One element of the Gigabyte Touchnote that I’m starting to get used to now is the gesture support. It’s built into a special set of eGalax drivers that have been included on the device. Originally I wanted to turn them off as they were interfering with selecting text and Grab and Drag under Firefox but after tweaking them a little, removing a few that were clashing with other on-screen actions and getting used to new ones that I have set up, i’m really liking them. Here’s a video showing them in action on the standard XP build. The only thing missing is being able to register your own gestures. Graffiti recognition would be great.

As a side note, the Touchnote has been performing flawlessly. I’m currently restoring it to out-of-the box build using the built-in recovery partition and will copy that over to my Runcore SSD. With the 3G, Draft-N, BT and reasonable battery life (I plan to pick a 6-cell in Taiwan next week to bring it up to 5hrs) I can’t ask for any more. The Asus T101H is tempting me a little but I can’t imaging the 3G antenna being as good as it is on the Touchnote and I won’t compromise on that.

More details on the Touchnote including links to reviews and testing notes, are available in the product database.

There’s an interesting line-up in the top 5 on the product portal today:

This is how the list of top 5 most-viewed devices looks on UMPCPortal today. Two UMPCs/MIDs and three low cost. lightweightm touchscreen notebooks.

The Viliv S5 has been #1 for a long time now and looks like it will stay there if recent reports are anything to go by. jkOnTheRun, Pocketables, JKKMobile, UMPCFever and yours truly have all filed positive reports based on testing experiences. Much the same is true of the UMID too. I’m guessing it would be #1 if you could actually buy one outside the Ebay channels because it seems to fit a more popular ‘microblogging’ niche than the Viliv S5. I could well be wrong on that one though so we’ll have to wait to see what the price is.

Positions 3-5 are interesting though. Over the last year, netbooks have totally dominated the UMPPortal charts with the Aspire One and MSI Wind taking the most viewings. These two both still appear in the top 10 but it’s these three new convertible touchscreen devices that are creating more buzz now.

Of the three, I personally think that the ASUS EeePC T91 is the most interesting for readers here. I was reading an advertising supplement from Stuff Magazine a few days ago and there was a lot of focus on the T91 as a Mobile Computer. They’re calling it the smallest, lightest TabletPC in the world which is actually incorrect but you can see where the marketing people are trying to push it. ‘Up to five hours’ battery life, 32GB SSD, fanless, multi-touch trackpad and GPS, 3G and DVB-T (options) in a very small sub-1kg package and an (expected entry-level) sub-500 Euros price has to be worth looking at.  The same goes for the EeePC T101H although it’s not going to be as portable. Bigger disk, screen, keyboard and CPU will increase the weight, size and price up out of the cheap netbook space. I suspect it might even come in at a higher price than the Gigabyte Touchnote T1028M that I have myself. Both are excellent choices though and if the extra size, weight and price is not a consideration for you, they will be more productive than the T91.

Bubbling under in the mobile convertible space is, to my eyes, an even more interesting mobile produtivity solution though. The Viliv S7 would go head-to-head with the T91. It will weigh even less, come with a range of CPUs up to 1.8 or even 2.0Ghz and have a similar battery life and keyboard. 3G and GPS will also be options. I tested a working model at CeBIT and was impressed.

It’s fair to say that all of these devices are new, all are getting a lot of press and that their appearance on the top 5 may not be long-term but touch is moving into mainstream computing very quickly indeed and it’s good to see sub 1kg options appearing at great prices. I feel sure that these devices will be around in the top 10 for quite a while and that we’re going to see more and more devices taking touch and mobility cues from the UMPC and Tablet PC world.

I’m sitting on the ICE high speed train from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf on the return journey of a combined 6-day business and pleasure trip that has been a big test for the GigabyteT1028M. Gigabytes newest netbook has been in backpakcs, friends houses, in exhibition halls, in cafes, trains and hotels. It’s been used for email, blogging, photo editing, video editing and website administration connected via both WiFi and the retro-fitted 3G module (a Mobilx extra) that uses the built-in SIM slot and 3G antenna.

