COMsciences reveals first sub-netbook

Davey Winder
Wednesday, 22 October 2008 17:52

Your IT - Home IT

Are you one of those people who find a netbook is just way too big to handle? Maybe you need a sub-netbook, my tiny-handed friend.

Dell decided to go large by offering a 12 inch netbook that stretches the concept to the limit, while Toshiba stuck with the 8.9 incher when it penetrated the netbook market last month.

For some people, it would seem, the somewhat cramped keyboard of your average netbook is just not small enough. For some people there is the COMsciences IMOVIO iKIT which packs, are you ready for this, a 2.8 inch QVGA screen into its tiny, tiny format.

No, this is not a PDA, apparently. This is quite possibly the world's first sub-netbook. COMsciences, rather surprisingly, has not opted for that moniker though and prefers the somewhat understated 'multimedia messenger' instead.

"Think of the iKIT as a mini laptop without the complexity" it says, continuing "It’s built like a laptop with a rugged processor and Linux based operating system, but that’s where the comparison ends."

OK, so what about a comparison to the iPhone instead then? Well, you can forget that. The iKIT has no mobile phone connectivity. It does come with WiFi and COMsciences says the built-in Bluetooth allows it "to pair with almost any data enabled mobile phone to access websites, email and chat networks."

But then it also says that the "iKIT enables you to keep your phone for SMS and phone calls and pull out the iKIT when you want to get into serious stuff." To be honest, anyone wanting a device that measures just 95 mm (L) x 65 mm (W) x 15.5 mm (H) and weighs in at 113g with battery is unlikely to want to spoil the minimalist approach by touting a mobile phone as well.

I don't get the "All you need is a data-enabled mobile phone or WiFi access" and "Forget about costly data plans and service fees" argument that COMsciences use before stating "iPHONE users eat your heart out!" either.

Surely if you need a mobile phone to get onto the Internet (where WiFi is not available) then you are still paying for data plans and service fees? The only difference being that you have to carry two devices around instead of one.

The 3 hour battery life and 350 hour standby are OK, as is the Linux based OS and the Marvell PXA270 312MHz processor. Even the price is good at just USD $175. But what I just don't get is the point...