Not only is there mass product and naming confusion in the ultra-sub-mini-net-low cost notebook market, it looks like we’ll all be working overtime to deal with the different price points. Not only is Engadget reporting news of Dell’s ‘E’, coming in at $299 for its 8.9 inch model, but they’ve also got a report that Asus Eee 901 is going to be prices at $599 in the US for both Windows and Linux versions. The Eee 1000 and 1000H(10inch) looks to come in at $699 and $649 (depending on if it contains a hard drive or not.)

I imagine that this is only going to get more confusing in the early stages of this autumn when these devices really get going. Wouldn’t you love to see these manufacturers decide to get these devices in big boxes? I doubt that will happen given the different price points and the low margins.

Engadget got a hold of some slides of Dell’s entry into the ultra-net-sub-mini-low cost-notebook market and it looks like Dell might have decided that Asus doesn’t own all the E’s in this space. Although the naming might change, at the moment it looks to be called the Dell ‘E.’ Not only do the slides reveal an 8.9 inch ultra-portable, but also a 12.1 inch model called the ‘E Slim,’ which is going after the thin market. Supposedly the ‘E Slim’ is 0.8 inches thick.

Other interesting news from the Engadget post, Dell is also adding in Linux based Instant On called BlackTop. No conclusive evidence as to whether or not this is related to Splashtop.

And the price on the Dell E starts at $299.

Check out more slides here.

Yesterday I asked the question Where are the MIDs? Today via UMPCPortal we’re seeing that Intel is kinda, sorta talking about MIDs at Computex on their Chip Shots blog. I don’t think there is any real info there beyond the typical “things are going according to plan.”

On another front, Kevin Tofel is pointing to an InfoWorld article that says Intel is waiting for a hit product to get the MID Market rolling. Are we talking chickens and eggs here? That’s how I read that article.

Confusing? You betcha. I still maintain that due to the apparent surprising success with the ultra-net-mini-low-cost-portable line of mobile devices and Intel’s long term roadmap for the MID platform that we are looking at 2008 before we see MIDs on the market with any significant impact. Especially if the InfoWorld headline is to be believed.

It has been quite a busy few weeks for mobile minded geeks these days. First the world was swamped with ultra-net-mini-sub-low-cost PCs from Computex. Then Apple released its much anticipated iPhone 3G, and now we’re seeing that HP is announcing a slew of new notebooks and devices. Throughout all of this, especially at Computex, there was very little news about that exciting new MID platform from Intel we’ve been hearing and writing about since CES. Yes, a few companies made some noise on that front (UMPCPortal has a quick run-down) and this morning Pocketables brings word that the Digifirends MID (pictured below) is heading to the US sometime soon with “contracted sales through Sprint and NextWave.”

We know that Intel has pushed back the rollout from early summer to later in the fall, but the absence of further news is intriguing. I’m not sure if they are just letting the ultra-net-mini-sub-low-cost PCs and iPhone 3G news runs its course, or if we’re looking at more possible delays.

I keep reminding myself of Intel’s very straightforward talking points at CES. What we would see in the MID platform in 2008 was only the beginning. The roadmap for 2009, 2010, and beyond was what this was all about. The deeper we get into 2008, I wonder if we aren’t seeing some re-evaluation of time lines and release dates, regardless of what the issues are. On many levels that only makes sense.

For now we’ll just have to wait and see.

UPDATE: Turns out we and just about everyone else got some info wrong on the DigiFriends MID. There is no deal with Sprint and NextWave for the sale of this device at the moment. DigiFriends does not have a 'contract' but they are in 'contact.'

No. No. No. No. I can’t take it anymore. Not another name and acronym for yet another class of mobile devices. I’ve already added ultra-sub-mini-portable-low cost-notebook as an ActiveWord for easy recall, and now I’ve got to go back and change it once again.

Now we have the MiND. No, that is not MID as in Mobile Internet Device. It is MiND as in Mobile Internet and Navigation Device. Yep you guessed it. It is a Mobile device with Internet connectivity that also has a GPS. Which is puzzling to me because I swear we heard of a least a few MIDs (without the N) at CES that were planning to add GPS to the mix.

