14 DAY TRIAL // Menq is a Chinese company interested in providing the world with the cheapest models of laptops possible. Last year, it used a 480×320-resolution, 7-inch screen to reach the $89 price point for laptops, now it is able to include a 800×480-resolution, 7-inch screen. With a video demo released on the net, it seems that the EasyPC E790 will be revised and tuned for better performance.
The EasyPC E790 is built using the Samsung ARM926EJ-S3C2450 processor. Currently, it is running Windows CE. This makes running any kind of applications on it fairly frustrating, because the OS doesn't exactly make the greatest combination with the ARM9, speed-wise, that is. The central processor isn't, in itself, all that amazing (it runs at 400MHz/533MHz). Of course, the fact that it is an ARM CPU means it can run the Android operating system. Menq plans to deliver the first such laptop with Android by next month and it is probable that applications will run more smoothly on it than on the Windows CE.
According to a tester at techvideoblog, if the Chinese manufacturer were to start using the ARM Cortex A8 in the production of these netbooks, the browsing speed would actually be five to ten times faster than the one currently provided, for a little extra cost. What's more, even a better performance could be attained by installing and ARM-optimized Chrome browser.
Still, even in its current incarnation, the EasyPC E970 is capable of playing music, videos and even online streaming (from sites such as YouTube), despite its miniature size (7-inch screen). Still, for such a small screen, the 800x480 resolution is more than satisfactory, especially since the display is in TFT, and boasts 65,536 colors. The device runs on a battery of 4,000mAh.
The portable PC is lightweight, slim, shockproof, has built-in Wi-Fi and Lan, supports Skype and can automatically repair the operating system through the reset function. It comes with an integrated speaker and headphone jack, three USB ports, a standard SD card slot (up to 32GB), 128 RAM and 2GB ROM.
Although no information has been released concerning when the laptop will be widely promoted on the market, the price is expected to even drop below $80, making it one, if not the cheapest, mobile PC, even cheaper than smartphones, for that matter.