Pocketables

Optima unveils OP5-E MID with Maemo

Looking much like an iPhone but having more in common with a keyboard-less Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, the OP5-E MID by Optima is currently undergoing one last round of software tests before launch.

While the 5.6" x 2.9" x 0.69" slate's 806MHz Marvell PXA320 CPU, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, T-flash/microSD card slot (up to 16GB supported), and 4.3-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen may not be enough to immediately grab your attention, its integrated 3G capability and Maemo Linux operating system certainly make the device more interesting.

SmartQ 5 MID will also run Windows CE

Users of the low-cost SmartQ 5 that was originally released with Ubuntu will soon be able to run Microsoft Windows CE 6.0 on the compact MID's 4.3" WVGA touchscreen as well.

It's a little unclear whether the two operating systems will actually be dual-booting, which PCpop seems to suggest, or if WinCE will simply be an option for consumers, which Smart Devices implies. The latter does sound more likely (Smart Devices is the maker of the device, after all) but considering that the company's "end of June" timeframe for making the OS available came and went, the former (which was written just two days ago and presumably contains more current information than the original, albeit official, news) may not be too far-fetched either.

In both cases, the WinCE installation will include game aids by Chinese software development group LBE, DreamScene, and the highly regarded TCPMP.

Thanks, Oberto!

Mintpass mintpad gets a price cut in Korea

This has no effect on the limited supply that's available outside of Korea, unfortunately, but if you're in Korea and have been holding off on buying the WinCE-based mintpass mintpad multimedia network handheld for whatever reason, then your patience is being rewarded. The white mintpad and black mintpad DMB have both received a 30,000 KRW price cut, bringing their respective costs down to 169,000 KRW (~$131) and 209,000 KRW (~$163).

Whether these new prices will be reflected in the currently undetermined official US price or they indicate that progress is being made on the mintpad 2.0, the reduction is great news, especially considering how much the tiny device can actually do.

Full specifications of the mintpass mintpad in the database.

[Kbench (thanks, rud!)]

First impressions of the mintpass mintpad

It's been a bit busier than usual here at Pocketables HQ, so I haven't been able to spend some serious quality time with my recently unboxed mintpass mintpad. I have been using it fairly often since it arrived, though, so I've put in enough time with the tiny device (full specs here) to at least share my first impressions and shed some light on what the mintpad is all about.

Unboxing the mintpass mintpad (and accessories)

When the limited supply of palm-sized mintpass mintpad devices were made globally available last week, I wasted little time in securing one of my own. And within just 48 hours of placing my order, the 3.2-ounce unit and some lovely accessories made their way from Korea to my front door in Hawaii.

The box only arrived a few hours ago, so I haven't had time to do anything but take the round of photos you'll find below.

Limited supply of mintpass mintpads available for $169

Korea-based mintpass missed its original late April/early May target date of completing the English firmware for the tiny mintpad multimedia networking device (full specs here), but the company is still pushing forward with plans for an overseas launch. I've been in close contact with mintpass for several months now and have just received an update about the immediate availability of 40 mintpad units to anyone willing to pay $169 plus FedEx shipping fees via bank transfer or PayPal.

Android-powered Archos IMT due in September

Despite the somewhat disappointing press event Archos held in Paris today, don't give up on that voice-enabled Android Internet Media Tablet (IMT) first revealed in early February. Although the new device wasn't actually shown today, ArchosFans notes that Archos' CEO kicked off his keynote by talking briefly about the upcoming line of Android IMT products, which are evidently slated for launch "on or before September 15th at another event."

Since this fits in nicely with early information citing a Q3 launch, it may not be a bad idea to assume that the previously released specs could be spot-on as well. If that's the case, then come September, we can expect to see a 0.39-inch thin slate-style device with a 5-inch touchscreen, up to 500GB of internal storage, 7-hour video battery life, HD video support, integrated 3.5G connectivity, and web browser with Flash support. Oh, and don't forget about the "laptop-like performance from the first implementation of [the] OMAP3440 processor based on the ARM Cortex superscalar microprocessor and DSP" promised in the original press release.

Archos press event falls short of expectations

The Archos press event we've all been waiting for came and went today with a handful of product announcements that few were expecting.

I think it's safe to say that just about everyone who knew about the event in Paris was hoping that June 11th would bring with it the big unveil of the long-rumored Internet Media Tablet phone powered by Android. The original press release cited a Q3 launch for this new device, so the timing would've been pretty close to perfect: announce the 3.5G unit today and release it anytime between July and September. It seemed like such a shoo-in that even my Archos 5, which usually feels very secure about my feelings for it, started to get nervous about being replaced.

But no. Instead of taking the wraps off an Android MID/phone that would likely have excited and thrilled many, Archos used the event to announce the uninspired Archos 3 DAP and a few MiniPC models that are too big to be discussed here at Pocketables and that aren't exactly causing any waves in the sea of portable tech.

Oh well. There's still a considerable amount of time left for the Archos phone to hit its Q3 mark, so all hope is not lost.

New Dr. Mobile slider spotted at Computex

Details are pretty slim at the moment, but jkkmobile spotted this little slider device made by Taiwan-based Dr. Mobile at Computex today that's worth sharing. Based purely on the photos (jkk is uploading a video, presumably with more info, as I write this), the unit runs what looks like Windows Mobile to me (but is actually XP and/or Android according to the specs placard), has a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus on the back, and features a chiclet-style QWERTY keyboard. UPDATE: Specs shown below.

Specs and photo of the Nokia N900 Internet Tablet leaked?

Fans of the Nokia line of Internet Tablets have been waiting for a successor to the N810 to appear. The rumored replacement received an unofficial and brief introduction at the Open Source in Mobile Conference last September where it was revealed that the new device would have integrated 3G, a faster Ti OMAP3 processor, and a high definition camera.

It's been a long seven months of relative silence since then, but it looks like our patience may have been rewarded. MobileCrunch, citing information from an inside source at Nokia, has just provided the blogosphere with most of the supposed specs of the next generation Nokia Internet Tablet. Not to be outdone, the folks at CellPassion have produced the first photo of the device and labeled it as the Nokia N900 Rover. According to the leaked information, the N900 will run Maemo 5 and will sport a 3.5-inch 800×480 touchscreen, OMAP3430 500/600MHz processor, 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera (with dual-LED flash, autofocus, and sliding cover), 1GB total virtual runtime memory (256MB physical RAM, 768MB virtual memory), WiFi, GPS, HSPA connectivity, and 32GB internal storage expandable up to 48GB via external memory.

The specs include support for quad-band GSM, which with the smaller 3.5-inch screen and lack of a D-pad make the device rather phone-ish. Last December, Nokia executive Ukko Lappalainen stated that the company may consider using Maemo for some of its high-end handsets instead of Android. Perhaps this leak is not about the Internet Tablet after all but about one of those handsets instead. With a potential announcement rumored for June, we may not have to wait much longer to find out what Nokia has planned for this rather interesting device.

This post was written by Kelly Hodgkins, long-time fan of mobile devices and news writer at The Boy Genius Report.