According to jkkmobile this MiND from Clarion (still a prototype) will run $700 which seems to be a pretty steep price for the MID class device. But then again, news has slowed to a crawl about the MID platform of late, so we don’t really know at what price MIDs will debut.

In any event, add another device category and acronym to the roster.

Check out the video at PCWorld

Looks like Dell had press event in Austin and unfurled much more about the Dell Mini-Note that caused quite a storm at the D6 conference last week.

Here is what APC Mag is reporting on what Dell was showing off at the press event:

• The mini-note will likely be an Atom processor
• likely run XP and Ubuntu
• is due by August. The reason why they are later to market than the rest of the Computex crowd? They were working on getting the keyboard right.
• labeling on the keyboard is subdued. The function keys are gone, instead being replaced by shortcuts ( volume, standby, etc ) scattered throughout the keys.
• Ports include three USB, VGA, and a memory card slot.
• It is being manufactured by Compal, the same company manufacturing the HP Mini-Note and MSI Wind

Head over to APCMag to learn more.

First International Computer, an ODM, is going to be a player in the ultra-sub-mini-portable-low cost space, and most likely offer the guts for some of the players we’ve seen start peeking their heads out this week at Computex. Remember the Everex Cloudbook? That came from FIC. FIC boasts that they are the only ODM that currently offers both VIA and Intel based UMPC models and at Computex they were showing off a design (CE2A1) that featured a VIA C7–M ULV processor that is capable of supporting Vista, XP, or Linux, as well as a design (The CW0A1) that used Intel’s Atom N270 that could run either XP Home or Linux.

I’m not sure why FIC or any of the companies now rushing to get into this space are even looking at Vista, but I guess for some it might be nice to have the option available.

via jkkmobile

You’ve got to love this and more power to them. Micro-Star International (MSI) has made a lot of noise at late with the little storm they cooked up called the MSI Wind. So much so, that in this post from Gizmodo they are already saying “following the Wind’s success” and we’ve just seen the annoucnement.

Now it appears that MSI isn’t stopping with the ultra-portable-sub-mini-class and getting into the lineup for MIDs as well. (Intriguingly we have seen nothing new on the MID front from Computex. Hmm?) Not only that, MSI is also talking about creating a thinner design for their ultra-portabel-sub-mini-class line that will be aimed at business customers. So, we might have the Wind chasing the Air. That’s targeted for a release at next year’s CES, so we’ll be on the lookout for that. There’s also talk of a 7 inch screen with a sliding keyboard.

I’m expecting an annoucement of a 3D UMPC next.

IDG via Gizmodo

Have you been able to figure what’s what or what’s next in the Ultra-mini-sub-mobile space coming out of Computex this week? I’ve been trying and my head is still spinning as the announcements have been so fast and furious. (Of course the real test is how much of this turns into actual reality, but that’s down the road.)

In any event, if you’re looking to try and get a handle on all the Computex news so far, you might want to give a listen to the Ultra Mobile Podcast featuring UMPCPortal’s Steve “Chippy” Paine, and jkkmobile from jkkmobile. They cover the rush of news in the first 48 hours or so of Computex and I’m sure they’ll be bringing us more as the week wears on.

Give it a listen here.

Call it what you will, we’ve got one more ultra-portable, ultra-low-cost, mini-notebook coming out of Computex. Laptop Magazine got their hands on the Elite Group Computers (ECS) G10IL Mini-notebook and posted up some first thoughts. At first glance, I have to agree with the reviewer. While the G10IL comes in both black and white versions, the black version uniquely sets a white keyboard in the middle of it, which to my eye looks a bit disconcerting from the pictures.

The G10IL has a 10.2 inch screen and is powered by Intel’s Atom chipset and comes with 1GB of RAM. The reviewer also says it looks and feels much like the MSI Wind, but as we’ve been seeing the parade of this ultra-mini’s this week, they all have a similar look from afar.

Check out more pictures and the full post at Laptop Magazine as well as a couple of videos.

