I am obsessed with everything miniature, especially if it's a working miniature, don't have much use for it if it's just some decorative thing. So I love that the electronics world seems equally obsessed with making things as small as possible and my ears perk up whenever I hear the words "world's smallest...". This time, it's Fujitsu Japan claiming their new Lifebook U laptop is the world's tiniest. This 1.2 lb working miniature has an 800 Mhz processor, a 5.6" LCD, and it runs Windows Vista. Like the Flybook, the Lifebook has a swiveling touch screen. There's also a fingerprint sensor and wifi.
The Lifebook is definitely tiny, and it gets points for actually really looking like a shrunken down version of a regular notebook, but it's definitely not the smallest. The OQO2 weighs under a pound, can also run Vista, and has built-in broadband WWAN (via Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO services), Bluetooth, and a faster 1.5 Ghz processor. The screen is marginally smaller, at 5". It's a lot more computing power in an even smaller package.
The FlipStart, is slightly heavier than the Fujitsu, at a pound and a half, but it has a 1.1 Ghz pentium M CPU, runs Vista, and has wifi, Bluetooth, and integrated EVDO. There's a built-in camera for v-conferencing, and a little trackpad, just like on a full-size notebook. There's a jog dial and touch stick as well. It has the highest rated battery time, at 6 hours (realistically this means about 3 or 3.5 hours). Most importantly, I think this one wins the adorability contest. I want to wear the FlipStart around my neck like a pendant.
Is this just me? Does anyone think these ultramobiles are potentially useful or is it an unnecessary step in between the smartphone and the notebook computer? The way I think of it, it potentially eliminates the need for both a bulky pda/phone and a heavy laptop. I currently carry about 80 lbs. of various electronics whenever I travel anywhere. I could, however, just be making excuses so that I can have a tiny computer that I can put in a dollhouse.
The Fujitsu Lifebook will be out this summer and initially (and probably forever) only in Japan. From New Launches.
The OQO2 and the FlipStart are available from the miniphile's dream store, Dynamism. Also worth a look: the Sony Vaio UX.