As with every other CES we've attended, we ran across yet another PDA-laptop hybrid attempting to place the power of a computer in the palm of your hand. This time around, Seemless was showing off their S-XGen 'Next Generation Ultra Mobile PC.' The S-XGen weighs about 14 ounces and measures 6" x 4" x 1.25". It is larger than a PDA and barely fits in one hand, but it is more compact than similar products we've seen in the past. One thing that immediately stood out was the fold-away keyboard. The large (albeit not full-size) keyboard makes typing much easier, although the keys are a little more awkward to press than your average laptop keys.
While the keyboard folds out to reveal the 4 inch display (TFT with a resolution of 470 x 280), it can also be folded behind the device so it can be used as a PDA. It can also function as a cell-phone, although I don't think we'll be seeing too many people holding this brick up to their ear to chat. The S-XGen sports an 8 hour battery life, which is a huge plus. Along the side of the device, there is an SD card slot, USB and RJ45 connection. The device incorporates a touch screen, has built-in GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and of course they didn't forget to integrate a camera. The S-XGen is powered by an Intel PXA 270 Xscale 520 MHz processor and runs MS Windows CE 5.0. With the MS Mobile Office suite installed, you can expect to pay around $1400 when units ship in the first quarter of 2007.
While I think mobile PCs are heading in the right direction, I still don't think we're quite there yet. Technology still needs to advance a bit before pocket-sized PCs really take off and I have a feeling that there are a few bleeding-edge developments such as flexible color screens that can allow a small device to expand and have a much larger screen that will mature in the coming years allowing for a new dimension of portability.
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