The MAGIC W3 Microcomputer Fits in Your Pocket
Is it a fancy smartphone, a small tablet, or a PC that can fit into your pocket? The line is beginning to blur.
AdvanceTC has revealed a device that could be mistaken for a smartphone at first glance. It could even be confused for a small-screen tablet based on the hardware underneath its 4.8-inch screen. But the MAGIC W3 is neither according to the company. Instead, it's a small "microcomputer" that fits right into your pocket.
AdvanceTC reports that its new MAGIC W3 is powered by the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU and Microsoft's full-blown Windows 7 Home Premium installed on a 32 GB SSD. There's also 1 GB of RAM and the display itself features an 800 x 480 resolution with interpolated 800 x 600 and 1024 x 600 also available.
To make Windows 7 Home Premium even manageable on such a small form factor, the MAGIC W3 will come with a custom UI which is "integrated with the device to bring you seamless control of your voice calls and SMS within the Windows 7 OS environment."
For connectivity, the device offers GSM Quad Band and 3.5G HSPA for telephony options and Wi-Fi b/g for accessing local networks. Other features include Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a GPS transceiver, a 1.3MP webcam and a 3200 Mah 3.7V battery. There's also a mini-HDMI port, a mini-USB port, a micro-SD slot, a SIM card slot, charging and docking I/O and a 3.5-mm jack for headphones.
On the software front, the microcomputer will come packed with Windows Live Essentials and Microsoft Office Starter already installed. "The MAGIC W3 is engineered to provide consumers with true windowed multitasking, multimedia entertainment, social connectivity, navigation capability, voice telephony, and the full internet experience," the company said.
Currently pricing and availability is not available, so stay tuned.
Translation: the UI will sorta work if you're using it as a phone or running the shell, but you'll be FUCKED the moment you try to fire up an app that isn't specifically created for this platform. Sorta shoots the purpose of desktop / phone integration...
BTW, haven't things like this been available for years - with essentially ZERO traction in the market? To me, this looks like a netbook without the convenience of a physical keyboard and a smaller display.
It's what's known as a umpc (ultra mobile pc) and yeah, there is almost no market for this kind of thing.
Price-performance for these things such. You don't get them for performance, you get them for utility, and this is already being satisfied by the tablet and smartphone industry.
And people failed at making tablets before. did people previously own tablets before iPad? No. And that seemed to break