FlipStart laptop/UMPC hybrid reviewed

One of the hottest new gadgets of the moment is FlipStart, which in terms of size, and features, sits somewhere between a UMPC and an ultra-portable laptop. I think that we can call this, at most, a “clamshell” UMPC.

Although it isn’t as good looking as it’s Sony counterpart, this little computer managed to grab the attention of many readers today, and for a good reason. First of all, the benefit of this UMPC compared to others is that it has a slightly larger screen (5.6″) with a 1024×600 resolution, and, because of it’s design, you don’t have to worry about scratches. But if you think that the screen is too small, don’t worry, because Vulcan thought of that when they built this device, that’s why it comes with a dedicated “Zoom” to facilitate your life and ease your eyesight.

And the specifications inside the case aren’t too shabby either. It comes with a 1.1 Ghz Pentium M, Wifi b/g/n, a 30GB hard drive, 3 hours and a half of battery life at least (laptop mag was able to get 3 hours and 41 minutes of “life” out of it), 512Mb of RAM and a VGA and a 1.3 Megapixel cameras. With the exception of the RAM, I think that the other features are pretty decent, considering that we are talking about an ultra-portable device.

In terms of interface you are also very well served, with a QWERTY keyboard with dedicated number keys, a touchpad and a touchstick and small external screen that allows you to do simple tasks such as consulting your e-mail or listen to music (one of Windows Vista’s new perks).

Although the price isn’t very attractive (it will cost you $2000), if you own a laptop and a PDA, and add up the cost of the two, the price shouldn’t be too far off from the price of this device. But in terms of design, I don’t think that this device was very well conceived, I’d rather go with the Sony UMPC just because of that (and it’s flash HDD).

You can read more info about this gadget in Laptopmag’s review.