HP’s 2133 UMPC Revealed
Written by admin on February 19th, 2008 in devices and gadgets.
Earlier today Engadget posted a few images and some information about an upcoming UMPC. This wouldn’t normally qualify as very big news, especially with the large number of these devices on the way but this one is from HP.
The HP Compaq 2133 looks like a pretty exciting device actually. It is not exactly revolutionary, but from a casual glance it seems like someone got a titanium PowerBook and crossed with with an Eee PC. That is to say, it looks quite cool and would stand out in this growing category.
The highlights include a 8.9″ display at 1366×766, a keyboard that is 95% of full size, optional SSD, and a starting weight of 2.5lbs. That is not very light (the Eee PC and Cloudbook are both 2.0lbs), but it will still be easy to transport. The information sheet says users will get a choice of Vista or Linux. There is some speculation that this device will be powered by Intel’s Silverthorne but there is no official word on that or the price.
So why is this such big news? First of all, the 2133 looks quite cool. It has an aluminum body and great drop hinge that combine to make for a very capable looking system. It could be light, but it has a high resolution display that is 8.9″ so it will allow for better productivity than much of what we have seen in this segment. Given the size of the display though, and that fact that there is lots of bezel space on it’s sides, the 2133 can’t possibly be as small as many of the other UMPCs on the market. Many people have be playing up the fact that this is an ultramobile device from HP, but it will be equally interesting to see how HP handles the Linux OS which will inevitably be a great alternative to Vista on a low-power device.
Of course, everything is very unofficial at this point, though we recently heard rumors that such a device was on the way. The excitement will probably calm down when we all find out the price, but we can still hope that HP will take a hint from the Eee PC and Cloudbook and make it affordable.
You can see the images here at Engadget.
Edit: 4:35pm: Crunchgear is reporting that the 2133 will be competitively priced. It was even compared directly to the Eee PC, so things could get interesting.
Tags: Ogg, home cinema, camera, Hi-fi
