I’ve been giggling for the past hour. I just can’t work out if that portfolio case is a masterstroke or just plain silly but one thing’s for sure, it highlights how small this device is.

We got hold of the Kohjinsha SK3 a few hours ago and ripped straight into it with an unboxing video that you’ll find below. So far we’re impressed with the build-quality, the size and weight, the features, the bright and crisp screen and of course that portfolio case. We’re not so impressed with what looks to be low-end battery life (largely due to the tiny battery) and the Japanese language XP build (a nice challenge!) although the speed of the device seems to be good. XP is helping here. The keyboard is exactly the same as found on the SC3 so you’re limited to pecking on the desktop although thumbing and single hand-hold pecking is also possible. The screen mechanism is solid.

Full specifications for the Kohjinsha SK3 along with links to the new gallery, videos and other articles are in the product database.

We’ll be testing more over the weekend so watch out for a full hands-on early next week. A live session is tentatively planned for Monday evening (Central Europe time.)

The Kohjinsha SK3, the high-end 7″ convertible with a 3mp auto-focus cam (a first) and the smallest and lightest 7” convertible form factor we’ve seen to date has just turned up. In a short while I’ll be recording an unboxing for YouTube but it will be live at http://www.umpcportal.com/live where you can watch ‘behind the scenes’, discuss and ask questions.

Update: Live session over. Unboxing post with video is here.

Specifications here. I see Conics already have it listed for $775 which , for these specs, isn’t bad. The only forewarning I’d give at this stage is about the battery life. At 17wh, the included battery isn’t going to return amazing battery life.

Step 1. Go to HowtoBeMobile.com

Step 2. Highlight your favourite HD YouTube video and tell them why.

Step 3. Wait to see if you’ve won an NC20

TheNC20 might not be the most ‘ultra mobile’ PC out there (at 4.7 times the weight of a UMID for example) but notebooks in this bracket can make quite a good low-cost travel option so definitely come into the ‘mobile’ bracket.

All the details are at HowToBeMobile. Good luck!

Update: Archos 9 is now in the database with all the specs and links to the important news and videos.
Looks like some of the folks over at Cnet.uk had some time to ‘finger’ (their words, not mine) the recently unveiled Archos 9 UMPC. As you’ll recall, the Archos 9 is Archos’ first foray into the world of UMPCs, though they seem to have not realized that there have already been many device like this, and think they are being ‘innovative’ by removing the keyboard from the ‘netbook’ (am I the only one that can’t help but laugh at that?). Actually, let me quote directly from their press release before we move on:

What better innovation for a Netbook than to get rid of keyboards?

Ok, I’ll give you a minute to recover from you inevitable laughter. Got it? Good.

Well then, as I was saying, the folks at Cnet.uk seem to have gotten their hands on an early sample of the Archos 9 and while they didn’t have much time to test the unit for performance, they did snap some pictures for us to examine.

These are the good sides of the device. Be sure to check out the Cnet article for a few more images. After checking out the others, you may agree with me that it appears to be decidedly pre-production. I’m hoping the device will clean up nicely before launch.

One interesting thing to note is that the resistive touchscreen on the Archos 9 is apparently so responsive that the people playing with the unit actually mistook it for a capacitive screen, which is about the best news we can hear without it actually being capacitive. Cnet is actually checking for verification just to be sure that it is resistive as stated in the press release (linked above).

We occasionally joke that Asus seems to release a new netbook every week, however, one glance at their Eee PC product comparison chart, and you’ll find that our little joke isn’t exactly that far from reality. The comparison chart lists a whopping 27 (yes, twenty-seven) Eee PCs. You can compare to your heart’s content by looking at 19 different categories and seeing how each different model stacks up to one another. Asus even makes it easy for you by offering the whole chart in the website version or even PDF flavor!

How long will Asus continue to tantalize us with the Asus Eee T91 [Portal page]? It seems like ages ago that we first saw the tablet-netbook that promises to bring the tablet PC experience to the masses. While it seems that the T91 is either already released, or in the process of being released in the UK, we’re still left wondering when it will hit US shores. Regardless of the release date, Asus has seen fit to continue to taunt us by putting up an official product page on their US site. Nothing too exciting here, just some ever tempting images of the (supposedly real) device and some marketing hubbub, and we’re still left wondering if the multi-touch version will ever be released, or if it was just a prototype.

