Seamless Internet's S-XGen ultramobile PC
In what seems to be the Swiss Army knife of portables, the S-XGen ultramobile personal computer (UMPC) from Seamless Internet includes an Intel PXA270 Xscale 520MHz processor running Windows CE 5.0 operating system, Microsoft Office Mobile, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth and tri-band GSM/EDGE/CDMA EV-DO network access, Ethernet and USB ports, a 4-inch TFT LCD touch screen, a 280 pixel Web video camera, and a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, all of which collapse into a package measuring 6.5x3.8x1.25 inches and weighing 14 ounces.
Eight hours of battery life accommodates a full day of computing as well as MP3 and video playback. Considering this exhaustive list of attributes and its price--$1,395--the S-XGen is clearly targeted toward the serious mobile warrior.
Last year's OQO ultramobile PC (or UMPC) was a great-looking, high-concept piece of equipment that was perhaps a little ahead of its time. Poor battery life and anemic performance kept the palm-sized PC from capitalizing on the system's initial buzz.
The eagerly expected follow-up, the OQO model 02, keeps the original's sliding screen design but adds upgraded specs; a new, ergonomic, backlit keyboard; and options for every flavor of wireless connectivity out there.
The OQO2 uses a VIA processor, up to 1.5GHz, and can hold up to 60GB of data on its shock-mounted hard drive, along with 1GB of RAM and an 800x480 display. We especially liked the built-in HDMI port for outputting to an external monitor.
The OQO model 02 should be available by the end of March and starts at $1,499.
Not exactly new, but perhaps new to you: Sony's VAIO UX ultramobile PC garnered a lot of attention last year for its cool palm-size design, but even though it contained a fully fledged Intel Core Solo CPU and ran Windows XP, it fell somewhat short as a usable mobile computer.
The latest update, which sounds very promising, is the UX Premium Micro PC. This version has a 32GB solid state hard drive, which means no moving parts, better battery life, less heat, and faster access to your data (or at least 32GB worth of your data).
Flash memory-based hard drives have increased in capacity and come down in price in the last several months, making them a more viable storage medium. The UX Premium has been available in Japan since September, but the U.S. edition is hitting stores in February for about $2,500.
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