300 notebook

[CastrTroy]

That would be a nice $300 notebook, if it didn't look like an oversized PDA. I'm all for portability in notebooks, but once they're too small to have a full sized keyboard, they should lose the right to call it a notebook.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[Anonymous Coward]

So 12" screen is too small then? Seriously, I can hardly type of those things, I wouldn't quite call it "full sized".

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[stoolpigeon]

Here is the most substantial list I've seen of specs on it. I agree with you that calling it a notebook is a stretch. At the same time, I haven't seen anything with that kind of capability at this price point, smaller or larger. I think I could easily go for the $199 model. They don't specifically mention usb in the list of features - but I would think that it would be necessary to augment the storage.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[evilviper]

once they're too small to have a full sized keyboard, they should lose the right to call it a notebook.

Why? Most of us don't have massively fat fingers, and a 3/4 size keyboard is quite comfortable for typing.

In any case, at 22.5cm [1], it's more than wide enough to accommodate a full keyboard.

[1] According to: http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/3951/asus_introd uces_new

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[networkBoy]

you can see the USB ports in the picture.
I wonder when these will hit the market?
I would buy one *today* if I could. I fly out on a trip tomorrow and don't want to carry my thinkpad, this would be perfect for what I want to do while I'm away. (namely upload pictures to my server from my digital camera).
-nB

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[stoolpigeon]

you can see the USB ports in the picture
 
I figured, but I would love to see it in print to be sure. I think I saw somewhere in this thread that the other umd mentioned is like $900 or something. I can't find a price for the via nanobook that they announced. But I'm willing to bet it is more than $300.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[drinkypoo]

Why? Most of us don't have massively fat fingers, and a 3/4 size keyboard is quite comfortable for typing.

On the other hand, some of us do (I used to have a picture of me depressing both the control keys at once without pressing any other keys, on a full-size IBM keyboard) and even ordinary keyboards aren't large enough. I'd like to see someone do the IBM butterfly keyboard thing, except, I'd like to see them do it right.

Barring that, I'd rather just have one of those fold-out Targus keyboards. I have one for handspring visor, haven't got around to hacking it up for use on other devices yet.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[Anonymous Coward]

(I used to have a picture of me depressing both the control keys at once without pressing any other keys, on a full-size IBM keyboard)

Did you mean with one hand? Because I really don't see what's so difficult about depressing both cntrl keys otherwise.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[drinkypoo]

Did you mean with one hand? Because I really don't see what's so difficult about depressing both cntrl keys otherwise.

Er, yeah. Sorry, I realize that's kind of relevant here, and I forgot it. I'm distracted by chattering coworkers :)

My hands are absolutely gigantic. If I try to touch type on even a full-size keyboard, it makes my hands hurt. I hunt and peck at about 75 wpm, though (it's touch typing, but it's not standard style or whatever they call it)

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[wytcld]

Oh yeah. And for small keyboards - the thing that's surprised me using a Zaurus clamshell for a few years is that even though I've long be a touch typist, going down to a keyboard so small I'm just using index fingers is much easier than I'd thought. So this keyboard is way larger than the Zaurus, while the whole thing weighs in at about a pound, and if it does come in at $300 it's cheaper. And Linux. When/where can I preorder?

In a few years, this could make all the folks with the big notebooks look old-tech.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[OrangeTide]

Maybe the notebooks are designed for tiny people instead of big americans with sausage fingers?

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[tzanger]

On the other hand, some of us do (I used to have a picture of me depressing both the control keys at once without pressing any other keys, on a full-size IBM keyboard) and even ordinary keyboards aren't large enough. I'd like to see someone do the IBM butterfly keyboard thing, except, I'd like to see them do it right.

I can do that too, but I have absolutely *no* problem typing on regular laptop keyboards. No sore wrists, even though my wrists pretty much enter the laptop "space" at the two lower corners. In fact, most days I prefer typing on a laptop keyboard!

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[tabby]

oversized PDA with the battery life of a notebook... wtf?

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[evilviper]

On the other hand, some of us do

The fact that some have special needs shouldn't preclude normal equipment being designed to work for 95% of people.

(I used to have a picture of me depressing both the control keys at once without pressing any other keys, on a full-size IBM keyboard) and even ordinary keyboards aren't large enough.

I'm just half an inch away from being able to do that myself, and I'm rather sure my fingers are fatter than average, but I don't have any problem typing on 3/4 keyboards.

