Snapdragon-powered Wistron PBook netbook spotted at CTIA

A prototype from Wistron dubbed the PBook has been spotted at CTIA. We recently reported on the Wistron ‘FirstBook’ that was spotted at MWC earlier this year. It seems that the device has undergone a name change since then as the PBook looks like exactly the same device. It has a form-factor similar to that of the Sony Vaio P and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform.

This particular unit had a red lid, housing a 12-inch display and a full-sized keyboard. Laptop Mag reports that it was running a 1GHz CPU with battery life lasting between 8 to 10 hours. Interestingly, it also features hardware accelerated 3D graphics from ATi. There is also an optical mouse besides two mouse buttons.

As with most ARM-based processors, the unit is designed for 24/7 wireless connectivity via mobile broadband, WiFi and Bluetooth. Given that ARM-processors cannot use Windows XP/Vista, you are limited to Linux, however the icon-based user interface seemed fairly intuitive. Apparently the PBook will also support Android and Windows Mobile in the future.

Wistron expects that we could see this unique netbook appear on retail shelves by the third quarter this year. In the meantime, we know that a Wistron netbook with Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU is due to appear at Computex Taipei in June, so hopefully there will be further details then. Click though for a full PBook photo gallery. Read more

ARM-powered Wistron ‘FirstBook’ netbook spotted

A recent video highlighting some ARM-based Qualcomm products at the recent Mobile World Congress had a hidden surprise towards the end. The video appears to show the first hands-on of Wistron’s FirstBook, a 3G-enabled netbook powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. It is the Snapdragon chipset that Asus is apparently considering in future Eee PCs.

The Linux based netbook looks quite attractive and has more than a resemblance to the Sony Vaio P form-factor with its widescreen display. It appears to be extremely light and thin for a netbook. A 3G demonstration was made by surfing the net which showed it had a good response time. No specifications of the unit are known at this point, although it is rumoured to have an 11.1-inch display.

The unit may just be a concept, but given that it was demonstrated along with Toshiba’s upcoming TG01 smartphone, we hope it will become a commercial reality at some point. Interestingly, we already know that a Wistron netbook with Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU is due to appear at Computex Taipei in June. We’ll hopefully have further details on the FirstBook then, if not before. Check out the action in the video after the break. The FirstBook is spotted from 2 minutes 33 seconds onwards. Well worth a look. Read more