14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwan-based notebook manufacturer Micro-Star International (MSI) has begun sketching yet another ultra-low cost notebook PC to compete with Asustek's Eee sub-notebooks. MSI has taken competition very seriously on the UMPC battlefield, given the fact that the Eee sold and continues to sell excellently. However, the competition is getting tighter and tighter, since all the companies release their products in similar hardware configurations.
MSI's notebook is based on Intel's Diamondville CPU. Intel designed the processor especially to power low-cost, low performance ultra-mobile PCs, so I would expect more sub-notebooks to feature it. Asustek's Eee PC was initially slated for sale in emerging markets, such as India and Pakistan.
The Eee UMPC is powered by an Intel Celeron M processor that comes originally clocked at 900 MHz. However, the manufacturer "took care" of its performance and trimmed it down to a "more acceptable" core clock of 630 MHz (it seem that this is a good way of enhancing the battery life). The Eee sub-notebook weighs less than a kilogram and comes with a 7-inch LCD display and wireless Internet connectivity.
MSI did not give any details about the upcoming UMPC's hardware configuration. There is no official launch date for the notebook also, since companies are not allowed to unveil products based on technologies that have not been officially launched yet. Therefore, the UMPC's launch date will be set immediately after Intel announces the Diamondville architecture.
"When Diamondville is ready, our project will be ready," said an MSI executive. Rumor has it that the notebook will be launched somewhere in July or August, but they may get delayed if Intel fails the Diamondville launch.
However, it's in MSI's best interest to hurry and unveil the launch, as the market is oversaturated by the same hardware configurations sold under different brands. The Diamondville-based UMPC may become the next successful story, at least until other Diamondvile configurations emerge on the market.