UMPCs, Intel's Atom and VIA's Nano Processor
MIDs and UMPCs were also a big hit this year at Computex 2008. Many manufacturers were showing off ultra-portable devices. Of notable launches this year were MSI’s Wind, Gigabyte’s M-528 and Asus’ EeePC 901/1000H. All the craze about subnotebooks is that they are all easy to handle, very light, and support all your daily routines without breaking the bank.
Many of the new subnotebooks offer operating times of over 7 hours and are getting even more powerful with support from Intel’s Atom processor. Most of these devices come well below the $1000 mark, which is a very affordable price target. Considering what they offer, it’s no surprise that many users are opting to go for UMPCs rather than full-blown notebooks or desktop replacements.
While most of the new UMPCs use Intel’s powerful Atom processor, VIA announced that it would give Intel a run for a money with the launch of Nano, VIA’s claim to fame against Intel’s Atom. The Nano processor, VIA claims, gives even more operating time than Atom based systems, and even better performance. It’s been a long time since VIA honestly released a processor with so much excitement, and we’re eagerly waiting to see subnotebooks based on this jewel. More competition in this space - and any space for that matter - is win-win for the consumer.
Competition in the UMPC space is heated and it’ll only get more intense as 2009 rolls in. Acer’s Aspire One is a particular UMPC that caught our attention for the inclusion of 3G wireless technology. No other UMPC currently includes it, and it takes top places in our hearts because of it. Having 3G connectivity enables users to truly go wireless, and it really gives the feeling of ultimate freedom with high-speed Internet access almost anywhere you go.
