The original WiBrain B1E was relatively inexpensive for a UMPC at $699, but it definitely fell well short of greatness. However, the manufacturer has made some upgrades with the upcoming I1 model that should address some of its predecessor’s shortcomings. New features include: your choice of 1.1GHz (Z510) and 1.33GHz (Z520) Atom processors, a WWAN antenna, SD card slot, an optional SSD and a slightly different finish. Users can also choose between a Linux and XP machine with a 30GB or 60GB hard drive or a 64GB SSD. Pricing and a release date have not been announced. [Dynamism via Pocketables]
I got so caught up in the joys of my first week last week that I forgot to announce that the WiBrain B1E has been released in Australia through Tegatech.
Even bigger news is that barely a week after it was released, it’s been given a price drop. It is now the first UMPC to retail for under $1000 in Australia. While this is big news for UMPC fans, we’re quite concerned that the price drop isn’t thanks to a drop in component prices or a stronger Aussie dollar, but more to do with the fact that it hasn’t gotten the best reviews.
On the upside, the higher specced B1H (with 1GB RAM and a 60GB hard drive) also got a price drop to $1199. So if you’re in the market for a cheap UMPC, there’s none cheaper than this one.
The Gadget: WiBrain’s B1E UMPC, a slightly-wider (and much thicker) than PSP-sized UMPC with full QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen, trackpad, and on-board webcam.
The Price: $US699
The Verdict: Meh.
Looks like the Wibrain B1 has finally made it Stateside, just in time for the holidays. There are two models: the B1E, with 512MB of RAM and costs $US699; and the 1MB B1H, which costs $US849. The Wibrain B1, with its cute pop-up camera and mic, is available from mid-December. Full specs are below the gallery.
Getting a UMPC with every wireless connection capability you could dream of will cost you. If that UMPC is Wibrain’s business-centric B1, that price will be largely social as your peers ridicule you for toting your goofy gadget around the office. 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA are all yours along with a 4.8″ touch screen LCD running at 1024×600. Owners can also customize the innards with a CPU (1GHz, 1.2Ghz or 1.6Ghz), memory (512MB or 1GB) and HDD space (30/60/80GB) for about $650 when it launches in Korea this October. [AVING via Wired]
