A new category of computer appears to be emerging; the MID. Yet another acronym, this one stands for Mobile Internet Device. A year ago, Intel announced a Linux-based “Mobile Internet Device”, referred to in the article “Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) & Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs)” . The reason Intel is behind this is because of the Intel Atom processor technology, on which the new mobile devices are based. While researching MIDs, I came across multiple definitions – from the Mobile Internet Device being a cross between a UMPC and a smartphone to the iPhone being a MID. Intel says that the Mobile Internet Device is a UMPC aimed at consumers and “prosumers” (Prosumer being a Professional Consumer) and a UMPC is a device aimed at enterprise users. Also, MIDs appear to run Linux, and UMPCs run “heavy” Operating Systems like Windows Vista. (see the article “Intel explains: MID vs. UMPC” at Engadget.com).

I guess that would make the Asus Eee PC 4G Notebook a MID, and the Samsung Q1 Ultra Tablet PC (pictured above) a UMPC, although the Q1 looks a lot like early MID prototypes. Of course it isn’t that simple. Microsoft has just given the go ahead for Windows XP to continue to be sold on “ultra-low-cost PCs”, which could be a MID running Windows instead of Linux.

Posted on April 5th, 2008 by mervyn