UK Newcomer UMPC PsiXpda Has 3G and Runs Windows XP

The PsiXpda ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC) is a Windows XP-running gadget powered by an Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. Although most UMPCs, while quite alluring thanks to their prices, don't usually hit mass production outside of Taiwan (where they are quite popular), the PsiXpda UMPC was not released by a Taipei-based company, but by the eponymous PsiXpda company from the United Kingdom.

The device is still in prototype stage and is intended to be the successor to the Psion. The product is reasonably lightweight (430g), has a storage capacity of 16GB SSD and runs on a 1,850mAh battery, which supposedly allows for two to four hours of continuous running. The device is mostly equivalent to the DigiCube MIDPhone-50, a similar product that is also shipping in China (dubbed Eking S515). The UMPC's screen has a sliding, tilting, 4.8-inch resistive touchscreen display capable of a 800 x 480-pixel resolution. In addition, the QUERTY keyboard is reasonably large, allowing for a comfortable key input.

Of course, being aimed as a mobile Internet device, the PsiXpda has a variety of connectivity capabilities, including the standard WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and two USB 2.0 ports, but also optional 3G connectivity (choices include WCDMA, EVDO or TD-SCDMA). Unlike other UMPCs that are only available in Taiwan, where their manufacturers are based, this product will ship around most of the globe.

The 174 x 84 x 25 mm PsiXpda UMPC will come with Windows XP, but the company stated its intention to assist non-Windows XP installs by releasing drivers and updates. The device has, as additional features, a touchpad and a webcam built into the screen bezel. The PsiXpda comes with a price of £500 ( about $830 or more), just about as much as high-end netbooks, but will likely find buyers, especially in vertical markets such as the healthcare segment.