Aigo P8860 MID stars in one-man video show
One of the first true Intel Atom MIDs is finally showing its face in the world. Actually the Aigo P8860 it’s showing its backside, profile and slide-out QWERTY keyboard thanks to fine coaching by video director Steve Paine. Don’t worry, the film is safe for all audiences… even with the gratuitous Bluetooth pairing scene. This was my first good look at the Aigo P8860 MID running Midinux and while there was plenty to be impressed with, I see a few things that need refining for sure.
There’s no question that a full-desktop type of environment in a pocketable package leaves you lusting. While the device comes with Coolfox, Steve has Firefox 3 installed and shows off how the full AJAX version of Google Reader works flawlessly. No need to run a mobile version, like I do on my iPhone for example, and that means little to no compromise. From my standpoint though, I currently don’t mind the compromise… in fact (continuing the example) the mobile version of Google Reader looks to perform a little faster on my current device. Hard to say from just a single video, of course.
All in all, I came away more impressed than disappointed because with more refining, a device like this could be very handy. It wouldn’t function as a full computer for me so I’d need to carry that, plus a phone, making for three devices on my person. That’s where I’m struggling with MIDs at the moment: without phone capabilities and not usable (for me anyway) as a full and productive computing environment, where do they fit?
I think there is a big market for a bigger screen “internet tablet”.
Something that is instant on and can act as a newspaper reader or internet browser when I am at home and want to surf from the comfort of my couch.
No 3G? Sorry, near worthless without 3G. In fact, without full PHONE ability, who is going to carry this in addition to their smartphone? Not many…that’s for sure.
Which brings me to the whole problem with the MID category. I want this screen size in a 3G smartphone! Then we could think of it as sort of a super Iphone/MID device. But if this MID does not include full phone features then I can’t imagine anybody is going to carry both their IPhone(or other smartphone like my Samsung 760i) and a separate dedicated MID.
Thus, I predict the MID category will stay very small and nearly insignificant…just a few hardcore techies. Eventually Smartphone feature creep will swallow the MID category whole: the Sony X1 Xperia with 800×480 screen shows the direction high end smartphones are moving…to bigger and higher resolution screens for better media and game ability, with 3G, etc.
No 3G? Excellent! I’ve turned off 3G on my phone because, to a lot of people like me, it’s just a waste of battery. I shall be getting a MID when the price comes down and I’ll quite happily carry 2 small devices with me (until I can use a MID as a standard phone that is).
Its fair comment about three devices and also fair comment from Brian.
For the time being, these first-gen devices will be hyper-targetd and success will certainly not hinge on multi-millions of sales.
Next-gen devices (from ARM and INtel) are all intended to have voice so the question then is, can you handle a 4-4.8″ screened device as your only comms device. (Consider battery issues – when your voice MID is dead because you played too much online Poker, you cant make phone calls!) or would you take a backup battery or even a backup, small 150gm phone !!
The answer is that if MIDs combine with voice, the whole usage model for the voice-enabled device changes from being a primary voice-comm device to a primary-internet comms device and you then need 8-hrs battery life to get you through a day…that could take another few years.
Steve
I think the no voice = no niche argument is over stating things a bit. If the thumboard is good enough, I don’t see why you couldn’t use this exactly as you would use a netbook or umpc. Worse comes to worse and you partner this thing up with a bluetooth (or at worse wired ) keyboard. Obviously, the bigger screened netbooks have more useable real estate, but then this has touch out the box so Onenote users get their note making fix. The problems for me are mostly software. On the hardware side a 3G radio would be very helpful. But, on the software side I would want onenote, word, excel and powerpoint (or an open office substitute) – just for starters, VLC and firefox strapped on too and a proper music player – and still have 1-5GB HD space free after that has all been installed. Yes, it will mean 3 devices – smartphone, mid, laptop. But I could divide it into: Phone = Voice, txt and GPS or other web services. MID = PMP, Mob internet, mini office. Netbook/laptop = Full office (The screen for this would have to be over 10″). I know what you’re thinking, why no GPS in the MID – well if one was keen on using the device in the car as a satnav substitute that may be a deal breaker but for the avg user the one gps radio in the smartphone is sufficient and more likely to be used on-the-fly… if you added a 3g radio and gps cost to the MID, the device probably gets bigger and more expensive for overlapping services the avg consumer will already have in their smartphone.
sebnowxeusqvkgfxwell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch
I have the Aigo P8860.
I bought it to use on the road. It has WiFI, GPS, a version of office.
I wanted a bigger screen than found on phones for web use. I did not the unit to be a phone. My phone is in my pocket and thats what I want a phone for, a phone. I don’t use 3g, but I think it should have had one internal, but you can use the external 3g.
So, the idea of a mid was exactly what I was looking for. That said, the GPS doesn’t work, there is to much Chinese in the english language part. Also, adding software is difficult and as many have said, trying to correct alot of the problems usually winds up with a brick.
The concept is great, however, the software that runs the unit is not there yet. Hopefully, this year Intel and some of the distros will finally get it working properly.
Ron
Very funny and interesting presentation/description of the aigo, had a good laugh while listening to yout comments…