Noahpad Umpc Running Full Ubuntu!

[ZDevil]

Yet another brand new ultraportable is coming up. Just saw gottabemobile's handson preview in CES 2008.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/CES2008ALookA...raMobilePC.aspx

A lot more video clips here: http://www.gottabemobile.com/NoahPad+In+Video.aspx

Official website: http://www.noahpad.com/

Specs in brief
CPU: VIA Eden C7 -1.0G / CX700
Display: 7" LCD
Storage:  1.8" IDE HDD 30GB, SD slot, USB slot(s?)
Builtin Communication: IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth V2.0, plus other options via USB
Memory: 512 MB (DDR2)
Battery:  4 Cells/3900 mAh for 3 hours of continuous use (a fat brick extended battery with 10000mAh is shown in the CES 2008 clip.)
Camera: 0.3 mega pixel
Weight: 0.78 kg
Estimated price: 500 USD
Estimated launch date: March 2008

The keypad and the flip-over screen design looks very flexible and innovative, especially typing on this kind of machines in the "hanger () mode". (well, imho they should've had a better way to present the hanger scene...  )
It's also exciting to see that full-blown linux has made its way to ultraportables.
But I think the keypad appears to be both too cramped (even smaller than eee pc's) for touchtyping and too big for thumbtyping (even those demonstrating the machine seem to be pecking the keys rather slowly). In the clips, the display always runs in the "panning/virtual" mode, which means the 800x600 display is always showing an oversized 1024x786 screen, so the user must use the netvigation keys to scroll around. There is presumably a native 800x600 display, or not?
I am a little bit suspicious about the official data of battery duration, compared to the eee pc 701 which runs on a SSD and a 5200 mAh battery for 3.5 hours at most.

[Capn_Fish]

Kind of unrelated, but how is it that these machines can only run for some 3-4 hours with a 5k mAh battery? My laptop runs for 5+ with a 4800 mAh battery and a standard hard drive.

Otherwise, the keyboard looks kind of odd, but if you can have a non-virtual screen (eg, an 800x600 display), not too bad.

[desertrat]

but if you can have a non-virtual screen (eg, an 800x600 display), not too bad.

Um, that technology is not exactly new - I had that on my Amiga some 20 years ago.

[speculatrix]

it's kind of interesting, but they could have fitted a bigger screen with less bezel, and larger keyboard missing out the gaps!

when there's a sort of clamshell readius then I'll be swayed by the idea of  tiny ultraportable which isn't too small!