Re:Nice $300 notebook

[JabberWokky]

I use a 17" "big" laptop on my desktop, and carry a Libretto 110ct (which is smaller than these machines). The Libretto has a 60 gig drive with all my files and syncs; it's a fantastic solution, but maxed out at 64 megs of memory, it is sorely limited. There's not been much activity in the ultraportable space for many years... not in the US at any rate. These are great, but the "big" laptops merely become the home machines.

--
Evan

UMPC + fullsize KB!

[BadERA]

A Win UMPC with a fullsize keyboard ... now if only it has both WiFi and cell broadband (2.5G/3G/HSPDA) I'm in heaven!

Re:UMPC + fullsize KB!

[BadERA]

Well, what I mean is, a QWERTY KEYboard, and not a THUMBboard.

Gigabyte's news release:

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/News/Notebook/News_List .aspx?NewsID=1323

Unfortunately, looks like no built-in cell connectivity, though it does have Bluetooth ...

Also unfortunately: $920 USD.

1 out of 3

[Anonymous Coward]

Only one out of three running Linux? Is this still Slashdot?

Slick?

[Anonymous Coward]

That Gigabyte thing is ugly, not in an 'ugly yet cool chic' kinda way, ugly in a 'get that badly designed shit out of my sight' kinda way. That is, it's perfectly paired with Microsoft software!

2 out of 3

[stoolpigeon]

You fail it.

Re:2 out of 3

[stoolpigeon]

i guess the 'you fail it' is flame bait - but 2 of those 3 devices run linux - not just one. that's just a fact - not being provocative.

I want that phone

[alta]

Did you notice the price??? They're free! Don't beleive me? Check out the placard beside the phone!

Re:I want that phone

[schlick]

But seriously, free as in speech... This is not simply a linux phone, it is an OPEN phone you will be free to replace the OS with anything you choose, and programmers will have unprecedented access to the OS and hardware. This is an awesome project.

www.openmoko.org

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Hitch]

Um...yeah, that's great and all
but if no one even attempts to catch up, what will drive Apple to advance?
not a damn thing, really.
so, even if you think everyone else is crap
which I don't
you have some interest in keeping some competition alive.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[CockMonster]

The iPhone has been 'lived up to' outside of the US for a few years now! It's yesterday's
technology being sold to fan-boys very well by Apple's marketing dept.

eee is the Intel Classmate

[stoolpigeon]

Interesting Guardian article explaining that the asus eee is the Intel Classmate - Intel's response to the OLPC.

openmoko is that linux phone project

[Danny Rathjens]

http://openmoko.org/ is the site for the software running on that FIC phone. It's quite a nifty project. The wiki also has pictures of the insides of the phone if you are into that sort of thing. :)

But ... those girls don't wear cases. You can see their bare circuits! -- Bender

Re:openmoko is that linux phone project

[filterban]

Openmoko is one of the most exciting open source software projects out there right now, IMO.

The Neo 1973 has GPS and the next hardware revision is supposed to have WiFi, too... since they've finally located a sufficiently small, low power, and free (as in speech) WiFi chipset and driver.

FIC's Neo 1973

[superbrose]

Some more info about the Neo 1973 Linux phone. Interestingly it can run Windows Mobile, too.

It would be nice to have the option to install Linux on other smartphones too. The only interesting project I know at the moment is Xanadux, but since most phones have to be reverse-engineered, development is much slower than it could be.

Re:FIC's Neo 1973

[OrangeTide]

I've been wanting to check out the Neo 1973 for a while now. First time in years a new phone has sparked my interest.

Re:FIC's Neo 1973

[Russ Nelson]

Shouldn't that be Xanatux ??

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Bishop]

I think the better question is: "Will the iPhone measure up to the iPhone?" There have been endless rumours and hype, few real facts, and no independent reviews. While I am certain the iPhone will be a solid product, let us wait until June 29th before declaring the iPhone the greatest phone ever.

interesting, yes, but useful?

[escay]

Either the user's fingers are too fat, or the UMPC keyboard appears painfully small. Hard to blame Gigabyte though - personally I think the UMPCs are in a most uncomfortable market segment (between cell phone/PDAs and laptops), making it very hard to choose what features to sacrifice and what to optimize, if not started out with a definitive design goal.

On a different note, is that FIC phone the one with Java Mobile FX (nee savaje) that was introduced at the java one dev. conf a few months ago as the 'java iPhone'?

Re:interesting, yes, but useful?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes it is, and FIC has more open hardware in the pipline.

Re:interesting, yes, but useful?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not only small, they screwed up the lower right row!
Compare it to your own keyboard. The M should be between the J and K, but it is between the H and J keys.

Re:interesting, yes, but useful?

