Some brand new Viliv S5 MIDs have been found to have viruses infecting them, despite being fresh from the factory. Nobody knows quite how many of the 4.8-inch touchscreen mini-tablets are affected, but there have been multiple reports that those machines have several viruses present.
SlashGear has been hanging out with Google this week, at the I/O 2009 conference. You can read our first day and second day highlights for the full details, but perhaps the most interesting news was Google’s Wave demo for iPhone and Android, and Andy Rubin’s confirmation that there should be 18-20 Android handsets on the market by the end of the year. One of those is expected to be the HTC Hero; make sure to check out the promo video for the chin-heavy smartphone.
Viliv have announced their plans for Computex, and there are a few interesting MID and UMPC tidbits that should keep them ahead of the game in the ultramobile space. As well as obviously demonstrating the latest versions of their existing set-to-ship range, Viliv have promised a 10-inch screen MID (possibly a netbook) and a 4.8-inch MID with keyboard, potentially as in the mockup shown here.
Viliv have added a new model to their S5 MID range, in the shape of the S5 Premium Air Ready. Unlike the existing Premium Air, the new model will not include a 3G modem, however it will have the required PCI-e slot and SIM card reader already in place; that will make adding the best HSDPA/EVDO modem card for your location straightforward.
Most reviewers of the Viliv S5 MID have said that the one thing that would make it the perfect mobile internet device would be integrated 3G. While such a model is available in some areas, US importers are yet to offer it; that leaves adding your own WWAN in, which is just the tricky task jkkmobile is attempting in his latest guide video.
Video overview after the cut
Squint hard and you can just about make out that this is Windows 7 Ultimate running on the Viliv S5’s 4.8-inch screen. After all, we’ve already seen how the new Microsoft OS runs on netbook hardware and on a UMPC; now it’s the MID’s turn. Arch-upgrader jkkmobile has done the honors, and the good news is that it’s a relatively straightforward install process.
Video demo after the cut
The Zhongyi S101 MID has been cavorting in the wild with Viliv’s S5 and the iPhone 3G, and size-wise it’s looking promising. Thinner than the S5 – which has always looked a little tubby – the 4.3-inch S101 is reportedly fast in operation with a well-responsive touchscreen.
More S101 feedback after the cut
Viliv’s S5 Premium MID has already performed well in reviews, but the two things missing have always been integrated 3G and an SSD option. Viliv has catered for just those demands with the S5 Premium Air, packing the same 1.33GHz Intel Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM, but pairing them with a 16GB SSD and Huawei’s EM770 HSPA module; we’ve seen the video unboxing, now jkkmobile offers his full video review.
Viliv S5 Premium Air video review after the cut
Viliv’s S5 is causing more trouble, this time for importers Dynamism. After selling out in Korea and Hong Kong in record time, the coveted MID has now left many would-be pre-order customers in the US with a sour taste: demand for the 4.8-inch touchscreen device brought Dynamism’s servers to their knees, leading to slow- or non-loading pages and a general inability to snatch up one of the limited numbers of S5s on Monday.
We can’t get enough of the Viliv S5, and we know a lot of you feel the same way, so it seemed sensible to remind SlashGear readers that importer Dynamism’s pre-sales for the 4.8-inch touchscreen MID kick off today at 1pm EST. If you’re undecided whether $599 is a reasonable amount to spend on an Atom-powered ultraportable with WiFi and Bluetooth, Intel’s own Michael Brito has shot a demo video espousing the S5’s virtues.
Video demo of the Viliv S5 after the cut
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