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New Details on Intel’s Linux Powered Mobile Internet Devices (MID) from IDF

By Alexander Grundner | April 18th, 2007 Interest Level: SMOKING HOT


intel redflag mid prototypeEarlier in the week there was a lot of buzz surrounding Intel’s decision to support Linux in its mobile platform architecture and the introduction of a new segment called Mobile Internet Devices (a cousin to Ultra Mobile PCs which run a full version of Windows). Now it appears that Intel has updated its site and added a MID product page detailing the specs, opportunities, and differences with UMPCs.

As expected, MIDs strong suit will not be MS office productivity or function as a quasi-desktop replacement, but as a low-power, wireless infotainment device, equipped with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Webcam/GPS/WiMAX (coming later), and leveraging a custom MID application suite layered on top of an optimized Linux-based OS from initial partners, RedFlag and Canonical (the commercial backer of Ubuntu). This confirmation comes from Intel’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, Anand Chandrasekher at this week’s Intel Developer Forum in China (via iTWire).

Intel’s MID UI Screenshot Preview:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/16/…ta-hello-linux/

MID Hardware & RedFlag MIDinux OS Features:
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8166710404.html

IDF Presentation Slides [PDF Format]:
https://intel.wingateweb.com/publis…S001_100eng.pdf
https://intel.wingateweb.com/publis…S003_100eng.pdf

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Short URL: http://bit.ly/b36BVE [+]  Filed in: Portable Media Players  
____________
Alexander Grundner is the Editor & Publisher of eHomeUpgrade. He has been following "Digital Home" developments since 2003. He's also a fan of cross-platform, open development software and industry standards related to media, networking, and the web. You can catch his daily tech musings on Twitter: @agrundner.
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  • I'm with ya. The new Nokia N800 looks very capable and they already have a strong developer community around the device. I'm also thinking of giving one of these to a not-so-tech-savvy relative so we can video chat and she can surf the web and answer email. However, if Intel and Ubuntu come out with a branded device at a decent price point, I'm all over it.




    FYI, the new segment reference is because of Intel's marketing. They want to position the device differently than the UMPC -- more in line with the N800 Internet Tablet than anything else. But yeah, all the different names just confuse the customer. It's very similar to what happened to digital media adapters (aka streaming media devices, media center extenders, etc.).
  • mcstayinskool
    I've been reading about the MID devices this week and more power to Intel for pushing this platform, BUT...




    What the PR folks at Intel aren't telling you is that this market segment already exists-- the products are available for purchase and are called the Nokia N800, the Nokia 770, and the PepperPad3.





    It may be that Intel will deliver a MID platform that kills these products in terms of speed and usability (and I hope they do), but to say that it's a new segment is kind of hooey. UMPC, MID, internet tablet, whatever...we're talking about the same thing: a small touchscreen capable of viewing and interacting with rich network content.





    #!/ben
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