[MacroRex]

Either the user's fingers are too fat, or the UMPC keyboard appears painfully small.

Well, I have the Nokia E70, and its even smaller thumb-typing keyboard is not too small at all for managing my calendar entries or to send out few emails and text messages every now and then. The UMPC keyboard is not meant for churning out code for ours, but I bet it's just excellent for the purposes it's aimed for.

What, you don't have custom ringtones?

[wiredog]

no text, except that which is put here to get past the lameness filter.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[AvitarX]

Let's see:

Buttons, Check

My phone lives up to the iPhone in the way that is most important to me.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[evilviper]

With the impending release date of Apple's iPhone, I am left to wonder whether there is even any point in other manufacturers continuing to develop smart phones

Really? Because, with the impending release date of Apple's iPhone, I'm left to wonder whether it will be a half-decent phone to begin with.

Apple's success with the iPod is impressive, but it was a fledgling market which smart phones are not, and none of their other product lines have been remotely as dominant as the iPod. I don't believe the iPhone is going to set the world on fire just because its name also starts with the letter 'i'. And a few little features might look good on stage, but that usually doesn't translate into real-world user-friendliness.

Remember when Comdex was the big geekout?

[wiredog]

I wonder when Computex will have a Slashdot Booth, and CowboyNeal as the Booth Babe.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[MadJo]

Freedom to develop and iPhone?
It's only since recently that Jobs announced that there will eventually be support for third party apps on the iPhone. But I'd hardly call that freedom.

Freedom is the ability to speak directly to the GSM modem and any other piece of hardware in the device.
Is that possible with the iPhone? Not sure... Is that possible with the Neo1973 Heck yeah!
And the mass-market phone Neo1973, that will come later this year, will have Wifi, GPS, 2 accelerometers, 3d capabilities. (so far the only piece of hardware in that phone that's closed sourced is the GPS chip, everything else is completely open.)

The iPhone is an overpriced piece of equipment that not many people are going to buy. ($599 PLUS a 2 year contract with AT&T? No subsidy? Puh-lease.) Apple may price itself extremely lucky if they even manage to reach 0.05% of market share in the US.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

Then why don't you point us to a phine that "lives up" to the iPhone instead of just insisting it is so.

And if you're going to post a link to one of those kludgy, half-ass smartphones that are available, don't waste your time.

If such a phone as you suggest does exist, I'd like to see. Sadly, I suspect you're just running your dicksucker because you're an Apple foeboy.

NanoBook

[dharbee]

This article says it's $600 for the NanoBook

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2141806,00.as p

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[suggsjc]

Apple's iPhone has slain the competition before it has even hit the market

Spoken like a true fanboy without a grip on reality.

Will either, for instance, offer the freedom to develop for the platform that developers enjoy with the iPhone?

Wow, what a completely uninformed statement. Jobs just said that 3rd party development will be allowed, but has released ZERO details as to the extent of what will be allowed. There are NO API's and NO developer tools at the moment. Windows CE and Linux BOTH offer that, so the real question is will Apple allow the same freedom as the other platforms.

But I digress, I've followed the Neo1973 for a pretty good while now and it is still in development. There are already a few devices in the wild, but there is about to be a larger developer batch going out soon. The difference between it and other platforms is that it is COMPLETELY open. The hardware is fully documented (minus some binary userland drivers for ) and the software is available for all to see and modify.
Here is the wiki for the OpenMoko platform

I just want to know who modded this insightful as there was only complete speculation and blatant bias. That said, I do think that the iPhone is going to be an amazing device, but to say that there is no point for other manufactures to even develop smart phones any more??? You've GOT to be kidding me.

Has anyone noticed

[overshoot]

that FIC seems to be doing their best to discourage interest in the Neo1973 phone?

They may be showing it under glass, but if you search their website there is zero reference to it. Me, I've been lusting after it since December and really lusting since my Treo got crunched in February. Looks like I'll have to resurrect an old Zire instead, though.

Re:Has anyone noticed

[mikesd81]

I'm not sure, but I think FIC is only responsible for the hardware? This site has more info. I would like a camera and led flash on it.

Re:Has anyone noticed

[Infoport]

they do seem to be pretty quiet about it, but there is an OpenMoko logo with a link on the FIC front page, on the right. Now in the search engine...well nothing to be found there.

I agree with others; FIC is probably waiting for the community of developers to sort out more bugs before they let the public get too close. That said, I'm one of the people who want to buy one and start developing/debugging, but can't find a place to put my money down.

