Two clamshell-style handheld PCs; Both offering great features, good battery life and usability at a price that would have been unheard of a few years ago. For the ultimate in thumb-able PCs, the Viliv N5 and UMID BZ have no competition. Sure, the Fujitsu UH900 and Sony P-Series look the same but these two are in a different sizing category and make a great alternatives to the OQO Model 02+ that never was. These two devices have the same adventurous spirit that the Psion 5 had all those years ago and that says a lot.

I’ve rounded-up my thoughts in a 17-minute video below but if you want the text version, read-on. Feel free to ask questions below. I’ll attend to all of them.

Viliv N5 specifications, images, link, videos.

UMID BZ specifications, images, link, videos.

It’s actually very easy to summarise the difference between the two devices. One uses relatively low-cost components, skimps on memory and is built to a price. The other uses high quality parts both inside and out in order to offer a more rounded computing experience. A better, less stressful computing experience. The Viliv N5 is the latter and really offers more of a multi-tasking experience where you’ll be able to run 5 Firefox tabs, Media-player, Livewriter, Tweetdeck and a background media player without any real hiccups. The UMID BZ isn’t bad though because if you’re  only using one or two apps and can put up with the occasional ‘pause’, the UMID offers excellent value and even some additional features not found on the Viliv N5.

Key Differences:

Style The Viliv N5 wins hands-down. The UMID BZ looks cheap in comparison. In our experience the UMID build quality is high though.

Screen The UMID BZ screen is brighter. Noticeably brighter. If you’re looking to use these devices outside, by the window in a train or on the dash of your car, the UMID BZ is the best.

Touchscreen The UMID has a much lighter touchscreen. I find it easier to use than the slightly heavier weight of the N5 touchscreen.

External Screen Only the UMID BZ offers you a video-out possibility so if you want to use these devices for presentations or as a low-power, low-end desktop PC (it’s possible) then don’t go for the current Viliv N5. [A pro-model might add this feature at a later date.]

Keyboard VERY IMPORTANT. The N5 offers a keyboard that can be used for thumbing but is wide enough to allow a good rate of touch-tapping. The UMID offers a better thumbing keyboard (smaller width, less spongy keys) but is much harder to use on a table.

CPU The 100Mhz speed difference on the CPU is hardly noticeable. On average, you’ll probably get to see a web page 1-second quicker on the Viliv N5.

3G The N5 is available with 3G for the ultimate in mobility. The UMID BZ will need to be tethered to a mobile phone or connected to a MiFi router which isn’t as easy to set-up or use.

Price The UMID BZ is $150 cheaper than the entry-level Viliv N5.

Battery Life In tests so far, the Viliv is lasting between 3 and 3.5 hours in full use. With optimisations (lower screen brightness, good radio control) the Viliv N5 should reach 4 hours. The UMID seems to last for 4 hours without much attention from the user.

Video playback – Out of the box, the Viliv provides excellent local file playback capabilities. Up to 1080p (H.264 tested) works better than on any other ultra mobile PC we’ve tested. YouTube HQ (480p) to full-screen size works better on the Viliv N5. (Flash 10.1 and Windows 7 appear to work well together)

Phone features – The Viliv N5 is able to make voice calls through the cellular modem. (Only on the 3G version.)

Operating System – The Viliv N5 runs Windows 7 Home Starter edition. The UMID BZ offers Windows XP Home. The latter uses less memory and disk (the UMID BZ offers over 20GB of space. The Viliv N5 only 11GB. Both have 32GB drives) and neither operating systems offer any sort of special touch or input features.

Update: GPS – Correctly pointed out by a couple of people that sent emails, the Viliv N5 has GPS which makes it usable as a navigation system. There are no Windows-7 compatible (sensor) drivers though, the GPS simply appears on COM1 at 9600 or 4800 bps depending on configuration. First lock (using VisualGPS) took about 2 minutes (for full 3D fix) but the lock was lost indoors next to a window. For people thinking about using this in a car, consider the glossy screen and brightness.

