World Forex-Computer Accessories

Mobile Internet Devices Take Center Stage at Intel Event

Intel continued its love affair with "mobile internet devices" at its developer conference, IDF, in San Francisco.

Intel has been touting the concept of small, portable, net-connected gadgets for several years. Now it looks as though other companies are listening: At least 19 MIDs were on display and a few of them were available for attendees to play with.

Many of the MIDs have appeared at other Intel events, though new devices included the KJS/Inventec X5 and S32 and the recently released Lenovo IdeaPad U8.

Included in the exhibit is the Aigo P880, which has 512 MB of memory, 4GB SSD storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 4.8-inch screen.

Other interesting MIDs were the Asus R50A with 1 GB memory, 32 GB storage and 5.6-inch screen; BenQ S6 with 512 MB memory; Clarion MIND (shown below); Fujitsu U2020 and the Hanbit PepperPad 3.

All the devices run Intel’s Atom processor, and most of them were running some version of the Linux OS.

The only two devices running Windows Vista were the Fujitsu U2020, with a 5.6-inch screen, 60 GB storage, 1 GB memory; and the Sharp Willcom D4, with a 5-inch screen, 40 GB HDD and 1 GB memory.

A Fujitsu spokesperson says the U2020 won’t be available in North America. And that seems to be a theme with most of the devices on display: Most are aimed at the Asian market only.

What’s not clear is how ready consumers are to buy such devices, when they hit the market. A recent survey by research firm In-Stat showed that nearly half of the 1759 users surveyed preferred a smartphone and 23% said they would like an ultra mobile PC. Just 7% said a MID would be a good fit for their needs.

“There’s a bit of confusion among people as to what they can use MIDs for and where they can buy them,” says Bill Hughes, an analyst with In-Stat.

Here’s a complete list of the MIDs at the Intel show.