As we await news of the supposed imminent release of the Always Innovating Touchbook [Portal page], I wanted to bring attention to a demo of the forthcoming Touchbook from a product launch conference called Demo. The demonstration itself is actually a few months old, and maybe it was just me, but it seems like this video demonstration of the hardware didn’t get much notice. Below we can watch the Touchbook being demonstrated by the founder of Always Innovating, Grégoire Gentil.

It is interesting to note that although this seems to be somewhat early hardware, it has the same red top that is purportedly going to accompany the first batch of units that are due to be released this month.

If you’ve been waiting for the 3G version of the Viliv S5, the wait is nearly over. Dynamism have just posted this info:

The Viliv S5 special offer is back for one quick encore, but this time, it’s better because the latest Viliv S5 is better than ever.
+ Now with integrated solid state drive
+ Now with integrated 3G (HSPA) wireless broadband
Available only for the first 400 units ordered starting at 1 PM Eastern time on July 16th, customers will receive a free spare battery, car kit, and leather pouch. Please be sure to sign up for e-mail alerts (above) to stay informed of this special event as-it-happens.

Shipment is expected August 5th

Head over to Dynamism for more info and don’t forget, the X70 goes on sale at Dynamism next Monday. (Shipment expected July 28th)

If you’ve got final questions about the Viliv S5 or X70, keep an eye out for the next live session which is tentatively planned for Monday before the X70 goes on sale.

Back in Feb, I listed a set of devices that should be high on your list if you’re thinking about mobile microblogging. It included MIDs and UMPCs. As the market for mobile social networking, mobile web search, mobile content creation, location based services and lifestreaming (my rough definition of Mobile Microblogging) gathers steam we’re seeing more and more devices coming into the segment and it’s mainly from the smartphone sector. UMPCs and MIDs aren’t getting a look-in. In fact, in my latest list, below, you won’t find a MID or UMPC.

Smartphones with bigger, higher resolution screens and high-end processors are appearing on the radar almost every week. Smartphone-based mobile software development is increasing too as more and more mobile device application stores tempt developers with easy-to-use, rich SDKs and APIs, a channel that reaches right down to millions of users devices and a good cut of any earnings.

What’s really interesting about the Mobile Microblogging phenomenon is that very little software development is happening for today’s Intel MIDs, the very devices that were targeted into this segment. Intel have stopped work on the Moblin OS for them and they’re effectively UMPCs. You could even argue that there are no Intel MIDs any more! They are being totally left behind in both software and hardware until Intel push the reset button when Moorestown MIDs with Moblin hit the market. Until then, it’s desktop operating systems for MIDs and UMPCs.

You won’t find an easy-to-use, small-screen, GPS-enabled search service on Windows. You can’t even link Google Maps to a GPS on the browser. Forget the thought of a compass helping with augmented reality, an accelerometer, an FM receiver with RDS or, if you’re into internet photography, a half-decent snapshot camera. There’s no application store either. Only on smartphones will you find the creative software and hardware that is driving the mobile microblogging market and making it exciting, fresh, competitive and, quite frankly, desirable.

Moblin-based MIDs do have a chance as do Maemo 5 based devices but you won’t find any on the market yet so it’s going to take time for the developers to warm to those platforms. Come back in 2010 to discuss that!

Apple and Android have done a lot for the new generation of mobile internet devices and usage scenarios and so it should be no surprise to see smartphones dominating this Mobile Microblogging segment to the point where UMPCs and MIDs don’t get a look-in. UMPCs and Netbooks still have big  advantages for general purpose, day-to-day productive computing but if mobile creativity is your thing, there’s nothing better than the new generation of smartphones.

One could argue that smartphones have grown into the MID segment but for me it was always about usage scenarios rather than device categories. As Intel said, communication, location, entertainment and productivity. It’s a shame that Intel’s MIDs aren’t living up to their own hype yet. (see my recent Moorestown article for thoughts about 2010)

(continued on next page…)

Clearly the person leaking the Dell MID information to the NYT has no idea what’s going on there and has probably just walked through one of the research labs at Dell and got a bit over-excited. I’m sure if you got to walk through Apple’s lab you’d see a few Google Android-based devices too.

‘Could be scrapped’ or ‘may begin selling the device later this year.’ That’s called ‘evaluation’ I believe.

‘Dell may use chips based on designed licensed from ARM Holdings PLC.’ Shock!

‘Dell has considered selling the product through cellular carriers’ Now there’s a new idea to consider!