Video Comparison– See the video below for an overview of the differences. For Viliv N5 specific reviews, see this page. For UMID BZ reviews, see this page.

UMID BZ details, videos and links to articles and gallery in the Product Database.

There’s a review and video of the UMID BZ coming just as soon as I receive the missing power cable from UMID (due in a few days) but in the meantime, I’ve added it to the database and finished a photo shoot. If that’s enough to tip you over the edge then Dynamism is the place you need to look next.

They’ve got the 16GB SSD model in for just $549 which is a relief considering the early pricing indicators and if you order now, you’ll get the VGA adaptor thrown in for free.

In my hours with the BZ at CES a few weeks ago it was clear that they’ve done a good job improving the casing. It’s sturdy, well finished and opens up much wider than before. The optical mouse isn’t as nice as some I’ve tried as the recess tends to feel awkward but as before, the touchscreen is nice and responsive. You’ll need to optimize Windows XP for that 1024×600 screen but that’s not a major issue.

Expect some videos from me over the next week. So far I don’t see any showstoppers. Oh, and by the way, that competitor, the Viliv N5 won’t be available until March so if you need a 4.8 inch clamshell with XP and lon battery life now, this is your baby.

[Dynamism affiliate links appear in our product database. There are no affiliate links in this post.]

On previous MIDMoves adventures you saw me in San Fransisco and Taipei and at each of those events I got hands on with a new 5 inch Intel-based MID. I’m expecting both of these new devices to launch while I’m in Vegas for CES in a few weeks so here’s a quick rundown of what I know so far.

As you can see, both devices have an extremely similar design. On the left, the Viliv N5 that was announced just a short while ago. On the right, the UMID M2 that we’ve already had time with.

Both devices will be based on the Menlow platform, have a 1024×600 touchscreen and an integrated mouse pointer. Wifi and Bluetooth too. Questions remain over the battery life but based on what I’ve seen with the forerunner to the UMID M2, the M1, battery life on the M2 should be good. If Viliv continue their run of high-quality UMPCs, the battery life on the N5 is going to be good too.

XP, Windows 7, 3G and SSD options should be available so the only real difference in basic specifications I can see is the GPS on the N5. That’s not a deal-breaker for most so it really leaves two differentiators; pricing and the all-important hands-on testing!

That’s what we’re planning to do at CES in a few weeks starting on the 6th of Jan so stay tuned for this interesting battle of the 5 inch Clamshells because these two could be great mobile computing options.

(We might get some N5 specs and pics soon so again, stay tuned!)

Akihabara seemed to have missed the fact that the Sotec (Onkyo) BX 407A4 is actually a device that many of us have been waiting for. It’s a rebadged UMID M2. Or Kohjinsha device. Or Inventec device. We’re not sure who the design owner is right now but if Inventec are manufacturing for Onkyo as we suspect then it probably means that the M2 is ready to go. About time!

The Onkyo Japan website gives the following information:

• Intel Atom 1.2Ghz
• 512MB RAM
• 32GB SSD
• 1024×600 screen (touch)
• Windows XP
• Wifi b/g
• BT2.0
• 1.3MP web cam
• Optical pointer
• JEITA operating time (idle) 7 hours.

Clearly there’s a left-right mouse button on the left of the screen frame too. Note that the RAM is only 512MB which is OK for basic Windows XP Home use with three or four apps running but will disappoint the heavy users amongst us.

As for pricing, local Onkyo price is 64800 yen which is about 740 dollars; higher than we would like to see. Availability is unknown.

Onkyo BX websales site. (You’ll find a few other recognizable devices there too.)

We’ve got an email out with UMID to try and clear up the status based on this information.

Thanks for the tip Thomas.

“…one of the most interesting and attention-grabbing devices we had at SXSW inch [first impressions article.]

