Viliv S5 Entertainment MID coming March with Haptic feedback

Of the  mobile computing products we saw at CES last month, we're still particularly excited about the Viliv range of UMPCs and entertainment MIDs.  The company's estimates suggested that the S7, S5 and X70 MIDs would land in Spring 2009.  However we now know a few more details, including that the Viliv S5 will have haptic feedback, plus a more specific release window for the handheld.

Although here we know Viliv predominantly for their mobile computing products, in Korea they're primarily known as a PMP brand.  Because of that, Viliv have focused on mobile entertainment rather than replicating PC functionality in their MID range: the company has particularly worked on how enjoyable the devices are to use, the range of accessories on offer and – perhaps most importantly – ensuring reasonable playback time.  The Viliv S5 is also going to be the first MID with a custom GUI on top of Windows XP and haptic feedback, as seen on some touchscreen cellphones.  The S5 vibrates slightly when a control is correctly tapped, giving physical feedback.

Finally, according to the latest information Viliv have given us, the S5 should launch in March.  Pricing for the Viliv S5 MID is still expected to be somewhere in-between $500 and $700.