Justin Scheck of the New York Times didn’t exactly get a ground-breaking factual story and yet it got to  #1 on Techmeme

Nokia, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, ASUS, Acer, Sony and many others will be doing exactly the same as Dell right now and evaluating the market for a non-voice Internet device using Android, Maemo and Moblin with ARM or Intel cores running HSPA or WiMAX technologies for Web, Navigation, Ebook, PMP and Gaming. Mobile Microblogging is a huge topic and the company that makes the first device to dovetail with this market stands to win a good lead. My money is on Nokia for Europe and Apple for US to be the first major players but because of the diversity of users, locations and applications, there’s an opportunity for many others out there.

If I was running the Fennec project, I’d be thinking carefully about accelerating development for more than just the Maemo platform too! Its not that Maemo is a dying OS (although at this point you could say that Maemo is already dead with the ‘old’ N810 being the only Maemo device on the market and very little news about any new devices based on Maemo 5) it’s that Fennec needs to position itself where the customers are in order to get brand recognition. Windows Mobile, due to the terrible built-in browser offering, is a great place to start. They need to do it fast though because Opera Mobile and Skyfire are fast becoming de-facto choices.

Mozilla released Alpha 1 of the Windows Mobile browser in May and last week set free the Alpha 2 version. People have already started testing and giving feedback. Clearly, Alpha 2 is a long way away from a full release (late 2009 timeframe would seem a reasonable estimate for full release, much later then the original plan) but it will be interesting to see if the development accelerates to meet the new range of powerful smartphones that are coming out. LG01, Omnia Pro, Touch Pro 2, Acer M900. They all reach into the same ‘mobile microblogging’ arena as the Nokia Tablet. [More info on the Omnia Pro a it later today]

For some information on how Fennec is performing on WIndows Mobile, check out  Mobility Site. For information on the Maemo version, check out this thread on the Maemo.org forums. I won’t be trying it on my N810. I’m holding out for new Nokia Tablet hardware. (Please!)

I’ve installed Windows 7 on the Clevo TN70M and it’s working very well. Auto screen rotation isn’t working yet but everything else seems to be. Even tablet features started working fully after I installed the touch drivers. I’ve tested the beta graphics drivers and it even enables Aero.  (But causes problems with Windows Media Player so I rolled back to the standard drivers.)

The fact that Windows 7 works is more significant than with many other devices because you can buy the TN70M without an operating system for just over 400 Euro. This makes the Clevo TN70 with its excellent touchscreen the cheapest tablet PC available today. The wide frame and palm resistance help too so although it’s not the ultimate handwriting pad, it’s a fantastic entry point. Even if you’re not into handwriting, there are some nice features in Windows 7 that help with finger navigation and mobility. I just wish that auto screen-rotate software was working. It hasnt been working under XP either so it is possible I have a faulty unit here.

There’s not much more to say at the moment because it’s early days. I want to upgrade the RAM to 2GB because although Win 7 seems much more gentle on hard drives than Vista, it’s not as gentle as XP is. A fast 32GB SSD would be a better option than the 60GB HDD in my opinion and would really help Win 7.

Optical pointer, webcam, mouse pointer, fingerprint reader, touch, brightness, volume, sleep, sd card, audio, BT, Wifi. Check! Everything working.

What a bargain this is turning into. I have a broken Q1 Ultra here. I wonder if the 1024×600 would swap into it! I’m tempted to buy this little budget baby just to try it out because that’s the only thing that would need changing in order to make this a very compelling little UMPC.

Hands-on first impression and video here.

The Always Innovating Touchbook, which made a decent amount of buzz several months ago, should be seeing its first batch of devices released next month, in July. The device is quite unique as the screen can be removed from the keyboard and run as a standalone slate tablet.

Always Innovating just released some new info stating that the first batch would be out in July, however the software isn’t yet finalized:

We are very excited to have nearly finalized the Touch Book hardware. As you know, we are at the cutting edge of innovation with a new processor, a new architecture, a new design and new applications. The Touch Book Operating System will continue to be a work-in-progress over the next few months. As beta software (and not beta à la Google News), you should not expect a flawless experience by July. But don’t worry, we will be here to provide support, and we intend to push frequent updates so as to continue improving the user experience. With your feedback, we will be able to test, refine, and prepare for a final software release later this year.