After a long wait and more than a little worry that UMID had gone out of business, the black Mbook M1, one of the most impressive of all the UMPCs based on it’s size, performance, speed and capability, is here!

Dynamism are also offering a free leather case (while stocks last)

Over at UMPCPortal, Ben has one on the way and so we’ll be giving it a full test to see how it stacks up against the original white model [full review]. Apparently there are a few updates to the casing design.

UMID product page with external links to reviews and articles.

After a long wait and more than a little worry that UMID had gone out of business, the black Mbook M1, one of the most impressive of all the UMPCs based on it’s size, performance, speed and capability, is coming to Dynamism next week for $599.

Dynamism are also offering a free leather case (while stocks last)

The UMID runs XP on the same  1.3Ghz Intel Atom CPU asyou’ll find in the Viliv X5, X70 and Asus T91. It’s a proven CPU now and ideal for high-end mobile work with long battery life. Expect 4hours real-world usage out of the UMID.

The keyboard is good, the touchscreen is good and there’s even a 3G option available. This is the ultimate tool for the pro-twitter user. Tweetdeck and Firefox are a deadly combo!

Things to watch out for are:

USB ports require a dongle to adapt them to a normal sized port. The audio in/out is also on a dongle which is very annoying. There’s also a question about build quality and screen angle. We’ve heard that the casing design and plastics have been updated to eliminate the creakyness found in the earlier versions but we still haven’t had 100% confirmation that the screen angle has been improved. You can see the problem demonstrated in my demo video which gives a good overview of the good and bad points of the UMID

You can read the full review of the UMID M1 here. There’s a huge amount of UMID content here.

The long anticipated compact and cool — world’s smallest PC with refined matte black casing– will be shipping from Dynamism next week. While supplies last, we will also include a free leather case ($50 value) with each order. This UMID M1 is long-awaited and fairly limited, so we expect our shipment to sell out quickly. [ Dynamism]

UMID product page with external links to reviews and articles.

Despite the UMID MBook [details] being a very powerful and very small little computer at a very reasonable price, it has never really gained the traction I thought it deserved [review]. The USB dongles and the screen hinge were two significant issues but despite that, I thought we might have seen more action on blogs and forums than we have. To get a handle on what’s going on I contacted UMID to check that they hadn’t gone the way of OQO and Raon Digital. Here’s what they said.

Chippy: Is it [umid m1] shipping in quantity now? Are the early build quality problems fixed?

UMID: Since there have been LCD shortage, we are not able to supply enough qty, but we are expecting to get delivered enough products beginning of Sep. with Black model also. We have fixed plastic (cabinet) problem..such as no clicking sound when you open it up and easy to control screen angle and etc.

Chippy: What overseas (EU, US) distributors do you have?

UMID: In US market, we have one channel supplier named Dynamism so far, we will extend more a sales channel US in near future. And, we are setting up an exclusive distributor organization for EU market as ODM brand.

Chippy: Do you have plans for an upgraded or new model soon?

UMID: You will see them at IDF SF, and M1 BK model.

So it looks like the Black version is coming at the beginning of September and that there may be a new model shown at IDF although that’s open to interpretation. If the screen folds back further than it did though it removes one of the major issues with the device. It tried to clarify that point because a black version with a better screen angle would really interest me.

Chippy: Does the screen now fold back further or have you just fixed the "click" problem?

Yes, there is modification of controlling screen angle

We’re trying to get images and information but all we managed to get hold of so far are images of the Black (BK) model which looks great.

Click to see full size versions.

We’ll be at IDF so of course we’ll be checking out the latest version and testing it for screen angle. I hope they don’t mind me stealing it overnight for some testing and videos!

UMID Mbook product details.

Pocketables is reporting on availability info for the black, 32GB, 3G version of the UMID Mbook M1. A desirable unit but based on current pricing, it will have to sell for over $900. I’d rather take the base version with an unlocked MiFi unit.

32GB black UMID mbook M1 with 3G expected in June.