Right now, as I think about how I’m going to write about how the Touchnote performed this week, I’m really struggling to think of anything that’s wrong with it. Maybe a sharper, matt screen would help and if I’m honest, I don’t like the handbag style case. I’m also struggling to get used to the mouse pointers on the side of the mouse pad but it’s hardly a major complaint. The only significant point to mention would be the battery life which comes in at between 3.25 and 4hrs depending on WiFi On or Off usage. The 6-cell (or a battery pack similar to the one I use) is recommended for anyone wanting to use it for more than a few hour-long sessions between charging.

Nothing much has changed since I gave my first impressions but let me quickly give you the important points again….

• 3G (module retro-fitted by Mobilx) uses built in SIM and antenna and provides excellent reception. Having a built-in antenna is always an advantage and letting the reseller or end-user choose the 3G module  is exactly the right thing to do. I hope other OEMs learn from this. 3G quality on the Touchnote is one of the high-points for me.
• Miminal Noise. if you’re in bed of in a very quiet office you’ll notice it, but not in normal use.
• Minimal heat, as above, you might notice it if you try.
• Touch layer works extremely well. Fast, fun and accurate on the 10” screen.
• SD card slot is fast and reliable. Great for transferring photos.
• Battery life is a consistent 3.25hrs with WiFi on, 4hrs with radio’s off.
• Keyboard accurate. Small amount of ‘click clack’ on this device but it doesn’t affect typing accuracy.
• Brightness and sharpness good but not the highest quality available
• SATA hard drive noticeably faster than my Medion Akoya Mini. (Same as MSI Wind.)
• Resume, standby quick and reliable (Note: One or two hung hibernations.)
• Rotation used once for a photo slide-show. 180-degree fold-back used a few times for laid-back browsing.
• Style, nice, different. The brown color is tasteful.
• Size and weight acceptable. 1KG would be a lot better but it is no heavier than the average 10” netbook.
• No scratches. (Case is good for protection despite it’s looks )
• Solid screen hinge (better than the M912)
• BT 2.1 and Draft-N wireless support  (Draft-N tested ok with Apple Air Port.)
• Good quality on-screen control panel  and access button on left-hand-side of device.
• Overall build quality good (no creaking plastic. finishing good.)
• Uses lightweight power supply unit at 12VDC.

Overall, the Touchnote delivers a quality experience and given its touchscreen and upgradability, is usable in more scenarios than the average netbook. Its a definate upgrade on some of the earlier netbooks. For me, it’s a significant step up from my Medion Akoya Mini and although I’m interested in the Asus T101H, I don’t see a reason to wait for it. The T1028 has everything I need in a netbook/notebook/laptop and so I’ll be handing over my money to Mobilx.

More information on the Gigabyte Touchnote T1028M information page. (Images, links, specifications, guest comments.)

Thanks to Mobilx for the loan of the Touchnote T1028M with fitted 3G module.

Over the last 48hrs I’ve been focusing on the Gigabyte Touchnote T1028M that has been sent over by Mobilx. 48hrs isn’t a long time but having done the unboxing, a full 3hr live test (recording) with viewer feedback (thanks to the 500+ people that dropped in during the live session) and Q&A along with a full 2-day use as my main PC, I feel that I’m a position to be able to give you the highs and lows.

The Touchnote is a device that falls between, or rather overlaps, the netbook, tabletPC and notebook categories and I have to say, I’m quite impressed with it. It’s a very unique and enjoyable device with some excellent features and very few issues.

The images above sum up some of the features that make it unique. Convertible screen, touch layer and 3G-ready. The Touchnote follows in the steps of the M912M, the 8.9” convertible and in my opinion, fixes all the problems that existed with that device.

Let me quickly run down the main points of note.

