Remember the so-called Wibrain M1 MID that made a brief appearance at IDF last summer and hasn't been seen since? Well, here it is under the EKING brand, getting ready to be sold by the Chinese company as―you guessed it―the M1.
The slider-style device measures 7.6" x 3.2" x 1.1" and features a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, Windows XP, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, and connectivity options like GPS, HSDPA, Mobile WiMax, and a digital TV tuner. Additional specs of the 1.2-pound MID aren't listed on the product page, but since it looks identical in every way except the keyboard to the Wibrain M1, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the EKING M1's also got a 4.8-inch touchscreen (1024 x 600), up to 1GB of RAM, and some sort of SSD.
Price and availability are unknown, but you can check out a few more pictures from EKING below.
The more I look at it, the more it looks like the screen is photoshopped. The daylight visibility on the screen in the last picture is a little too good to be true. It’s an important feature for me, so if it’s true I’d certainly consider getting it over an OQO2+. Does anyone have other outdoor pictures, reflect/transflective display specs, or first-hand experience to support that last pic?
That is so unbelievably fugly
I always buy gadgets with useability over fashion in mind (that’s probably why I’ve never bought Apple products). I really don’t care if the person next to me thinks something looks ugly if it fulfulls its purpose. However, I’m not sure how easy or comfortable it will be to thumb type on that keyboard with those huge sidebars. It does look more sexy than the new Sony, though.
It looks ugly but it seems to have better web browser than my freaking T-mobile Sidekick LX.
Looks a lot like the Miu HDPC which also included phone ability. A thick brick, that ain’t so thick!
The MIU…now whatever happened to that?
This EKING looks like the bigger sibling to that minus phone and camera.
Wait a minute, did you just say this looks MORE sexy than the new Sony?! A statement like that is punishable by gadget confiscation and a long stint at the Sony fanboy camp. Three weeks of reciting the “Sony is the best” mantra will do you some good!
I am old Sony fan and still have stuck with Sony where I can, but for now that does NOT include desktop (they stopped making regular desktops, which made me look into Apple and glad I did) nor do they offer a pocketable UMPC currently, the Vaio P is I don’t know what it is, a Net-UMPC?
I guess the S factor here depends upon if you’re valuing actual “hands on” experience or just looks and esthetics as such, I know a visit to LV might diffuse these two somewhat but let’s get back to reality now
What’s not to love? It’s black and shiny, got buttons and stickers. And the screen slides up!
And please don’t send me to the Sony fanboy camp. I do own a pair of Sony headphones! That must count for something?
Depending if the price is right that could be a great UMPC and I’d pick one up. Chippy finds the 1.33 GHz proc on the Wibrain i1 to be very good so power shouldn’t be an issue. I am curious however to the battery life.
I knew it….Sony fanboy camp ? In some parts of the world they are called “re-education” camps….and we thought the commies were our worst nightmare…I’m digging in now.
Sony headphones, eh? Well, okay. I’ll reduce your stay at camp by two days (one day for each ear).
On your LX:
A) Open your browser
B) Click MENU button (top left)
C) Scroll to VIEW from there choose Full-Size Layout
There the page you’re looking at for the moment will show up as in any other “full screen” browser, hope your eyes are great though as it is a bit tricky to see everything on a 3″ 400×240 pixel screen
but you can get the full view at least if/when needed!
The short version of this toggle is MENU+W by the way!
I would assume the battery life would be through the roof, just like the I1. It uses mostly the same hardware and the I1/B1 battery isn’t even that good of a battery (they use the exact same one).
I also assume that there will be a camera (not a very good one, but a camera nonetheless). And the I1 is capable of making voice calls. I noticed this when they showed off the prototype a little while ago: there seems to be a microphone on one side of the device. That plus shaped speaker screen on the bottom left corner appears to be hiding a mic, why else would they make it a plus instead of the square like it is on the other side?
I’m quite excited about the M1 as it seems WiBrain has addressed several of the issues people wanted changed (such as a slide up screen with controls around the screen). It also seems to be more true to their mantra, “Tomorrow’s Communicator.”
It would be nice to see it in a smaller package as this new version (which is supposedly a MID) is actually slightly less pocketable (IMO) than the B1 due to it being only slightly shorter (right to left), but also being fatter (top to bottom). I’m also concerned with the “canyon” keypad. Those can often be hard to reach the middle keys using your thumbs (thought this one will be a LOT easier for one handed typing), and the keys look much more shallow than the B1′s keys (which are fantastic as they are).
Though it may not be beautiful, WiBrain have always gone with function over form, so we’ll have to wait and see just how it “handles,” as it were.
Oh, and I think the circle mouse pad there is a pretty neat idea and I do think it looks pretty good. Actually looks like a functional device instead of a child’s play thing (read Vaio P). Though it does remind me of a grown up Vaio UX…
Where to buy? I cannot find where? It’s the ONLY umpc with GPS+TV TUNER+CAMERA at this size. Why discuting of ugly or butyfull? Is features and small for traveling are more serious discutions! Also, look Asus R50A is nice, but pricefull and not working well. I tried at the CES 2009. If you can find where to buy the EKING M1 write it to me at: musicalcd@hotmail.com
I believe the release date is in May of 2009