Tiny UMID mbook M1: A Mini-Netbook With Mini-Features

We spotted Korean manufacturer UMID’s new MID back in November, but now it’s finally seeing release, with a few changed specs and a $US599 pricetag. But it probably won’t change MID-haters’ minds.

Occupying that perennially awkward space between a smartphone and a netbook, the mbook M1, like the Viliv S5, packs standard netbook components into a teeny space while remaining too large to be pocketable. It’s a nice enough design, and the price is fair, but the sacrifices made to keep the gadget small are sure to annoy owners. Everything’s been miniaturised: The headphone jack is a 2.5mm rather than the standard 3.5mm, and it includes only a mini-USB port, so you’ll need an adaptor for both audio and hardware input. Even the expansion slot has been miniaturised from the cheap and ubiquitous SDHC to micro-SDHC. The 16GB version will run you $599, and doubling your storage will cost an extra $250.

It includes the standard Windows XP, Intel Atom 1.33MHz proc, a 16/32GB SSD, and 512MB of memory, with a 4.8″ WVGA touchscreen at a reasonable 1024×600 resolution. In short, it’s just about exactly the same guts as the Viliv S5, except with a keyboard and without the standard-size ports. Tiny, yes, but if you’re not already pro-MID, the mbook M1 isn’t going to convince you. [Dynamism]