Remember the NoahPad from CES? We haven’t seen much about this curious device with the curious keyboard since. But it looks like they are still plugging ahead. An evolved version is being shown at Computex that inlcudes larger keys and and also multi-touch. I’m still not convinced about this concept, but as I said, E-Lead appears to be forging ahead.

You can check out videos of this in action here.

Via Engadget

Asus may have captured the market so far with its Eee PC lineup, but they also seem to be the first in the hearts of those who like to pop open the devices and do some modding. jkkmobile is one who never meet an Eee PC that he couldn’t crack open and he’s taken a look at some pictures from AnandTech of the innards and discovered that there are a range of options for those who like to do their own surgery. Check out more here.

Yes, another ultra-portable enters the fray targeting the Asus Eee PC and the ever-expanding market it created. TweakTown is showing off info on the GeCube, a 10.2 inch ultra-portable that is running a Via Chipset, although as they point out, currently not the Nano. Yes, it contains the specs that we can all pretty much recite by memory these days. It will be running the gOS flavor of Linux, and XP is also an option. No word on price or availability, but as today’s events have shown it had better come in at the least under $400 to be really competitive.

Somehow, my colleague found Performance Test 6.1 benchmark testing software loaded on an Eee PC 901, with Windows XP and Intel 1.6GHz Atom processor (1GB RAM) on display in a booth at Computex.  So we decided to take the few minutes to run it and record the results. (Never mind that two of us had to block and tackle the booth personnel from seeing what my colleague was doing.)

The overall score was 159. Not surprisingly, the Eee PC 901 model has a performance benchmark score nearly equivalent to the xTablet T8400 Tablet PC, a Pentium III M 933MHz (640MB RAM) Tablet PC my company used to sell two generations ago which has a score of 146.

What does this mean?  That the Ultra Portables with Intel Atom processors will be a huge success in many markets.  They will also be seen by the business world as an attractively priced alternative to more expensive notebooks.  However, these models will not have the performance necessary to run many of today's line of business applications critical to field workforces.  The systems providers that sell to vertical markets - such as MobileDemand and many others - will have a job to do to convey the message that these new Ultra Portables will not provide the necessary horsepower for their needs - and in many cases the durability for them to survive even a few weeks or months.

A case in point on the horsepower:  My company has sold thousands of our rugged Tablet PCs to field beverage sales markets (beer sales).  Their selling software used to run effectively on the xTablet T8400 model with the performance benchmark score of 146.  We are hearing reports that the their latest selling software will no longer run effectively on this hardware model that had been deployed 3-4 years ago.  It simply runs too slowly to be of use.  Lucky for us that the xTablet T8400 model is two generations old.  Our current xTablet T8700 has an Intel Core Duo architecture, a performance benchmark score of 296, and will run the selling software very well.  It's time for these customers to upgrade to the latest hardware architecture and the software is pushing this.  It's not because the hardware is failing, it's because the software has grown in complexity and features that necessitate MORE system performance.

Of course, businesses usually test any given system before they purchase - and it would be HIGHLY recommended they do so before considering buying these attractively priced Ultra Portables.

Matt Miller
MobileDemand
Rugged Tablet PC (http://www.RuggedTabletPC.com)

It is a pleasure to guest blog for GottaBeMobile.  Coming straight from Taipei - where the earthquakes never stop (we had one Sunday evening).

Overall news and analysis can none other be summarized as their is a tremendous amount of momentum on the ultra portable marketplace.  Call them Ultra Portables, Ultra Mobile, UMPC, Ultra Low Cost, Netbooks, Nettops, whatever.  They are coming out in droves here at Computex - Asia's largest and growing technology trade show.  Last year there were less than a handful of UMPC class devices, mostly driven by VIA processors.

This year, Intel and Microsoft both highlighted this category in the opening day keynote speeches, both having counters full of 12-14 devices.

The buzz is certainly Ultra Portables.  The flurry of announcements on the blogosphere including Warner's notes lately on GottaBeMobile confirm this.  The low power, low cost, smaller, lighter and more portable age is here for specific marketplaces - as they do not have the horsepower and features required for certain market segments.

