Genesi is giving the Efika MX Smartbook a pretty serious price cut. When the company introduced the ARM-based mini-laptop in September, it was priced at $349. Now you can pick one up for $199.
The Efika MX looks like a typical netbook with a 10 inch display, but where most netbooks have an Intel Atom chip, this model has an 800 MHz Freescale i.MX515 ARM Cortex A8 processor. Since Windows isn’t yet available for ARM-based chips, the Efika MX runs Linux, although it’s probably possible to port Android to the platform.
The mini-laptop has a 1024 x 600 pixel display, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional 3G (which drives up the price by about $50, Bluetooth2.1, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 1.3MP camera, mic and headphone jacks and a speaker as well as a microSD card slot for expansion. It supports 3D graphics and HD video playback and weighs just over 2 pounds. The computer uses less than 12W of power.
Genesi has also lowered the price of the Efika MX Smarttop, a tiny desktop computer with similar specs but no monitor or speakers and just 8Gb of storage. The smartop runs on 5W of electricity or less.
via Netbook Freaks and live-pr
Sorry but saying “”the Efika MX runs Linux, although it’s probably possible to port Android to the platform”” is wrong.
Android and ubuntu ARE Linuxes. You meant it runs a desktop linux and could run a mobile linux like Android.
Not clear what version of linux.
It’s super nice to see a good product like this. For those who need MOAR go back to wintel. Though I will agree the power consumption is strange otherwise I may end up getting the genesi smarttop.
12W? Isn’t that pretty extreme? That would still need a fan. I thought the whole point of ARM was low power. Even if that is worst case, WiFi and BT transmitting, HD video playing to a screen on full bright, etc, that is high considering the size of the display. That is in the power range of my much more powerful Thinkpad with a ULV processor.
No there is No FAN. 12 W Is for the whole Netbook if I’m right
Still unacceptable, I hope they’re just making room for new i.MX6 products.
At $199, I find it more appealling than at the higher price. It would be a great extra computer for trips and just lugging around.