It is an interesting situation that they have essentially finished the hardware before the software and will now be pushing units out to get feedback from early-adopters. We should be receiving a Touchbook from the July batch, so stay tuned for coverage. Full device specs below:

• Texas Instruments OMAP3530 with Micron 256MB (RAM) + 256MB (NAND) Memory
• 8.9” 1024×600 A+ screen
• Main storage: 8GB SD card — we decided to change from Micro SD to standard SD, so that you can easily upgrade it
• Internal USB wifi 802.11 b/g/n powered by a Ralink 3070 chipset
• Internal USB bluetooth class 2.1
• FCC, CE, UL-certified, 5V, 3.5A power adapter
• 8.9 inch pressure sensitive touch screen
• US Qwerty 24cm-large keyboard — around 95% of the size of a standard keyboard
• Cirque Touchpad
• Two Owolff high-quality internal stereo speakers
• 3D accelerometer
• Two internal batteries 6000 and 12000mAh — it can be replaced with a screw driver
• 7 USB ports: three external, four internal, three of them may be reserved for wifi, bluetooth and keyboard
• Bi-color silver/black case — see photos — with a beautiful dark-red back cover (we decided to go only for red for the first batch as it really jumps out, you won’t regret it).
• Secured attachment system of tablet into keyboard
• Independent magnet system for the tablet — we don’t want your Touch Book to un-magnetize all your credit cards while carrying it in your bag!

I bolded ‘pressure sensitive’ in the touchscreen spec above as I’m not 100% sure what they are trying to imply. One could say that all resistive touchscreens are ‘pressure sensitive’ because they sense a certain pressure on the screen and translate that to input. However, the specific denotation of ‘pressure sensitivity’ in these specs almost seems to imply that it will have several layers of pressure sensitivity, like that of a graphics tablet. While I think it is unlikely that is the case, it would be quite interesting to have several levels of pressure sensitivity in a small slate unit.

The new info also lists the software that will be shipping with the early units as well as software that is on its way:

• Linux 2.6.29 with all the required drivers
• Xfce 4.4 desktop environment
• A unique 3D interface for starting applications with your finger
• Firefox 3.0 and Fennec beta 2
• Youtube and daily motion support
• A video and music player
• Abiword and Gnumeric
• A chat manager, Pidgin
• Mypaint 5.1
• An ebook reader, Fbreader
• A printer manager, Cups
• All usual accessories (zip, picture viewer, dictionary…)
• Support for most standard USB accessories
• Java support

Good to see that Fennec is going to be on the device. If you’ll recall, Fennec is a mobile version of Mozilla’s Firefox which focuses on touch input. See our short video demo of it here.

There is also some upcoming software improvements which they hope to bring to the 1.0 release. Those include the following:

• Skype compatible application
• OpenOffice 3.1
• A full Adobe Flash solution
• Recognition of the Touch Book by iTunes to synchronize your music and video
• A Google-maps-based application with GPS support (GPS USB not included)
• Some 3D accelerometer-based iPhone games

The ‘iPhone’ games mention is a bit iffy. I’m doubting that they are talking about having actual iPhone games on the phone, but instead probably some accelerometer based games, and maybe some based on existing iPhone games.

I suppose we’ll find out the answer to our questions in July when we get our hands on one.

The Intel and Nokia announcement the other day had us all excited about new devices and Atom-powered smartphones but after the dust has settled its clear that we’re looking at something a little less thrilling. At least in the short term.

It appears to be all about positioning and software to me. Intel and Nokia are sending a strong message out that they will be working hard together in the mobile internet arena and will be sharing software and information. I’m sure that marketing data is in that agreement too.  From my article on Tuesday:

• Nokia and Intel want to co-develop a new class of Intel Architecture based mobile computing devices.
• Collaboration in Open Source projects. (Maemo and Moblin)
• Intel acquire Nokia HSPA device license.
• “Leader in computing. Leader in mobile communications” coming together.

Having read this Nokia Conversations article though, i’m not so sure about the first point. ‘”This collaboration isn’t a deal to use Intel chips in Nokia devices” says JBC. So what does it mean when JBC says “The first step in this exciting development is the creation of new device and chipset architectures.”

For me it appears that the focus is on everything BUT the CPU It’s all about getting the peripheral hardware and radios working under Linux; Specifically Moblin and Maemo. It sounds like Maemo and Moblin will eventually come together at the core level and have the same ‘upstream’ for many of the software packages used within. Maybe they will work on the API/SDK together too. That could be very interesting for developers.

