I just reported that Mobilx have the Eking i1 available to order and now they tell me the Clevo TN70M is coming too. It’s raining new devices today! The TN70M is a device that JKK and I tested over a year ago at CeBIT 2008 (video) and we were very interested in the specs. How does it look today though?
The TN70M reminds me of the Kohjinsha SA5, the touchscreen version of the SA1, a pre-netbook device I used for blogging at CeBIT 2007. It’s an 800×480 convertible touchscreen device but based on a 1.33Ghz Intel Atom and includes ExpressCard 34 slot, 60GB hard drive and a 4-cell battery. This was one of the key features we highlighted at CeBIT and at that time I estimated a 7-hour runtime. Based on how the Eking i1 performs (6 hours on the 32wh battery) I see no reason to doubt that with a 37wh battery (2008 specs,confirmed) this is going to be close to that 7hr mark. It weighs 900gm.
When I bought the SA1 in 2007, it cost me over 1000 Euros. The TN70M price is 472 Euros including taxes (about 393 Euro for exports) but excluding operating system. That’s double the battery life, double the processing power for half the price!!! Given that the TN70M was supposed to have a free PCI-Express Mini slot inside (unconfirmed at the moment) this could make an interesting Linux tablet/netbook project. 800×480 screen though. 800×480 will help touch navigation and viewing but with so many 1024×600 devices around, is it enough?
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 inch 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 inch 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.
I was one of the ‘doubters’ that questioned the Techcrunch Tablet. I questioned what Mike Arrington said in his first information post. If all you are doing is running Firefox and Skype, you don’t need a lot of hardware horsepower, which will keep the cost way down. inch We all know that’s not true because rich Web browsing is one of the most CPU-demanding applications there is. Now, 8 months later, you’re looking at an Intel Atom powered device with a 12 inch capacative screen. The $200 price target isn’t looking so achievable now and I’m sure they’re now having a big battle with the weight/battery life equation. The article doesn’t give much away so lets take a fun minute or two to make some estimations about weight, battery life and price.
Lets assume they’ve dropped a 1.1ghz or 1.3Ghz Intel Atom inside with the SCH (UL11 or US15) chipset. The 800Mhz version won’t provide enough headroom for YouTube, Hulu and Skype in my opinion so it has to be the 1.1 or 1.3Ghz versions. From our testing with various MDs we know that these can idle, without screen but connected to the internet, in a minimum of 3W of power. The 12 inch screen will add a big power drain to that though. Unless they’ve gone with a Pixel-QI or similar low-power screen, you can add 2-3 Watts to the overall power envelope bringing the average drain close to 6W. Real-world battery life will have to be above 2hrs to get anyone’s attention (remember they are targeting in-home use) so a 15wh battery is likely. Given that, the weight is going to be about 700gm. As for price, if they can shift a 50,000 or more, they’ll probably be able to hit $399. I’m basing this on the fact that the Benq MID, a device built on almost exactly the same Intel and Linux technology but with a larger screen) sells for Euro299 from TIM, the mobile carrier in Italy. So here’s my guess on the missing specs:
Intel Atom 1.1Ghz
512MB Memory
4GB Flash
15wh battery providing 2.5 real hours (‘up to 4 hours’ in marketing-speak!)
Weight 700gm (the maximum, in my experience, for a one-handed experience.)
Price (USA) $399
Reminder, these aren’t official specs.
Availability July 2009.
So despite having a 12 inch screen, it could come in at a very portable 700gm, about the same weight as most UMPCs. Is it a ultra mobile PC though? Considering that it won’t be any larger than the PepperPad (image right. The PepperPad was built for the same target market, but failed to get much interest in consumer markets) It’s going to be a tough decision for Techcrunch and a big risk due to the better capabilities of similarly-priced netbooks and Mike knows that (see one of his comments in this article where he says it ‘may never happen’) but the device looks slick and there’s a lot of Techcrunch fans out there. Source CrunchGear Software design: Fusion Garage More comment at Techcrunch who say that more information will be available in about a week. Note, the name ‘CrunchPad’ comes from one of the photos of the packaging. This may be a project name.
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.
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.
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]
I’ve been asking questions in my head about this one ever since I saw it crop up at CES. Did Samsung produce this as a new ultra mobile PC concept or did a big customer put an order in for a specific device for a big project? Or are they trying to re-ignite the tablet pc or jump the ‘reader’ market?
For ultra mobile PC and TabletPC fans though, this could be interesting. Navigadget have spotted a GPS in the specs (indicating that Samsung might be targeting the transport industry?) and if it’s got a heavy touchscreen, it could be a great little TabletPC option.
It seems strange that Samsung, with their knowledge of both ultra mobile PC and Netbook markets, would produce a new ultra mobile PC out of the blue so my feeling is that Samsung are aiming at a specific customer with this one which means pricing will come with the usual premuim.
We should be getting hold of one in the next month so we’ll bring you the full details then. In the meantime, check out a few pics, some details and a possible price at Navigadget
Update: Ndevil.com have a recent YouTube video up (German, accompanying article) that shows the battery unit with a 37wh capacity. Thanks Balazs.