• Intel Atom 1.6Ghz ‘netbook’ platform with 1GB RAM and Windows XP Home.
• Large, relatively fast 2.5” SATA drive. (61 / 57 MB/s read/write) split into two (80/65GB) partitions with an additional recovery partition.
• Quite and cool operation (an important improvement over the M912M)
• Average 3.25hrs online, active battery life. (about 30 minutes improvement over the M912)
• Minimum 2.5hrs online batter life with high screen brightness and 3G connectivity.
• Maximum 4hrs battery life (50% screen brightness, radios off)
• Solid screen hinge (better than the M912)
• BT 2.1 and Draft-N wireless support
• Good quality on-screen control panel
• Device-off battery indicator
• Expresscard/34 slot
• Easy access to Wifi and spare PCI-Express-MINI slots, RAM and disk.
• Pre-wired antenna (good quality) and SIM card slot.
• Multi-touch mouse pad (Elantech)
• 3xUSB, VGA, 4-in-one memory card slot, Ethernet, mic and headphone ports
• Bright LED backlit screen with soft touch layer (great for finger operation, not great for handwriting input)
• Touch driver has basic built-in swipe-gesture support for Pg-Up, Pg-Down forward and back.
• Speakers loud. Reasonable (WRT netbooks) quality
• Glossy screen will be an annoyance for outdoor use. (see image below)
• Overall build quality good (no creaking plastic. finishing good.)
• Uses lightweight power supply unit at 12VDC
• A two-pocket neoprene ‘hand’bag’ is included.
• Spare batteries are well-priced. 6-cell battery (150% capacity) is available.

Medion Akoya (same as MSI Wind) next to Gigabyte Touchnote showing slightly larger form factor and glossy screen.

Full Gigabyte Touchnote Gallery available in the gallery.

The Touchnote has been loaned to UMPCPortal by Mobilx who are also taking advantage of the built-in SIM slot, easy PCI-Express Mini slot access and, unique for any device I know of, pre-wired antenna. I’ve done 3G upgrades in the past but antenna reception has always been an issue. With the Touchnote, Gigabyte take all the worry away. The reception on the antenna is excellent. For the first time ever on any device, including a smartphone, that I have owned, I was able to get UMTS connectivity in my cellar studio!

CrystalMark performance test.

In order to highlight the disk performance I’ve run through the CrystalMark 2003 performance test. The result of over 28000 is one of the best I’ve seen for a stock netbook and is attributable to the disk which really does make a noticeable difference in operation.

Summary.

The Touchnote offers a lot more than the average netbook and offers significant improvements over the groundbreaking M912M that came before it. Convertible touchscreen, draft-n WiFi, BT2.1, fast 2.5” drive, easy upgrade possibilities, Expresscard/34 and the well-prepared SIM card and 3G Antenna are a a feature set you won’t find on any other device. The glossy screen and average battery life are really the only two points I could highlight as issues. Oh, and perhaps the fact that an advanced N280-based model is coming soon! Currently Gigabyte stands alone in offering a 10” touchscreen notebook at this price point but they may not have the playground to themselves for long. The ASUS T101H is an obvious competitor and many will be laboring over the choice between the two. Until we get hands-on with the T101H we won’t be able to make a decision but until then, we can certainly say that the Gigabyte Touchnote T1028M is a unique, good value and well thought-out choice in both the prosumer end of the netbook market and the budget notebook market.

Price approx 480 Euro (export price. European price including tax, approx 580 Euros)
More information, specs, links and images in the Touchnote product page. Compare similar, popular devices here.

As planned, the Gigabyte T1028M Touchnote turned up from Mobilx today and the unboxing is already done and dusted. I had done quite a lot of homework before unboxing so I’ve not had any surprises or major let-downs yet although I really do like to see more than 3hrs on the working clock with battery life and so far, the T1028M is steady at about 2.5hrs working time. [Update: I'm seeing a regular 3.25hrs now in normal wifi usage and the Gigabyte 'Normal' battery mode] The SATA disk is fast (61/56 MB/s R/W max) and the touch is working nicely. The pre-installed 3G (a Mobilx option using the built-in SIM card and antenna) is working really nicely.  Noise and heat is definitely improved over the M912 although some fan noise remains. Keyboard is slightly wider than an MSI Wind U100 / Akoya Mini.