I put a few software-focused questions to Doug Fisher, VP of the Software and Services Group, to see if I could get a bit more detail. I missed the mark on a few of the questions though so i’ll try and get something out of Nokia the next time I see them. Here’s what Doug has to say.

Chippy: Do you see the possibility to merge parts of Moblin and Maemo and consolidate and focus the effort on building one API layer with two (ARM , X86) cores or will the two projects simply share closed code for intel/nokia hardware?

Doug Fisher: What we announced today is a cooperation in several open source software initiatives in order to develop common technologies for use in the Moblin and Maemo platform projects.  This includes alignment on a range of key Open Source technologies for Mobile Computing such as: oFono*, ConnMan*, Mozilla*, X.Org*, BlueZ*, D-BUS*, Tracker*, GStreamer*, PulseAudio*. Collectively, these technologies will provide an open source standards-based means to deliver a wealth of mobile Internet and communication experiences, with rich graphics and multimedia capabilities.  Enabling common technologies across the Moblin and Maemo software environments will help foster the development of compatible applications for these devices – building on the huge number of off-the-shelf PC compatible applications.

Chippy: Intel have never had a back-end social networking, contacts, file sharing and app store for Moblin. Do you see Nokia’s OVI effort fitting in here?

Doug Fisher: Please ask Nokia about their OVI plans.

Chippy: How will the Linux Foundation link with Maemo? Will they take stewardship of the Maemo project too?

Doug Fisher: Please ask Nokia.

Chippy: Moblin has a lot of engineers working, Meamo too. What’s the total combined manpower for your mobile software efforts now? Are you the biggest Linux software ecosystem in the world?

Doug Fisher: We are not disclosing specific numbers. We have been working closely with Nokia for years on R&D and this effort extends that relationship. You may assume that this is a substantial effort based on the strategic nature of the engagement and the business opportunities for both companies that lie ahead.  Turning specifically to Moblin, there are thousands of developers taking part in the Moblin project. Fifteen OSVs have announced Moblin-based operating systems and thousands of standard Linux applications run on the Moblin platform.

The message seems to be clear on the software side. The projects oFono, ConnMan, Mozilla, X.Org, BlueZ, D-BUS, Tracker, GStreamer, PulseAudio and going to be worked on together and will be common across Maemo and Moblin.

As for the future, no-one really knows. Nokia and Intel are huddling in the mobile internet space and it looks like Microsoft aren’t going to get a look-in. As many others have said, this is a major win for Linux.

When you read about the TN70 in the umpc and netbook community you’re likely to hear references to the T91 and the Sony Vaio P along with words like ‘ugly’ and ‘cheap.’ You probably won’t hear much mention of mobility but if you’re thinking about mobility, umpcs and tablet PCs I encourage you to pause for a moment and take a closer look because this bargain basement device (that I’m calling a UMPC) has surprised me by turning out to be well designed and very, very usable. If you think back to the Wibrain B1/i1 you’ll remember a similar story. It certainly didn’t look attractive and the reason was that Wibrain designed something to be usable rather than marketable. The same is true of the TN70. It’s a very usable and very good value device.

The TN70N has been supplied for review by Mobilx. Their information and ordering page is available here.

Our TN70N product page which includes links, images and videos.

Before I get my first impressions down though I have to do a comparison to Kohjinsha SA1. When I bought it 2.5 years ago it cost me over 1000 Euro, ran on the Geode LX500 CPU and served me well until I ran out of patience with the slow processor. The TN70M costs less than half and brings a swivel touchscreen, way over double the processing power, hd video decoding, a fingerprint reader, rotation sensor, optical mouse, web cam, expresscard/34 slot and a much much better keyboard. It even has the same, great battery life. If you’re buying pre-tax, you’ll pay just 337 Euros today. That’s without an operating system but if Windows 7 release candidate runs, (i’ll be testing that today) then why bother with the OS. 405 euro is the price including tax.  Seriously, if you’re thinking about a cheap netbook for mobile duties, stop! This Clevo is more mobile, more flexible, more usable than any netbook in almost all mobile scenarios except long-term desktop use.

Let’s put a few things in perspective though. It only has an 800×480 resolution screen so you’ll be experiencing dialog box problems. You’ll also hit problems with some software installs until you switch to a higher, non-native resolution. It’s also pretty ugly. A large screen frame houses useable controls but makes it look like a toy, especially in the white coloring.

