OneWayTraffic
03-11-2007, 06:13 AM
Well it arrived last week (http://www.raondigital.com). This thing is small and I mean small. It's about the same size as a PSP. Runs WinXP with a AMD Geode CPU. Mine has 512MB and a 30gb HDD.
I didn't buy it, exchanged it for my services editing manuals for the company. I won't say the manual is perfect now, but I think we both got a good deal.
I'm actually typing this review up on my Vega now using a folding keyboard.
Impressions? The CPU is plenty for what you are going to use this for and it has the benefit of giving a 6 hour battery life (I haven't actually tested this yet, but I can say that it lasts pretty well.) The screen is wonderful, crystal clear and pixels right at the limit of good eyesight (older users be warned), and the speakers are loud and clear. It can be used as an external USB 2.0 HDD which is a very convenient way to transfer files across. A USB hub, keyboard and mouse are essential addons, pushing up the price for those of you who need to buy it.
And that's the problem. By the time you buy the average UMPC and all the addons it's getting up to the price of a small laptop, which has more functionality. Still, I can put this thing in my pocket and since I travel alot, it's convenient to use on the subway.
So would I recommend it? Yes I would, if your planned use falls into certain scenarios: Use in the car;viewing movies, reading PDFs or office files on the bus or train or viewing webpages using a phone modem. It's entirely possible to hold this thing in one hand and operate it with the other. If you plan to use it in coffee shops or classrooms etc, I'd get a laptop or convertible. It's a companion device, not enough to replace my desktop for sure, but a nice backup that I can slip in my bag or pocket. I find myself taking it with me without a thought; it's only 500g.
There's still bugs to work out of these devices, keyboards and screen resolution at the top of the list, though the screen size limits resolution on these devices, you need to trade portability for features. The Vega lacks internal WiFi and Bluetooth, requiring the purchase of the USB hub. Still the build of the device is solid and I'm falling in love with it.
If you haven't thought about getting one of these UMPCs then rethink. They have a use for those who travel a lot and when gen2 hits most of the teething issues will be history.
I didn't buy it, exchanged it for my services editing manuals for the company. I won't say the manual is perfect now, but I think we both got a good deal.
I'm actually typing this review up on my Vega now using a folding keyboard.
Impressions? The CPU is plenty for what you are going to use this for and it has the benefit of giving a 6 hour battery life (I haven't actually tested this yet, but I can say that it lasts pretty well.) The screen is wonderful, crystal clear and pixels right at the limit of good eyesight (older users be warned), and the speakers are loud and clear. It can be used as an external USB 2.0 HDD which is a very convenient way to transfer files across. A USB hub, keyboard and mouse are essential addons, pushing up the price for those of you who need to buy it.
And that's the problem. By the time you buy the average UMPC and all the addons it's getting up to the price of a small laptop, which has more functionality. Still, I can put this thing in my pocket and since I travel alot, it's convenient to use on the subway.
So would I recommend it? Yes I would, if your planned use falls into certain scenarios: Use in the car;viewing movies, reading PDFs or office files on the bus or train or viewing webpages using a phone modem. It's entirely possible to hold this thing in one hand and operate it with the other. If you plan to use it in coffee shops or classrooms etc, I'd get a laptop or convertible. It's a companion device, not enough to replace my desktop for sure, but a nice backup that I can slip in my bag or pocket. I find myself taking it with me without a thought; it's only 500g.
There's still bugs to work out of these devices, keyboards and screen resolution at the top of the list, though the screen size limits resolution on these devices, you need to trade portability for features. The Vega lacks internal WiFi and Bluetooth, requiring the purchase of the USB hub. Still the build of the device is solid and I'm falling in love with it.
If you haven't thought about getting one of these UMPCs then rethink. They have a use for those who travel a lot and when gen2 hits most of the teething issues will be history.