Comments on: 4 problems with recent no-name MIDs out of Asia http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/ portable pc, mobile computer, pocket pc and handheld computing Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mrsa treatment http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-30684 mrsa treatment Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:16:02 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-30684 I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work Look forward to reading more from you in the future. I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work Look forward to reading more from you in the future.

]]> By: shoudlnt i try it? http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-29579 shoudlnt i try it? Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:12:00 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-29579 hence all these comments! hence all these comments!

]]> By: Mike Arnold http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28960 Mike Arnold Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:42:49 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28960 Thanks for expanding on this subject. I have been searching through google for the past few hours. I have read many of your other posts and they are awesome. I will be awaiting your next post. Thanks for expanding on this subject. I have been searching through google for the past few hours. I have read many of your other posts and they are awesome. I will be awaiting your next post.

]]> By: Michael http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28934 Michael Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:04:33 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28934 another thing to mention is that android is really great for up to 5" screens to my experience most full blown os need at least 10" especially when working with a touchscreen 10" is not really portable at least not more than a laptop (e.g. macbook air) another thing to mention is that android is really great for up to 5″ screens

to my experience most full blown os need at least 10″ especially when working with a touchscreen

10″ is not really portable at least not more than a laptop (e.g. macbook air)

]]> By: Michael http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28933 Michael Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:01:10 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28933 1) why would I wanna replace it? A MID has not enough horsepower for 2 sat tv tuners and a decen 1080 hdtv experience 2) with google android data is stored locally but synced with the google servers, plus at least in europe 3g coverage is pretty good and cheap 1) why would I wanna replace it? A MID has not enough horsepower for 2 sat tv tuners and a decen 1080 hdtv experience

2) with google android data is stored locally but synced with the google servers, plus at least in europe 3g coverage is pretty good and cheap

]]> By: jech http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28932 jech Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:55:55 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28932 I have 2 comments: 1) You can easily replace HTPC with a MID. Just connect it to your TV and use remote keyboard and mouse. 2) When you're on holiday you can easily reach places with no Internet connection. So it is a very bad idea to use server-only data. Cloud is a big hype, but IMO it is useless outside a big company's intranet. I want all my data to be stored locally so I can access them any time. I have 2 comments:

1) You can easily replace HTPC with a MID. Just connect it to your TV and use remote keyboard and mouse.

2) When you’re on holiday you can easily reach places with no Internet connection. So it is a very bad idea to use server-only data. Cloud is a big hype, but IMO it is useless outside a big company’s intranet. I want all my data to be stored locally so I can access them any time.

]]> By: jech http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28931 jech Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:49:04 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28931 10> Why do you think so? Linux runs fine on many different architectures including ARM. A full OS to me is an OS that can run native desktop applications. This includes Windows and all Unix-like OS (Linux, OS X, BSD etc.) I prefer Linux because it is the only full OS which is (in some distributions) optimized for small screen devices and touchscreen. 10> Why do you think so? Linux runs fine on many different architectures including ARM.

A full OS to me is an OS that can run native desktop applications. This includes Windows and all Unix-like OS (Linux, OS X, BSD etc.) I prefer Linux because it is the only full OS which is (in some distributions) optimized for small screen devices and touchscreen.

]]> By: Michael http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28926 Michael Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:21:55 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28926 I think the archos 5 is a nice approach. For me the key feature are GPS this is the only place where I can see a future for the MID. For mobile browsing most people have a smartphone, that does a decent job at least on the go (I know some peopple here might disagree) For work I have laptop and fo couchbrowsing I use my HTPC (actually works really nice with gmote) or my tablet pc but hey I wouldn't mind if my gps would double as an internet device when I go on holyday, and ahs some nice media features Android For this kind of device android is the future, having all your contact and calendar data in the cloud I think the archos 5 is a nice approach.

For me the key feature are

GPS
this is the only place where I can see a future for the MID. For mobile browsing most people have a smartphone, that does a decent job at least on the go (I know some peopple here might disagree)

For work I have laptop

and fo couchbrowsing I use my HTPC (actually works really nice with gmote) or my tablet pc

but hey I wouldn’t mind if my gps would double as an internet device when I go on holyday, and ahs some nice media features

Android
For this kind of device android is the future, having all your contact and calendar data in the cloud

]]> By: 10 http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28923 10 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:29:57 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28923 well, your definition for *full OS* is only any OS that runs on x86 architecture then. That's really different from what I know. well, your definition for *full OS* is only any OS that runs on x86 architecture then.

That’s really different from what I know.

