It looks like there are definately a few options for getting Windows XP after June 2008. All OEMs can take the ‘system builder’ route to provide XP until Jan 2009 as we mentioned on Podcast #15. JKK has the summary of options and highlights that OEMs should be shipping XP restore CDs with editions of Vista that include downgrade rights.

There’s a wonderful institution called the ‘Aldi promotion’ here in Germany. Somehow this cheap, almost storage-room style supermarket with very few known-brands on the pallets has reached out to people from every walk of life. Aldi exists in other countries too but in the UK, you certainly wont find the chattering classes in there. I heard that it got the seal-of-approval from some A-class German celebs a few years back and since then, everyone is in there. I don’t need German celebs to approve it (not that I could ever […]

Its been nearly three years since I updated this blog. Since I wrote my first . three . posts about human input bandwidth, I never felt I needed to continue but one story this morning got me so mad that I felt compelled to write something. A report states that all Americans should have access to 100MBps broadband by 2012. [Access the PDF summary here.] and in my opinion it’s terribly wrong. Not just in America but anywhere. Did anyone writing this report stop to think exactly what broadband access […]

I’ve been using the RC3 version of Ubuntu Mobile (now called Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device Edition) on the Q1 Ultra for a few weeks and had been wondering why the ‘RC’ was dropped from the install package in the last few days. Now I know. I’ll bring you a mini-review in the next few days. It works well but it’s definately a ‘developers’ edition. It reminds me of the first OS for the N800. There’s some work to do to get it up to end-user quality. Head to the wiki […]

ECS, the people that made one of the first Origami UMPCs, the Tablet Kiosk i7209, will be bringing their netbook to the European market via a different route to many of the other big netbook brands. An article in PC World today describes how the ECS G10L will include a 3G module and that deals with carriers in Europe have already been made. The high-end ‘G-series’ model includes a 6-cell battery, a 10.2" screen, Windows XP, an 80GB drive and will cost $500. It’s not clear if this is the […]

Despite my little moan about JEITA battery life tests yesterday, the SC3 is looking very interesting as a UMPC. We’ve been in touch with Direct From Japan (DJF-Store.com) a company that operates out of the Akihabara district in Japan and they tell us that they will be able to ship the SC3 and from the 3rd of July. The SX3 should be shipping from Japan at the end of July. Prices: SC3KP06A Black (and available in white) $989. (approx 640 Euros) SC3KP06GA Black (BT & GPS) (and available in white) […]

It looks like Panasonic will be releasing that rugged Atom-based ultra mobile PC in the near future. Engadget is reporting that the unit will have a 5.6″ touch-screen, QWERTY thumb keyboard split with a numerical number pad, and unfortunately will be running Vista. I hope they managed to reinforce the touch  screen, otherwise it will easily be the most vulnerable part of the UMPC. The device, which was previewed at CeBIT and IDF this year, is said to be getting pricing information and detailed specs on Wednesday of this week. […]

Aiming for features rather than price are the new Kohjinsha SX and SC convertible mini-notebooks that build on the Inventec/KJS convertible designs that came before with an upgraded screen, new CPU and chipset and a badly needed re-style. Rather than use Intel’s low-cost platform as seen in netbooks, they will use the low-power Atom Silverthorne CPU at 1.33Ghz and ISH (Poulsbo) chipset to provide long battery life rather than low price.   The SC model (image left) is a 1024×600 7″ screened device with a very small casing (smaller than […]