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MIUTech HDPC phone/MID hybrid gets slick new look, specs

Chris Davies — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:58:19 +0000

MIUTech’s HDPC smartphone/MID hybrid looked, frankly, a mess in its first iteration, and a subsequent redesign or two did little to improve things. Happily the company have returned to the drawing board and come back with this slick little monster, freshly updated with some appealing specifications – full QWERTY, a 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen and Intel Atom 1.6GHz Z530 processor – and a promise that, distributors aside, it’s all go for a release.

In fact you get two devices in one, with an ARM9 processor driving the Windows CE cellphone functionality (complete with external 2.4-inch 320 x 240 AMOLED display and numeric keypad) and a Windows XP (or Linux) PC lurking inside. That gets a 32GB (or larger) SSD, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, USB (both host and device) and GPS, together with a microSD card slot, T-DMB (unlikely to make it out of Asia), HDMI and HD audio outputs, and a total of three cameras. One is a 5-megapixel unit for photography purposes, and then there are external and internal VGA cameras for video calls.

Considering it measures 6.06 x 2.95 x 0.91 inches and weighs 10.3oz that’s not at all bad, and while it’s still relatively bulky compared to, say, a Sidekick, it’s not the monstrous “plastic shoebox” we first compared it to. According to MIUTech they’re looking for distributors across the globe “for this final mass model” and pricing – initially tipped as $500 for a basic unit and $900 for the “premium” version – is yet to be finalized. All of a sudden this is actually something we’re vaguely interested in seeing launching.

[via Pocketables]

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MIU HDPC poised for release… if someone gives them $500k

Chris Davies — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:06:51 +0000

Things have been all quiet from team MIU about their Hybrid Dual Personal Computer (HDPC) lately – not a peep since they showed off their redesign last October, in fact – but development of the dual-booting Atom-powered handheld hasn’t been standing still. In fact, according to the latest news, the HDPC is ready for production, with verbal contracts from LG Telecom and government-related firms, among others. What they don’t have is the cash to produce even an initial sample batch of 100 units.

Around $500,000 is needed to get the production line going, for the samples at least, and for that MIU will even consider moving to wherever an investor would like them to be. It’s a tricky prospect: is there really a big enough market for such a device?

If someone comes up with the money, what we may eventually see on shelves are two versions of the HDPC. The $900 model has GPS and dictionary functions, among other niceties, while the entry level model, priced at around $500, makes do with mobile phone functionality, WiFi and the ability to switch between Windows XP and Windows CE. You’ll also be able to add new functionality, through some sort of under-explained upgrade progress.

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Miu HDPC gets an Atom processor; new look

Brenda Stokes — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:02:12 +0000

When this nifty all-in-one gadget made its debut, it looked, in all honesty, a mess. It was clunky, bulky and just generally lacked any design sense. But with an upgraded look and a few internal modifications, the HDPC from Miu is a step up.

The Hybrid Dual Portable Computer can do just about anything. It can perform computer tasks, play music, work as a cell phone, offer up navigation information and more. It does pretty much everything. But now it’s got an Atom processor to speed things along. Plus, the ARM processor makes small screen functions a breeze.

The overall design is much improved as well, with a sleeker shape, nice contrasting colors and a look that is fitting with the times. We don’t know when the latest version of the Miu HDPC will be available, or even how much it will cost, but we do know the older model costs about $500, so expect something in that range.

[via Gizmodo]

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