The BenQ MID first spotted nearly a year ago and officially announced in February is back in the news again and looking quite lovely in this never-before-seen photo that UMPCPortal found at BusinessWeek. Now called the MID Aries2, the 4.8-inch slate recently won an IDEA 2008 award for "offering end-consumers a most intuitive mobile internet surfing experience." The company’s Free Surf UI, which allows users to shake the device to minimize and align active windows, impressed the judges with its "unprecedented operation experience of mobile internet and complete removal of consumers’ usage barriers in handheld devices."
The new Aries2 photo shows the MID looking slightly different than it did in the spec sheet above, but exactly as it did in the colorful hands-on shots, from a few months ago. This latest image has likely undergone some light photoshopping (the UI is so 3D that it’s actually coming out of the top of the screen!), but it still looks better than ever.
What it will look like in its final, retail iteration will be known soon enough, as BenQ has been quoted as saying that the Aries2 "would be launched in Europe this quarter" (news release via UMPCPortal). Hmm. Since we’re just about in the middle of this quarter right now, the wait could actually be over in a few weeks!
I’d be happier with a slider design, but as far as slates go, this is one I wouldn’t mind adding to my arsenal. I wonder what the price will be. $800 max?
If it’s going to go for 800, we may as well just call it DOA right now.
If they want to actually sell any of these things, they better get closer to the five hundred dollar area. Though, even that’s too high for a device iike this, especially when Nokia tablets are inching closer and closer to three hundred.
I’m basing my guess solely on the $750 price tag of the Gigabyte M528 MID, which is similarly spec’d. For the kind of technology being used, the price is actually quite fair. It seems overpriced when compared to something like the N810, sure, but it’s not a fair comparison.
I do think Intel MIDs will struggle to find their market, especially when devices like the iPhone 3G and N810 are already considered to be near-perfect MIDs by many consumers, but I hope people give them a chance. Sadly, the cost will likely be too prohibitive for most to seriously consider it (particularly because it isn’t a phone) and not dismiss it sight unseen. I wonder if Intel MIDs are destined to follow the path of UMPCs, which only a particular group of people (myself included) seem to adore and actually use.
Don’t mistake my comments for disagreeing with your guess.
I think you’re right there on your pricing guess. I just think that this sort of pricing won’t fly. If this is how MIDs are going to be priced, they may as well just not even bother with them. That makes it far too niche of a product.
Products like this need to be priced in such a way that people don’t have to think too much about the purchase. No one really needs an MID, and the desire for one will wane quickly if they’re over priced.
Hi Nate. Oh my, I didn’t mean for my original comment to come off as being defensive. I’m sorry if it did. Disagreements are always welcome here.
Intel’s original vision for MIDs was to appeal to consumers, I think, but I wonder if they’ve been rethinking that since the iPhone 3G release. The iPhone isn’t as robust or capable as an Intel MID would be, but it’s more than enough for the average consumer, who would probably be hard pressed to find a reason to carry a MID and a cell phone when they can do everything they want to with just the iPhone (or similar device).
Don’t worry about it, Jenn. I didn’t think you were being defensive. After reading back my original comment, then reading your comment, I just thought that I was a little unclear in expressing my thoughts.