Last year at CES you couldn’t walk more than a few feet without running into a cheap Chinese netbook with an ARM-based processor running Google Android or Linux. This year, they’re few and far between as companies have largely replaced them with trendier tablets. But I wandered into the Shenzhen Firstview booth this week and spotted an attractive mini-laptop running Android. It’s also capable of handling Windows CE.
The Firstview PC101V isn’t going to win any performance awards. It’s powered by an ARM9 processor (either a 533MHz or 800MHz chip) and has just 128 MB to 256 MB of RAM and between 2GB and 4GB of flash-based storage.
But the PC101V does have a decent 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 802.11b/g WiFi, support for 3G (with an optional USB dongle), 2 USB ports, a 1.3MP camera, and an SD card slot.
The mini-laptop also has a super-slim design that’s clearly inspired by the MacBook Air (if the MacBook Air had a 10 inch screen and a cheap plastic case).
Don’t expect to find this one on US store shelves anytime soon, but Shenzhen Firstview is looking for international distributors.