Don’t forget the live overview and Q&A session tonight on the LIVE page. JKK and Sascha will be joining for a podcast at 2030 and then we’ll get into a bit of Touchnote testing at about 2130 (CEST, Berlin time) I’ll have a full hands-on first impressions write up on the 9th April (tomorrow as I write this)

The YouTube version of the unboxing is shown below but if the HQ version isn’t available, the original (and MPEG-4, both downloadable) versions are at Blip.tv.

For more information and links for the Gigabyte Touchnote, see the product information page.

The Gigabyte Touchnote has been provided by Mobilx.eu

The Gigabyte T1028M Touchnote is likely to be here on Wednesday this week (thanks Mobilx) which means the live session, as stipulated in the bloggers lawbook, will have to be on Wednesday evening rather than Thursday or Friday as I mentioned before. Keep watching though as I’ll be updating on the delivery status. In preparation, I’ve been checking out detailed specifications, updating the product page and looking at some downloads which include the manual [PDF Link. Other links have been added to the link-list.]

Stand-out specs for me are the fast, 160GB SATA disk (power drain may be high on it though,) Draft-N Wifi support, Bluetooth 2.1 support, 4 or 6-cell battery options and pre-wired 3G antenna (according to Mobilx.) It’s almost a bonus that it’s got a swivel touchscreen! I also note that it’s got an ElanTech SmartPad which should have multi-touch support. I’ve been trying to find another netbook with draft-N, Bluetooth 2, multi-touch pad, battery options and a SATA drive but I can’t find one yet.

The unit comes with handwriting recognition software called ‘Pen Power’ although this appears to be focused towards Chinese input. There’s also a smart manager UI:

Note the inclusion of easy screen rotation and an on-screen keyboard. (Likely to be the XP built-in OSK)

…and there a nice battery check feature that you can use when the device is off.

Overall it looks like there are some very interesting features on the T1028M so I’m looking forward to checking it out and taking it to Amsterdam with me next week. I’ve updated the specifications and added a couple of videos to the product info page so check it out for the latest.

Don’t get too excited yet as the T1028M needs a good testing session (planned for Wed or Thursday. Keep watching.) before we mark it up on the shortlist but these early CrystalMark results, just in from Mobilx, indicate a very fast hard drive. It’s a 160G SATA drive.

We saw an impressive 26500 on the Gigabyte M912M so to reach nearly 28000 with the same CPU/GPU platform means the disk is even faster under this test condition.

Full specifications in the product page.

I had a nice update call from Mobilx this morning where we talked about a number of things. MBook, Aigo and Mifi were discussed (more about those later in the week) but top of the list was the Gigabyte Touchnote shipment which has almost reached Mobilx HQ.

Mobilx have already confirmed easy 3G upgrade possibilities and appear to be impressed with the improvement in quality over the M912. Price is set at around 560 Euros.

As soon as the Touchbook hits the ground at Mobilx HQ it’s being forwarded to us for testing so i’ve reserved Thursday and Friday (European) evenings for a live session. Stay tuned to twitter to keep up with the latest info about the live session. I’ll also post an article here with the final announcement.

Keep up to date with specs and links in the Touchnote product page.

P.S. If you’re at TheNextWeb conference in Amsterdam next week, i’ll have the Touchnote with me and will be happy to let you check it over.

When I think back to the M912, Gigabyte’s first touchscreen netbook, I think about fast hard drive speed, a fun form factor and easy upgrade capability. Unfortuinately I also think about the noise and heat. [M912 Video]

Read the full story

Mobilx have just informed us that they’ve got a sample Gigabyte T1028M TouchNote in and have already upgraded with 3G because the antenna is pre-wired. There’s also a pre-enabled SIM card slot.

