FlipStart Micro PC 1lb

It looks like my back problems will soon be over. We've got a 1 lb micro notebook running XP coming this fall from Vulcan (a Paul Allen company). Pixel count first: 1024 x 600!!! I'm sure hoping this is going to have mega brightness to allow me to read the screen. The pixels can't be all that big. [Vulcan's Flash demo]

Here are FlipStart's dimensions: 5.8 x 4 x 1in. Twice as thick as the new iPod mini. A big pocketful I would imagine. But I didn't figure on getting this many pixels - enough for great websurfing, reading, writing or basic drawing - without paying some price in size. Another *drawback* I can live with is that you'll be thumb typing on this little guy but people are starting to get good at that.

And it has a 1 ghz processor, 802.11b/g built-in, 30 gb hard drive, 256 mb RAM, a USB2 port, internal microphone/speaker, headphone jack, integrated 1.3mp camera. Now the only immediate problems I've got are (1) waiting for it to arrive, (2) it's not a Mac and (3) price. $1500. I was hoping for half that but I have to admit I was not that optimistic I would get it. Maybe we can get one for $1200 street? I'll save my pennies for a machine like this!

Vulcan is thinking the way I've been thinking (and they've done something about it): "Vulcan's idea is to offer a machine that has the compatibility, power and application base of the mainstream Microsoft OS with a form factor that's little bigger than a PDA yet features a full QWERTY keyboard." Here's hoping Apple does the same for OS X with equal alacrity.

[Photo and quote compliments of The Register and release date and price estimate from Amy Wohl]