UMPC

CHIBA, Japan--The Sharp NetWalker comes off like a computer with an identity crisis.

It's part Asus Eee PC Netbook and part Samsung Q1 ultramobile PC.

And it's a little bit puzzling.

The NetWalker is dressed up like a super-petite Netbook, weighing less than a pound, with a five-inch touchscreen and a measly 512MB of memory and wireless LAN.

It's got a pretty robust battery life--up to 10 hours, according to Sharp--and runs Ubuntu. There's a Firefox browser, Thunderbird for e-mail, a Twitter app, and some open-source programs for word processing and reviewing spreadsheets, so you can … Read more

We had high expectations for the ClarionMind when it arrived at our offices for testing. Touting an Intel Atom processor, Web connectivity, and multimedia playback, the ClarionMind appeared to be a quantum leap in in-car navigation and computing.

There's just one problem. They seem to have forgotten the Internet connection.

The ClarionMind lacks a cellular antenna of its own, instead relying on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-tethered phones with data plans to supply its Web connection. This is a bit like bringing a knife to a gunfight when you're entering a market populated with connected GPS devices (such as the … Read more

Ultramobile PCs have always found themselves to be the tweeners of the mobile world: too large to be easily pocket-size, yet too small to be usable as full-fledged computers. While the landscape just a few years ago was marked with products ranging from Samsung's Q1 to the OQO, often costing way too much money, now cheaper smartphones and Netbooks have crowded in on either side with portable power to spare.

The Viliv S5, currently an import-only product, returns to the scene of the crime with a lower-cost Atom-based touch-screen device that runs full Windows XP, has Bluetooth and GPS … Read more

I suppose if I were just in search of controversy, I'd write a post to proclaim the death of the MID (mobile Internet device) category. My obituary for the Netbook earlier this week generated a ton of traffic; I suppose I could do that again. Certainly, the concept of a MID--a device midway in size and capability between smartphones and the smallest notebooks--is under tremendous pressure from both sides.

Customers have learned that with a well-engineered browser, the small displays on phones such as Apple's iPhone and T-Mobile's G1 "Google phone" are sufficient for most … Read more

Notebook or Netbook? It's a question for the ages, or at least for anyone shopping for a new portable PC. Buy.com has the Acer Aspire One Netbook for a tantalizing $289.99 shipped. The hitch: it's a refurb.

The last time I posted about the Aspire One, it was $309.99 new. However, this refurb has much beefier specs, including 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and Windows XP instead of Linux.

The One also features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, an 8.9-inch screen, a Webcam, and 802.11b/g wireless. It's modeled … Read more

My (new) thinking regarding Netbooks: They have their place in the world, but if you're going to spend more than $300 on one, you might as well spend $400 and get a full-fledged notebook. Anyone who agrees should check out Dell's Inspiron Mini 9, currently on sale for $299 shipped.

Available in Obsidian Black or Alpine White (other color choices are available, but add to the cost), the Mini 9 runs Ubuntu Linux and comes with 512MB of RAM, a 4GB solid-state hard drive, and an 8.9-inch LED display.

Dell gives you a host of configuration options, … Read more

On Tuesday morning, Fujitsu announced updates to two of its LifeBook lines, the UMPC-like U series and the tiny P-series tablet. Designed primarily for use in vertical markets (think health care and manufacturing), the systems are also sure to appeal to buyers who want something as portable as a Netbook but are willing to pay more for a more thorough feature set.

The 5.6-inch LifeBook U820 updates the U810 we reviewed last year, adding a GPS receiver, plus integrated Garmin Mobile PC software for driving directions and points of interest.

The U820 is built on a Z-series Intel Atom … Read more

In the market for a Netbook? Amazon has the baseline HP 2133 on sale for $299, down from $499. Right away that solves one of the HP's main problems: its high price. Best of all, this is a new unit--not a refurb--and you don't have to deal with any rebates.

The HP 2133 is the one Netbook I've actually reviewed, and I liked it well enough, except for two issues: price and performance. But my eval unit came with Windows Vista and a $799 price tag; the model Amazon is selling has SUSE Linux and costs $299. … Read more

Though not quite as cheap as the Asus Eee PC from a couple weeks ago, the Acer Aspire One is one of the top-rated Netbooks (there's a contradiction in terms), and you can get it for just $309 shipped--no rebates required. Hey, they gotta do something to unload these lemons, right?

I kid, I kid. While I still don't see the appeal of a PC with a tiny screen, tiny keyboard, tiny amount of storage, mediocre battery life, and limited video-playback capabilities, at least the prices are starting to get more attractive.

This particular model comes with … Read more