BenQ S6 MID Gets Windows XP Upgrade For Taiwan

Old MIDs don't die; they get reborn with a new OS.  At least, that's what's going on with BenQ's S6: the 4.8-inch touchscreen handheld has been given a new lease of life by replacing its Midinux OS with Windows XP.  You'll have to be in Taiwan to buy it, though; carrier FarEasTone are offering the 3G-enabled S6 for $424 outright or free with a $57 per month three-year data contract.

Otherwise the specifications of the MID are unchanged, which means buyers still get an 800MHz Intel Atom Z500 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB SSD and a microSD card slot.  As well as the HSPA 3G there's WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, while the 1,880 mAh battery is apparently good for between two and three hours of use.

It's disappointing that BenQ didn't upgrade the RAM while they were switching out the storage – the original S6 came with a choice of 2GB or 4GB – and the runtime figures are looking a little short compared to some of the recent netbooks.  You'd certainly hope for more given the frugal (i.e. slow) Atom processor.

[via Pocketables]