The PsiXpda is a capable, small, but expensive Netbook.
(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
LAS VEGAS--I had a brief chance to check out the new PsiXpda
ultramobile PC at a CES party Wednesday night. As has been written
elsewhere, this is a cleverly packaged tiny Netbook with a solid spec
sheet and full connectivity options (Wi-Fi and 3G). It's about $700,
and a nerd's delight. The keyboard is small but not too small, and the
screen is bright and legible, although it's only 5 inches diagonally,
cramped compared to most Netbooks.
Social Media Club founder Chris Heuer and the PsiXpda at CES 2010.
(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Nice design features include a slide-out, tip-up screen. It has a
capacitive touch surface, and in a clever twist, some of the glass off
to the right of the screen works like a trackpad, while touching the
screen directly gives you the one-to-one mouse tracking you'd expect.
(There are two mouse buttons to the left of the screen.) The PsiXpda
has an Atom CPU and is configured with 1GB of RAM, a 16GB solid-state
drive, and Windows XP.
"It's also a phone!" a rep told me. Check. Yes, it has 3G in it and
can make calls. But who will? This is a data device.
As cool as this little guy is, the market for these in-between-sized
devices at this price is and will remain small. Yes, if you need a
tiny computer for Web access or for writing, this is a decent
solution. The rep told me it will be a great machine for system admins
who need to walk around with a fully-connected PC jammed into their
pocket (and who have enough budgetary control to swing it). But this
device competes with $300 Netbook and mini-notebooks like the new HP
Mini 210. People fond of the old Psion 5 form factor (like the PsiXpda
founder, who left Psion in 1995) may be pleased to upgrade to the
smart little machine, but the mass audience will find this computer
too big to replace a smartphone, too small to replace a notebook, and
too expensive regardless.