In our 1hr live evaluation last night (video here) we discovered the following:

• The keyboard is good. Better than the Kohinsha SC3. Not as good as most netbook. It only has 1 shift key.
• The fingerprint reader works and the software captures password too.
• The mouse pointer on the frame is a very good optical type which gives you great control in two-handed or tablet mode.
• Has strong Wifi reception. (b/g modes)
• Appears to have about 5hrs battery life (although the battery indicator doesn’t show times)
• Has a soft touchscreen with a good level of palm rejection. The screen is matt but has a typical milky appearance in sunlight.
• Includes a rotation sensor (although the drive software appears to be broken on this model)
• Is as fast as any 1.3Ghz Menlow device for browsing. Sub 10-second average page load times.
• Includes a hard drive with a max throughput of 28MB/s
• Was silent for the whole 1hr testing session
• Has a removable back allowing RAM, HDD and PCI-express mini slot.
• Speakers are of acceptable quality.
• Microphone level seems low (tested with Skype)

Initial CrystalMark test result:

The graphics driver is extremely old and causes crashes on flash full-screen so i’ll leave you with some images and run down to the studio to install Windows 7. Wish me luck!

Thanks to Mobilx for the TN70M review device.

Check our product page for the latest info and links.

We talk a lot about the FIE (Full Internet Experience) here on UMPC Portal. The reason many of us are using UMPCs is that there aren’t many non-x86 computers that have provided it. The FIE slowly finds its way onto smaller and smaller devices, and while I wouldn’t say that the new HTC Hero provides a true FIE, it is getting there.

The recently released HTC Hero is HTC’s second Android phone, and among other things, the unit is getting a lot of attention because its web browser can support some Flash content. Adobe has released a good video demo showing the Hero’s flash capable browser, and the implementation looks pretty good, but there are still challenges ahead. Even in through the marketing jargon, it is apparent that work needs to continue until full multi-device flash support has been worked out:

As the first Android device with Flash, the new HTC Hero represents a key milestone for Android and the Flash Platform. With close to 80 percent of all videos online delivered with Adobe Flash technology, consumers want to access rich Web content on-the-go.” said David Wadhwani, vice president and general manager, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. “The collaboration with HTC offers people a more complete Flash based Web browsing experience today and presents an important step towards full Web browsing with Flash Player 10 on mobile phones in the future [my emphasis]

It is nice to Flash working on an Android based phone, but while most Flash video players will work fine, I wouldn’t (yet) expect to be able to play many of the Flash based games that are out there. The video demo shows an extremely basic game which works simply by clicking the mouse once to drop the penguin, and once more to swing. There isn’t much other input from the user. This basic interaction is currently supported, but some of the more advanced Flash games will be impossible to control until more is done.  While the phone might technically have the ability to display the content of a Flash game, many Flash based games rely on keyboard based input and most (if any) certainly aren’t programmed to support multiple mouse inputs (multi-touch) at this point.

Providing some support for Flash is better than no support however, and initiatives like the Open Screen Project will help future devices of this type to inch close to the FIE.

[Adobe Press Release]

Update: We (jkk and I) recorded 3 videos last night.

MiFi overview

Clevo TN70M evaluation (1hr)

quick overview of the Viliv X70.

Thanks to everyone that participated. You can access the videos through the player below.

JKK and I will be turning on the cams and tuning into the chat session again tonight at 2100 CEST.

• Highlight the main points of the MiFi 2352 and answer your questions.
• Unbox the Clevo TN70M that Mobilx sent over for review
• Answer questions about the X70 EX and Viliv S5
• If we have time, i’ll load up the new GMA500 drivers on the Fujitsu U820 / Loox  with Windows 7 and we’ll see if makes any difference.

We expect to be live for about 2hrs. Preparation starts at about 2030 CEST, 3pm EST  (Check your local time here)

Access the live session here. Feel free to use the chat session at any time.

I could easily round-up the coverage of the European-focused MiFi 2352 by saying ‘buy one’ but that would be too easy. There ARE some things you need to think about before you take the plunge and buy one so here’s my final tests and thoughts on the MiFi 2352 personal 3G hotspot for European GSM and UMTS networks.

Announcement: JKKMobile and UMPCPortal will be available on the live page tomorrow (Wednesday 24th June) at 2100 CEST (Berlin) demonstrating the Mifi 2352 and answering questions.

Update: Live session videos are available now.

