New Cellphone Sized "Computer" Takes Aim at Sub-Notebooks

IMOVIO has launched a new cellphone-sized computer that is aimed at something similar to the subnotebook market. While it doesn't have 3G of its own, it does have a QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, and a $175 price point. "It can connect to the Internet using a standard Wi-Fi connection, or it can use your cell phone's mobile broadband connection via Bluetooth. The company is currently pitching it to mobile network operators and retail stores. It's being compared to the ill-fated Palm Foleo. But the comparison doesn't work because the Foleo was Palm-phone only, didn't fit in a pocket and cost well over three times the price of the iKIT.

Comments

Nokia

[rlp]

Nokia has a line of small devices that do the same thing. The 770 (which I use) and 800 have on-screen keyboards, the 810 has a slide-down keyboard. The access the internet via WiFi or a bluetooth connection on a phone.

Re:Screen pixels?

[BUL2294]

Someone posted on the original article's forum that it's 320x240. Unfortunately, in this day and age, that resolution borders on useless. Sure, for 80x25 text or for an old VGA 320x200 DOS game it would be cool. But to do anything of recent vintage, you'll end up having to pan-and-scan in zoom mode to see a webpage. Hell, I don't like browsing on my Toshiba Libretto 110CT--and that's 800x480... (And my complaints are with the screen resolution, not speed--Firefox 3 runs acceptably on it).

Re:infuriating

[east coast]

Let me ask: Why should it matter where we buy it from? If anything you would think the manufacturers would find accessories of this nature to have high profit margins compared to their phones. I know I'd buy into it.