They also have prices. The T1028M will come in at 573 Euro (inclusive tax) and is expected to ship out in about 5 weeks.

mobilx webshop - Gigabyte T1028M TouchNote.

Prices are also up for the S1024 Thinnote, the 890g lightweight 10″ netbook. 528 Euro inclusive European taxes.

For more info, check out Mobilx. We’ll get these devices in the database ASAP

All three 10″ Gigabyte Netbooks are now in the database. T1028M S1024 Thinnote M1022 Booknote Thanks Brett.

Welcome to this week’s netbook roundup. In this space every Monday I’ll highlight netbook news items that might not need their own individual posts but may still be interesting.

• Dell Mini 10 Unboxed, Compared to HP Mini 1000 – A nice unboxing of the Dell Mini 10 [Portal page], and comparison to the HP Mini 1000. I still haven’t gotten my hands on a Mini 10 so this video was quite appetizing.

• Gigabyte Promotional Videos for Upcoming Netbooks – Liliputing points out three videos released by Gigabyte on YouTube which promote their upcoming netbooks.

• Rumor: Verizon and HP Readying Subsidized Netbooks – Cheap netbooks due to subsidizes from cell phone carriers are fairly common outside the US, but it seems like HP might be teaming up with Verizon to offer a discount on a netbook if the consumer wants to start a Verizon contract. If this comes to fruition, we’ll probably see a USB WWAN card offered with the netbook, but I think most of us are hoping for a more elegant internal solution.

• How to: Touch to Eee PC 1000HE – Jkk points us to a video tutorial that shows you how to add a touchscreen to the Eee PC 1000HE [Portal page].

• Asus Eee PC T101H at CeBIT 2009 – A late CeBIT video from Jkk. Jkk gives us the run down on the tablet-netbook, Eee PC T101H [Portal page].

We spent some time with Gigabyte this morning and although there were no UMPCs or MIDs (Gigabyte have removed the M528 from the European/US markets) we took time to check out the details of the new M10xx Netbooks. They look like a good improvement on the M912 series. The keyboard is a whole lot better and the screen fills the frame to make it look more attractive. The Thinnote (M1024) is especially interesting as it’s coming in under 1KG. JKK has a video of The 1024 online so pop over to see that. Here are some of the images that I’ve uploaded to the Gallery.

More in the Gallery

Welcome to this week’s netbook roundup. In this space every Monday I’ll highlight netbook news items that might not need their own individual posts but are still be interesting.

• Dell Mini 10 dissected — Dell support released a guide for disassembling the Dell Mini 10 [Portal page]. Looks like there are some PCI-e slots which will be good for modding, but RAM is soldered to the mobo which will make it very hard for users to do RAM upgrades.

• HP Promises a Fix for Mini 1000 Webcam Woes — HP acknowledges that there is an issue with the HP Mini 1000’s webcam and says that there will be a method to fix it. Apparently the film over the webcam has a lower reflectivity than it should.

• Gigabyte M1022 netbook has a cool dock — Jkk shows us a pretty slick looking dock for the Gigabyte M1022 which has VGA out, USB slots, and some other ports. It’s nice to see a dock for a netbook, but I hope the base is heavy so the netbook isn’t easily knocked over!

• Dell Mini 10 Netbook Officially Available: $399 — The Dell Mini 10 becomes officially available in the US for $399.

• How to fix the dark webcam on the HP Mini 1000 — Liliputing links us to a new video (after the one taken down) that will show you how to remove the film over the HP Mini 1000’s camera, improving brightness.

• First look at the new slim Acer Aspire One — It looks like Acer is planning yet another 10 inch Aspire One, despite the fact that their latest update has just recently been released.

It’s that time again. Lets have a look at some interesting netbook content from this week.