Re:Has anyone noticed

[kwalker]

It's not that they're trying to discourage interest, just not let the hype get too big and crush the project. I'm on the mailing lists and I'll be buying one when they become available, and I can tell you that the amount of people who want this phone is immense. Every time there's even the smallest delay (All the ones thus far have been because of supplier/parts problems or manufacturing delays), there is a loud wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This is FIC's first foray into the direct-to-customer market, and they're really nervous about making a good first impression. This means keeping expectations (somewhat) realistic. Because of the delays they've had thus far, they don't have a lot of demo units to hand out. All the units that have come out of manufacturing thus far (That have passed QA) have been earmarked for developers. As the consumer (aka "Phase 2") release nears (September sometime), I'm sure there will be more units to play with and I'm sure there will be more reviews and information flowing around the net.

it has one MAJOR problem that makes it useless

[Anonymous Coward]

It's missing the most important feature for any cell phone.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[suggsjc]

Here are some specs on the phone:

Physical Dimensions
  * 120.7 x 62 x 18.5 mm (4.75 x 2.44 x 0.728 inch)
  * 184 +/- 5 g (6.5 ounces)

Hardware
  * 2.8" VGA screen
  * 266 MHz Samsung Processor
  * 128MB SDRAM
  * 64MB NAND FLASH ROM
  * GSM/GPRS
  * Bluetooth
  * GPS

http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Category:Neo1973_Har dware

And here's the newest news. The second generation will have the following additional specs.
-400MHz Processor
-a 2D/3D-Graphics Accelerator
-256MByte of Flash Memory
-WiFi
-updated battery: 1700mAh
2 Accelerometers.

No mention of the $600 laptop?

[British]

I can't believe this wasn't mentioned in TFA. I really want one of those $600 ultra portable laptops which seem like a steal at $600, with a comfy keyboard. That looks to be 100 times more practical than that slide-down underneath keyboard I saw pics of. Gimme one of those.

Re:No mention of the $600 laptop?

[mikesd81]

I personally think the slide down would be a little more comfortable for me. However, I don't like that there is no way to flip the screen 90 degrees like a notebook. If that incorporated that, I'd really like it. I don't like the keyboard of the VIA you mentioned. To cramped. Hell even on a notebook I prefer to use a regular USB keyboard.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe the Neo also has bluetooth.
And since you brought up the iPhone's price, the Neo is going to be $350 and will be unlocked, with no plan.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps in a few years Snape dies so Harry can kill Voldemort without dying...

Please put spoiler warnings on stuff like this. Especially if you're going to post them on a Computex story, of all things.

Wait a minute -- I thought one, and only one, of them would die?

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[cp.tar]

Well, technically, the prophecy "and neither can live while the other survives" does not, in fact, claim that only one will die. It only says that at least one must die.

Luckily, this spoiler changed nothing for me; I thought that would happen ever since I read the first book.

Which is why I don't believe it all that much, really.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

I suspect you're just running your dicksucker because you're an Apple foeboy.

Does such a machine exist? I'll take one of those over an iPhone, anyday!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

eee

[eMbry00s]

eee

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

unlocked is good, being able to choose any plan you want is motivating

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

yhbt. I just wish that the people who are putting the spoilers out there would do us one better and just but the damn thing on bittorrent. JKR is rich enough that I feel ok only purchasing the first six books.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[kaizokuace]

mmm i hope the neo comes out soon. Its so much more awesome than that gay ass I phone. Its got ORANGE TRIM! mmmmm fuk a iphone! Anyone who thinks they can get into the cellphone market charging that much and so subsidization is a fool. and I am not Mr. T so I dont pity this fool.

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[Braino420]

Dude, that's something you need to post anonymously. That way I don't have to bother reading it. kthnx

Awesome product. I want one

[Anonymous Coward]

If this is not pure hype, and I don't believe it is, this is an awesome computer. It looks like a good, 21st century replacement for the dear old Psion computers.

It is just the computer I want to have when traveling, making presentations, on the train, or to bring to my bed. I cannot wait to run Linux and Emacs on it.

Only criticism: It would be nicer if batteries could run longer.

sorry for the spam guys

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry for posting this out of place but I'm at Computex today so if there's any info you guys need.

Let me know as a reply to this thread and ill try to have some answers by the end of the day!

-Sj53

Re:Will any smart phone measure up to the iPhone?

[iluvcapra]

Freedom is the ability to speak directly to the GSM modem and any other piece of hardware in the device. [...] Not sure... Is that possible with the Neo1973 Heck yeah

Banned from US carriers' GSM networks 5...4...3...2...