Also read:

• Mifi 2352 availability and specification details.
• Mifi 2352 hands-on and video.
• Mifi performance testing.
• Slashgear Mifi 2352 review
• JKKMobile charger hack
• JKKMobile unboxing and overview video.

Size

The device is easily pocketable, bag-able and even window-shelf-able. The Wifi range lets you put the device wherever it’s needed for the best 3G reception. Size-wise, you need not give it a second thought. Build quality is good although you might want to keep it in a little bag to avoid the ports getting dirty.

More images in the Mifi Gallery.

Software

The software comes in three parts. The 3G software, the router and the web server. Each has it’s own little software stack and everything appears to work very smoothly together. Starting the device up is simple. Configuring the device is simple. Using it with multiple SIM cards is simple and sharing files from an SD card is simple. The file sharing function is limited to simple web-based downloads and uploads but we get the feeling that 3rd-party software, hacks or even official firmware upgrades could enhance this. At this point I’d like to point you to Slashgear who have also tested the Mifi 2352 and have a good set of images of the user interface.

Wifi sharing without 3G

This is the easiest way I’ve found yet to enable keyboard sharing between multiple devices. Of course, one of the devices needs to have an internet connection (or use the 3G on the MiFi) if you need internet access but it’s a great way to set up a mini network in the home, car or while on holiday.

Battery life

I hooked up my desktop, a UMPC, a netbook and my N82 mobile phone to the MiFi and hit it hard with continuous music streaming, two IM clients and my normal web-based working process which included browsing and a big set of image uploads. The result, a warm MiFi that lasted 3.5 hours. I’m quite impressed. In normal use I would expect 4hrs out of the device and as there’s a few easy ways to recharge the device (and the possibility of cheap spare batteries – I feel sure that Novatel are using a pattern battery that you’ll find in another device) I have no problem with the battery life. And another thing, I barely noticed any difference on my desktop. At HSPA speeds and with normal activities, the Mifi is as good as a cable internet connection.

Heat

As mentioned, the device gets warm but nothing you need to worry about. The Wifi has a good range (one concrete wall or about 20-30m in the open) which means you don’t need the device too close to the clients.

Speedtests

See my previous post. I don’t see the Mifi being the fastest but it’s stable and has excellent reception. A stable, lower speed connection is often far more useful than a spotty high-speed one. HSPA is supported and we’ve seen 2.1mbps download and 1.2mbps uploads.

Price

If you’ve got a USB 3G stick and one computing device, you’ve got a tough choice today. 220 Euros is the same cost as an iPod Touch and you won’t be increasing your mobile internet capability by much at all. It certainly doesnt take much effort to plug a 3G USB modem in! If you’ve got multiple Wifi devices though, the MiFi starts to get interesting. You will be able to enable your own personal wifi hotspot and thus mobilise your wifi devices. The Mifi will save battery life (close-range wifi is often more efficient than a USB modem), and increase your security by giving you a private channel to the internet. If you’ve already got 3G devices, the MiFi can save you money and give you flexibility. In Germany and many other European countries, pay-as-you-go flat rate daily or monthly tariffs are common and by choosing one and sharing it between your devices, you can control your costs.

Issues

• I would have liked to have seen the possibility to attach an external antenna to the MiFi for edge-of-cell use or even a permanent installation as a broadband modem.
• Charging in use. By connecting the USB cable to a PC, you initiate the USB modem mode of the Wifi. To charge the MiFi while in mobile hotspot mode you need to either plug the device into mains via the supplied adaptor, use a power-bank with a USB output or make a cable modification. It would be nice to be able to disable the USB modem mode through software.
• There is a surprising amount of heat generated considering the device is only using 1.5w of power under maximum load. This may be a consideration if you want to keep this in a pocket.
• Indicators. I find the indicators confusing. There are no fewer than 14 combinations of colours and steady/flashing status indicators. It’s worth learning the combinations but it shouldn’t be this hard cnsidering the space available on the device.
• Popularity is going to become an issue. Sharing a single connection with multiple devices means more devices per cell which effectively means more data on the same number of connections. Backhaul bandwidth (from the cell tower to the data center) is already an issue and major bottleneck. If the Mifi becomes popular for Wifi device owners (iPods, PMPs etc) then expect more congestion. This is another reason to be using pay-as-you-go services so that you can hop onto the best service providers network at very little cost.