• Asus to Phase Out 8.9 Inch Screens in 2009 — Asus started with the 7″ screen, moved up to 8.9″ and now seems to be on track to settle for 10″. Digitimes is reporting that Asus says 95% of its 2009 netbook shipments will be 10″ models.
• Dell files for cancelation of Psion’s “netbook” trademark — Dell might not be the biggest netbook company out there, but they are clearly interested in the sector. Dell has filed for a cancelation of Psion’s claim to the ‘netbook’ trademark. Dell says that Pison abandoned the term and it should not have the trademark because of its “genericness”.
• Dell launches Inspiron Mini 10 preorders… with QVC — Dell might have made the Inspiron Mini 10 official in the last several days, but the first place you’ll be able to pre-order it is through QVC. This is an interesting partnership and will definitely get the Mini 10 in the sights of those that might not normally come across it.
• Mini-notebooks account for 30% of consumer laptop sales in EMEA — A research firm is saying that 30% of all consumer laptop sales in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region are netbooks.
• Meet Gigabyte M1028, convertible netbook — Jkk shoes us the new M1028 tablet-netbook from Gigabyte. This bumps the screen size up from 8.9″ as it was on the Gigabyte M912, and a few specs.
• Gigabyte M912, convertible netbook, gets the needed 6 cell battery — …and speaking of the M912; there is now a 6-cell battery available.
• Asus Eee PC 1000HG with WiMAX gets official — WiMax might not be a highly deployed WWAN technology yet but that isn’t stopping Asus from slapping some letters on to the end of the Eee 1000 and putting out a model with built in WiMax.

Unfortunately, it’s not me!

At least two members of the forums here have received their M528’s. Nalim and Skypeone have both reported that they have received theirs from Expansys and a quick check with a contact at Expansys confirms that some back orders have shipped.

Who’s going to be first with pics and first impressions of this device? Guest posts welcome!

In related news, the TIM IDOL is now available in Italy. Thanks Smurf!

It’s always worth checking back on older models for reductions and clear-out prices so I took some time this evening to review the prices of some old favourites. I was disappointed. In general, prices haven’t really moved which is extremely disappointing considering the price at which similarly-specified netbooks are sold. I guess we’re looking at old stock that no-one can shift here. Stalemate. No cash flow. The only two devices I found that showed any signs of movement were the good old Samsung Q1 and M704 which seem to be on offer around Europe. Price checks in the US for all the top UMPCs showed that nothing has moved much at all in the last 6 months. (If you spot any offers though, let us know!)

Samsung Q1 Ultra

One of my personal favourite UMPCs. Good build quality, excellent battery life, fantastic screen.

• UK. 646 pounds (740 Euros) isn’t too bad. (DigiUK)
• Update: Saveonsamsung (UK) have even lower prices. 529 pounds with organiser and 6-cell battery.

Gigabyte M704

Another good all rounder. Not quite as good as the Q1 in terms of build quality but has a better keyboard.

• Europe. 469 pounds (537 Euros) is a good bargain. (Expansys)

Resellers must be having a hard time right now trying to decide whether to clear stocks at a loss or to hang on for the few buyers that know what they want and will pay to get that device. I can tell you that by reviewing the stats coming from the product portal we see an extremely quiet market out there for the traditional XP and Vista UMPCs. With very few devices in the 7″ category, CES round the corner and netbooks taking the limelight, it’s hardly surprising. Lets hope that the MID and UMPC segment brings us some treats in January though. Mobile Internet usage is growing and, more importantly for the MID manufacturers, people’s reliance on the Internet to perform normal business and personal activities is growing too. There’s more reason than ever to launch internet-connected handheld computers.

Reminding me of something from an Austin Powers film is this ‘Goldenrod’ version of the Gigabyte M912x that is now available. Also labeled as the ‘Cafe Book’ it’s certainly going to turn heads in the Cafe. The question is, will they be giggling when they turn away?

Underneath the gloss you’ll find a vanilla M912X netbook with the 1280×768 convertible touchscreen.

Pricing appears to be the same as the standard M912X.

More images Via Mobilx.