Tronic slider-style UMPC

Darius Chang | Jun 20, 2007

Like the Sony VAIO UX series, the PMG UMPC by Singapore's Tronic International has a slide-out keyboard and weighs in at under 1kg. So how does it compare with the VAIO?

Despite the VAIO's small keyboard, the PMG UMPC's input device looks even harder to get used to as the keys are split into two sections. Presumably, due to its wider 6.5-inch touchscreen compared with Sony's 4.5-inch display, this design allows the device to be used thumbboard-style. It may not have a fingerprint sensor, but optional features include GPS, a TV tuner and TPM security chip. Using a VIA processor running at 1GHz, we do not expect blazing performance though it should have no issue running Windows Vista Basic Edition and simple productivity tools. Other features include two USB ports, VGA-out, an SD card slot and a 0.3-megapixel camera for video chatting.

The battery life is rated for up to 5 hours, with a footprint of 190 x 120.8 x 28.3mm.

The PMG UMPC is expected to hit Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia some time in September. The basic configuration starts at US$1,200 (S$1,843.08).

More CommunicAsia coverage here