Future products

Expect Huawei to come out with a competing device soon and expect to see these devices popping up all over the place on the city high-street. Also expect carriers to be offering the devices for free with contract lock-ins or even to enable ring-fenced TV or music services so yes, if you wait, you might find a good deal with your favorite provider but 24 months is a long time in mobile internet. 24 months ago, the prices were double and the bandwidths half of what they are today. In my opinion it’s better to buy a MiFi without commitment now and start enjoying the benefit.

Summary.

The Mifi is a groundbreaking product for anyone interested in mobile internet and there are very few issues to consider. It has the potential to save you money, increase your security and turn hotspot-bound device into mobile ones. It’s a shame that the battery life doesn’t last a full days activities but this is about as good as it gets from today’s technology. If you’ haven’t just bought a 3G USB stick, take a close look at the MiFi, the extra cost might save you money in the long run and simplify your mobile internet life.

We bought the Mifi from Mobilx.EU in Hungary who are an affiliate of ours and also pay for advertising on UMPCPortal. There are no affiliate links in this article and the article has been written without any external review or influence. We encourage you to visit the links shown at the top of this article for reviews and information from other websites and to view the live, recorded review and Q&A session. [Details here after 24th June]

We see no point in ignoring the real facts. UMPC is a term in decline and has been for the last 18 months. Despite 2009 seeing more UMPCs than ever before and customer numbers remaining solid, the keyword trends are changing. We’ve held up well and, to be honest, have been one of the longest lasting businesses in the UMPC market so I don’t feel too sad about it but I think there’s a crossroad coming up. I actually think the market itself, the sales numbers and number of new products is on the up and that mobile internet-based productivity is a hotter topic than ever so while the term ‘UMPC’ is dying off, its soul continues. I’m certainly not experiencing a lack of things to write about!

The question is, how do we, UMPCPortal and the UMPC community of bloggers, manufacturers, resellers and fans, adapt to the change in keyword fashion and the increasing number of options in the MID, smartphone and netbook market? How do we best position ourselves to be able to help and assist new people coming into the market and to grow and improve in the future?

It’s getting close to decision time on UMPCPortal and we have some choices. We’ve always covered the high-end of smartphone ‘computing’ to the smaller and lighter end of netbook computing so if we were starting afresh, our name would reflect that wider coverage. On the other hand, there are a lot of people that come here because of the name!

My personal thought it that there needs to be a split between professional, productive devices based on desktop operating systems and aimed at the high-end and specialist end of the market, and consumer focused devices running consumer-friendly operating systems. MIDMoves is one place we could do the consumer stuff while leaving the professional stuff here. With a common forum and product portal, it could work as two front doors to a great customer learning experience with a common community and product information database.

What do you think? There are nearly 400,000 people that visit here each month so it’s important I try and do what’s best for new and existing visitors. If I lose too many visitors, everything comes crashing down. If we increase visitors, we stand a better chance of improving the site, our contacts and our coverage in the future. We also increase our chances of having a real voice and representing what the customers REALLY want. What YOU want.

What do you think is best for the future of UMPCPortal and the ‘UMPC’ community?

Don’t get too excited at this stage. No products. No software. But at UMPCPortal we’re excited to see these two huge mobile computing and communication companies work together on a mobile computing project that will create the next generation of mobile computing products.

Key elements of this ‘technology’ announcement:

• Nokia and Intel want to co-develop a new class of Intel Architecture based mobile computing devices.
• Collaboration in Open Source projects. (Maemo and Moblin)
• Intel acquire Nokia HSPA device license.
• “Leader in computing. Leader in mobile communications” coming together.

Note that this announcement has nothing to do with WiMax or Symbian or any part of the existing ARM relationships.

From the Press Release…

SANTA CLARA, CALIF., and ESPOO, FINLAND, June 23, 2009 –

Further uniting the Internet with mobile phones and computers, Intel Corporation and Nokia today announced a long-term relationship to develop a new class of Intel® Architecture-based mobile computing device and chipset architectures which will combine the performance of powerful computers with high-bandwidth mobile broadband communications and ubiquitous Internet connectivity.

Full press release is here.

‘No comments’ on specific products or timings.

For the end-customer, somewhat boring but clearly a significant boost to Intel’s Ultra Mobile ecosystem and something that will have significant impact on devices in 2010, 2011 and beyond. In terms of software, if Nokia move to Intel architecture then they will have to shift Maemo over to a Moblin core. Expect Maemo to branch into two within the next few years. This is all about high-end smartphones, social networking, video and back-end systems.