Matt Miller
MobileDemand
Rugged Tablet PC (http://www.RuggedTabletPC.com)

Everybody into the pool! At least that’s what it seems like. No one is content to let Intel grab all the small mobile device chip market, so in addition to VIA Technologies and recent announcments from Nvidia and Qualcomm, we can now add AMD into those swimming around the mobile space like hungry sharks looking to gobble up a share of the market.

jkkmobile is linking to an Avingnews report that is showing off what AMD has to offer.

We knew Acer was planning to get into the ultra-portable, ultra-low cost pc wars and it looks like they’ve taken price point as their battle ground. Introducing the Acer Aspire One, running Intel’s Atom with all the usual features, Acer is announcing a price point of $379. Acer is also offering a range of colors beyond the current black and white that we see predominantly now.

Keep in mind that Acer knows how to ship notebooks (they are second only to HP) so it looks like they are staking out their turf and going to be ultra-competitive in this ultra-portable, ultra-low cost market.

Engadget has gotten their hands on Acer’s Aspire One and has more pictures.

Via News.com

Asus, the company that started it all with the mini-notebook, ultra-portable scene has now officially rolled out its 900 and 1000 series Eee PCs at Computex. In what looks like an extremely competitive space on every level, Asus continues to advance its advantage with both models. Last night we posted about Asus’ move to add WiMAX to its platforms and now they’ve added the new screen sizes and features for those looking for just a bit more than original 700 hundred series offers.

The biggest differences here are immediately apparent in the screen sizes. The 900 series offers an 8.9 inch screen and the 1000 series a 10 inch screen. From what I’m seeing and reading the 1000 is impressing folks as not feeling quite so ultra-portable as its smaller cousins, but think about it, it is still a small companion device. Both come in black and white (in this post the 900 is in white and the 1000 is wearing black.) Of course the 1000 key board has a little more room to manuever your fingers across the keyboard. Asus is also touting over 7 hours of battery life, but we’ll have to see on that one in real world usage, and of course we’re talking about pick an OS option, which also means pick a price option. No word yet on official pricing on the 1000 series but rumors are in the $650 range, which means that the newly announced MSI Wind and others will be more than stiff competition.

Asus started this all and it looks like they are in the race to stay.

Follow the Read More link for the press release.

The MSI Wind ultra-portable is now official and Laptop Magazine has given it the once over. In a posted review that gives it 4 and 1/2 stars out of five, Laptop Mag things that the MSI Wind is more than a worthy competitor to all of the other ultra-portables now competing for our attention. According to the review several things stand out.

• A full sized keyboard
• The 10 inch screen
• 5 plus hours of battery life
• Price point ($499 for the XP version, the Linux version will come in at $399)
• One touch overclocking

And some things not so positive:

• A single bar mouse button
• Below average wireless throughput
• Limited non-toll free tech support

We’ve been hearing about the Wind for quite some time now and this is the first hands on review we’ve seen. Now we’ll hopefully get a chance to see how this fares in the hands of users soon. Check out the full review and specs here.

OK, it ought to be obvious by now, but my brain is swimming. As if the name game thing wasn’t crazy enough, comes this headline from good friend Steve “Chippy” Paine at UMPCPortal: GigaByte M912 Convertible Tablet. Bringing UMPC Features to the NetBook Market. UMPC? NetBook? Tablet? I’m starting to wonder if anybody can figure this out.

That said, the GigaByte M912 certainly looks intriguing with that swivel screen at 8.9 inches and a 1280x768 display. It is supposed to be running Intel’s Atom processor. But as Kevin Tofel points out there are some interesting things going on here regarding calling this a Tablet PC or for that matter a ULCPC. Microsoft’s plan to get their foot in the door in this wacky market is to offer XP (Home Edition) as the OS, but with a few catches.

• Screen size must be under 10.2 inches
• Hard drive size must be 80GB or lower.
• And no touch screens.

If you look at the specs on Engadget (and granted it is still early, as I don’t think this has been officially announced yet) you’ll see that the M912 fits the screen specs, doesn’t seem to have a qualifying HD option, and it does have a touch screen. So, I’m just asking here. What good does that swivel screen do if it isn’t a touch or Tablet PC screen?

And you wonder why I’m having a hard time keeping track of all of this.