The litl is a Netbook with a twist
The real story behind the litl Netbook is not its hardware. Granted this minilaptop has one of the most unique designs to date, with a screen that flips over such that it resembles a digital photo frame not to mention a control wheel on the bezel for rotating between images. Even its keyboard has a special look which is artistic yet not impractical. There is even an HDMI port for hooking up to large screens, a feature rarely seen in Netbooks.
The keyboard looks a little different from your regular laptop.
But at US$699 this is one expensive Atom-based minilaptop with a limited feature set. What really impresses is the marketing of the litl as well as the operating system it runs on. Instead of focusing on hardware and technical talk, the product Web site goes down the lifestyle route and sells the litl as a lifestyle accessory which will beautify your life.
litl Netbook specifications
The display flips over and transforms into an easel.
The litl's operating system is designed in the same vein and used a proprietary OS. It simplifies usage using an icon-based interface and does away with local storage in favor of a data cloud on the Internet. Besides instant syncing, the company also said that being cloud-based prevents a thief from accessing your personal information if your litl is stolen since it can be "cut off" from the data source.
The litl is available online for US$699. The optional remote control costs US$19 and a two-pack bundle (including two remote controls) goes for US$1,398. Prices exclude shipping, with the machine currently delivered only within the US.
About the author
Tracking laptop and PC trends since 2005, Darius Chang may have been knee deep in bits and bytes but is certainly not a binary person. Under that big and soft exterior holds a marshmallow core which dotes on his god-daughters and nephew. Suspected of ADD, his interests span disparate fields such as sustainability studies, diving, sports, politics, etc. A true jack of all trades, but master of one (maybe two).
Latest comments
Thanks Danus for profiling our product. We're not the cheapest netbook but - as you note - ours is a very special product in many ways. A key factor in the price is the very high quality of our screen - it's incredibly bright and has a huge viewing angle. Plus our keyboard is a low travel scissor action type like Apple use. We used the best designers in the US. So you see this is no cheapie netbook. This is meant to be a designer item for your home. It looks good and is easy to use. We want to change the way people access the web at home. This device and our unique card-based UI are the first steps in our plan to do just that. I don't think you mentioned our update system. While you sleep we upgrade your software and push out new features and channels without you having to install a thing. No more tedious service packs or antivirus updates. For some time after you buy our device we are going to be putting new features on your device, in particular new channels, which are special apps that customize your experience of selected media streams, webapps and content. There's a lot to litl. Check us out at litl.com
Cool! I think this calls for the other netbook manufacturers to start to review their product line. Too many "me too" netbooks out there that looks and performs the same. Hopefully the rumoured HTC netbook will have some design and OS to blow us away.
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