]]> By: JeCh http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28898 JeCh Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:17:00 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28898 But it was Intel, who came up with the term "MID" and their definition was almost the same as mine. A portable device that can fit into a (bigger) pocket and runs a full OS. Anyway, it doesn't matter how we call them, the sad truth is, that there are only very few devices and all of them have some serious deal-breakers, like size, missing I/O ports, battery capacity, HD/SSD size etc. The Viliv S5 is closest to my ideal device. If only it had HDMI, was a little smaller and supported Linux. I used to own one before somebody stoled it. Now I'm looking if I can get anything better, but it doesn't seem we can see anything interesting soon. I'll probably wait for CES 2010 to see if anything interesting is coming and if not, I'll get another S5 and won't leave it in my car this time. But it was Intel, who came up with the term “MID” and their definition was almost the same as mine. A portable device that can fit into a (bigger) pocket and runs a full OS.

Anyway, it doesn’t matter how we call them, the sad truth is, that there are only very few devices and all of them have some serious deal-breakers, like size, missing I/O ports, battery capacity, HD/SSD size etc.

The Viliv S5 is closest to my ideal device. If only it had HDMI, was a little smaller and supported Linux. I used to own one before somebody stoled it. Now I’m looking if I can get anything better, but it doesn’t seem we can see anything interesting soon. I’ll probably wait for CES 2010 to see if anything interesting is coming and if not, I’ll get another S5 and won’t leave it in my car this time.

]]> By: Ben Lang http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-53386 Ben Lang Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:29:02 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-53386 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">4 problems with recent no-name MIDs out of Asia: http://is.gd/56vm3</span></span>

4 problems with recent no-name MIDs out of Asia: http://is.gd/56vm3

]]> By: Ben http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28870 Ben Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:16:36 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28870 It's funny you say that jech, I actually don't call devices with full OS (Windows/Mac/Desktop Linux) MIDs, I call them UMPCs! In my mind, MIDs are companion devices like the iPhone or Archos 5 Internet Tablet, rather than UMPCs which run full OSs but don't have that always-on nature. Just goes to show that all of these acronyms are rather confusing because of how general they are. It’s funny you say that jech, I actually don’t call devices with full OS (Windows/Mac/Desktop Linux) MIDs, I call them UMPCs! In my mind, MIDs are companion devices like the iPhone or Archos 5 Internet Tablet, rather than UMPCs which run full OSs but don’t have that always-on nature.

Just goes to show that all of these acronyms are rather confusing because of how general they are.

]]> By: jech http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28854 jech Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:36:19 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28854 I think the biggest problem is that people are using the term "MID" for devices which aren't MIDs in fact. I refuse to call MID a device without a full OS. A device with Windows Mobile or Android is not a MID! Android is good for smartphones, but not for a MID. Only a standard Linux or Windows is a right system for a MID. Also anything above 5" screen can hardly be called MID, because it's not very mobile anymore. Taking this into account there are only a few "true" MIDs available - Viliv S5, Aigo, BenQ S6 and SmartQ 5. Most of them are pretty old (announced more then one year ago) and are much bigger then I wished. If fact we haven't seen announced any good new MID during last year, that's very frustrating... I think the biggest problem is that people are using the term “MID” for devices which aren’t MIDs in fact. I refuse to call MID a device without a full OS. A device with Windows Mobile or Android is not a MID! Android is good for smartphones, but not for a MID. Only a standard Linux or Windows is a right system for a MID. Also anything above 5″ screen can hardly be called MID, because it’s not very mobile anymore.

Taking this into account there are only a few “true” MIDs available – Viliv S5, Aigo, BenQ S6 and SmartQ 5. Most of them are pretty old (announced more then one year ago) and are much bigger then I wished. If fact we haven’t seen announced any good new MID during last year, that’s very frustrating…

]]> By: Jim http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28841 Jim Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:49:34 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28841 I'm not sure that the availability (or the lack thereof) of these MID's is their problem. Many of them were made by small companies with a restricted distribution network, and it's not even clear if some of these companies ever intended to sell these products outside Asia in the first place. In many cases it's we who live outside Asia who found these devices over the internet and contacted the companies making them requesting to buy one. I’m not sure that the availability (or the lack thereof) of these MID’s is their problem. Many of them were made by small companies with a restricted distribution network, and it’s not even clear if some of these companies ever intended to sell these products outside Asia in the first place. In many cases it’s we who live outside Asia who found these devices over the internet and contacted the companies making them requesting to buy one.

]]> By: olivier http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/11/the-problem-with-recent-no-name-mids-out-of-asia/#comment-28839 olivier Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:52:16 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=10557#comment-28839 What worries me most is service, especially when I have no indication whatsoever on the quality of the device to start with. What worries me most is service, especially when I have no indication whatsoever on the quality of the device to start with.

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