My new Raon Vega.

[OneWayTraffic]

Well it arrived last week. 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.

[Vodude]

Hii,

How Hot the unit when in Heavy Load (i.e. movie)?

Also, is the sound as good as MP3 player (ipod, etc)?

[OneWayTraffic]

It's fanless and so has only passive cooling. It does get pretty warm, but not uncomfortable to touch (maybe 35 degrees). I wouldn't want to be using it outside on a hot summers day though.

It has good sound, that's as much as I can say. It uses something very similar to any intgrated sound card on any modern motherboard. ie no EAX or special effects but plenty of channels and good range. The built in speakers are decent too; the device can be used without headphones in the train at the expense of bothering the neighbours.

[proxops-pete]

Wow... very nice. So what is the retail/online price?? Above $1000??
Wish I could get one...

[OneWayTraffic]

It's about 600,000 won in Korea= $700. By the time you import it though, there'd be a markup. Doubt you'd get a lot of change from $1000. Check the website www.raondigital.com. In the English section they have links to the importers. I'm not sure if it's worth $1k except for a few rare people. At the Korean price though, it's definitely worth it. Decide for yourself. It is a good machine and my poor DS isn't getting any love now. I can even play Planescape Torment perfectly well on the go!

Miss the keyboard though, I may get a sub note when budget allows...

[proxops-pete]

I can even play Planescape Torment perfectly well on the go!

Wow... have you tried BG II?

[OneWayTraffic]

Nope, but I'm sure that it works. It does play Icewind Dale but I haven't installed BGII yet. Something to try later. You need a NoCD version of course.

The problem with Torment isn't the power; it's the lack of a real keyboard and mouse. The touchscreen can't easily do a mouseover so I find myself alternating between the touchscreen and thumbstick. It's certainly playable though, especially if you make liberal use of the pause button. (Space is one of the front buttons provided, along with most basic PC control combinations.)

Would I recommend you buy this for gaming? No way. But if you get it for other purposes, then there certainly are gaming options. Pretty good ones if you are old school like me. Go for games (almost) entirely controllable by mouse or with a few programable keys and you'll be fine.

[OneWayTraffic]

An update on the RaonDigital machine. I've received some material on the next machine to look over (to check the English). I would love to post specifications, but I'm told to keep it all confidential for now. What I think I can say is that it's much improved over the current model and I'm really looking forward to seeing it (turning green actually). They seem to have addressed most of the concerns for the current generation of UMPCs. Think battery life, usability, connectivity and price! The website will be updated some time in the future and when I'm able to give full details I'll be sure to do so.

Anyway my current Vega is still doing fine. I'm currently playing Jagged Aliance 2 with it and having fun. It's really usable as a second computer, if you really must have a pocketable one. I travel alot so no way would I be seen lugging a 5pound 'thin and light' around.

I'm going to try and get Raon Digital to put direct ording overseas on their website.

[Vodude]

dude, will it as good as the flipstart?
and dont forget, the new q1 ultra is coming.
man i already bought the ecs h70 umpc while this year new product is coming out...

[OneWayTraffic]

I don't know about better, but it will be smaller. The q1 ultra will be more powerful but with a 7" screen it's hardly pocketable. It all depends on what you mean by good. I'm thinking of buying a Q1 ultra btw, but I'm not going to pull the trigger for a while; my current machine is doing fine and I may be able to get my hands on the updated model. IMO any CPU more powerful than a high end P3 is wasted in a UMPC. Battery consumption is more important. And it's not like you can game or want to encode media files on it anyway.