Archive for the ‘MID’ Category

We first spotted the Dell Mini 5, aka Streak 5, on the FCC back in February when the device appeared as the M01M002.  Today, a new version of the device called the M01M002 passed through the FCC.

Both versions of the Mini 5 are quad-band GSM devices.  However, the new version of the Mini 5 supports WCDMA band IV, while the previous version supported bands I, II, V and VIII.  This is good news for T-Mobile customers, since the carrier relies on WCDMA band IV in the United States for 3G data services.

We still don’t have any word on a firm release date, although Engadget is reporting that we can expect the device this Summer.

Are netbooks still a bit too hefty for you?  Try a mobile Internet device from UMID Co., Ltd.  The South Korean company makes Intel Atom-powered MIDs that, lacking a better description, look like mini-netbooks.

Last year the company released its mBook M1 device that featured a 4.8” screen and 1.33 GHz Atom processor.  This year at CES, UMID followed up with the mBook BZ – a 0.8 pound device that features an Intel Atom Z515 processor running at 1.2 GHz, 4.8” display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, up to 64 GB of Flash storage, and a 7.4v Li-Ion battery that provides up to 7 hours of run time.

Thanks to the FCC, we have some great internal photos of the mBook BZ that show how the functionality of a netbook was squeezed into a 6.3” x 3.8” x 0.75” package.

The mBook BZ’s motherboard gives us a good indication of UMID’s engineering chops.  The board is packed on both sides with an assortment of processors and memory.

The Intel Atom Z515 takes a prominent position at the center of the motherboard.  To get an idea of how small this board is, keep in mind that the Atom measures on 13mm x 14mm.

To the left of the Atom is Intel’s Mobile Graphics Media Accelerator 950 GPU.  The GMA 950 can render 1.6 gigapixels and gigatexels per second, although the device only supports DirectX 9.  Either way, you probably won’t be doing much gaming on the mBook BZ’s 4.8” screen.

The mBook BZ offers up to 1 GB of memory provided by Hynix SDRAM.  You can see two Hynix modules beneath the Atom, while an additional two modules are on the other side of the motherboard.  Notice that the RAM is soldered to the motherboard itself, so don’t expect to upgrade your memory after the fact.

A Wi2Wi W2CBW003 processor is visible at the far left hand side of the motherboard.  This chip is actually a system-in-package that provides 802.11 g/b wireless as well as Bluetooth.  Wi2Wi specializes in wireless chips for small form factor devices, so the mBook BZ is right up their alley.

The mBook BZ’s storage is located on the back of the device’s motherboard.  The device is available with 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of Flash.  Like system memory, the Flash memory is  soldered to the motherboard, and cannot be upgraded.

The mBook BZ’s tiny motherboard is quite an impressive piece of work by UMID.  Essentially the company squeezed a fully functional Windows 7 PC onto a board that’s not much larger than a post card.  Actually typing on the device’s keyboard, or editing documents on the 4.8” screen is, of course, a challenge of its own, but in terms of engineering it’s hard not to appreciate the work that UMID has done here.

Dell passed a device called the M01M through the FCC this afternoon.  Dell describes the unit as a ‘Mobile Internet Device’, and as Engadget points out the M01M’s label (above) bears a striking resemblance to the label on the Dell Streak MID.

The test report for the M01M shows quad-band GSM support, as well as support for WCDMA bands I, II, V and VIII (below).  That means the M01M will have 3G coverage pretty much worldwide, including Vodafone, O2 and Orange in Europe, and AT&T in the US.  The device does not have support for WCDMA band IV, however, meaning you won’t be able to use 3G on the M01M with T-Mobile.  The M01M will also feature 802.11 b/g.

Earlier this month, Fujitsu announced a compelling multitouch MID called the UH900.  Weighing in at just 1.1 pounds, this tiny clamshell  device sports a 5.6” WXGA multitouch display and Intel Atom Z530 processor.  According to SlashGear, the device will retail for $1,417 in Hong Kong when it is released on December 17, 2009.

Today, the UH900 made an appearance on the FCC in a filing by Atheros.  Fujitsu will actually offer two identical versions of the device, the UH900 for the consumer market, and the U900 for commercial users.

The UH900 seems like a good compromise between a netbook and cell phone, although the 5.6” screen does sound a bit small for long spans at the keyboard.  Integrated 3.5G WWAN makes the UH900 a good option for mobile web surfing and checking email, and the Z530 Atom will be a nice improvement over current Atom processors.

Although there’s not a whole lot to see, the much-anticipated Archos 9 tablet, aka the Archos 7900, has hit the FCC.

With Wifi, WWAN and bluetooth this MID definitely is wireless goodness, and I can’t wait for it to hit the states this fall.

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