iRiver Launches Two New Multimedia Communication Devices

iRiver announced two multimedia communication devices today, the Unit 2-S and the W10. The Unit 2-S is a simple touchscreen computer that would best serve as a secondary PC in a living room or kitchen. It offers a 7-inch touchscreen display and runs on Linux. You can use it to place VoIP calls using its built-in speakerphone or a home wireless handset, or you can make video calls using its built-in webcam. Its Linux operating system lets you launch widgets for checking the weather, viewing photos, listening to music, watching movies, and surfing the Web. The device seems fairly limited and you would probably be better served by a netbook running Windows XP, which wouldn’t put limits on what you can do in terms of the operating system functionality. But you may appreciate its futuristic-looking design and the lack of a need for a keyboard or a mouse, thanks to its touchscreen. The W10 reminds us of a few Skype phones that took off a few years ago from the likes of Linksys and Netgear. Except the W10 is a bit more advanced. It offers a full 3-inch, 480 x 272-pixel resolution touchscreen display, 4GB of storage, a music player, video and photo viewer, E-Dictionary, Flash games, an FM radio, and SMS messages. Those features all support the true purpose of the device: Internet phone calls. The only trouble is, you’ll need to have access to a Wi-Fi connection to place those calls. We like the white form factor and sleek design of the W10. It reminds us a bit of the Samsung Omnia that launched on Sprint last year, especially considering the simplicity of its face: there’s just a single control button under the display. It’s a compelling device, but a smart phone can also support all the aforementioned features and place calls anywhere. Still, if you’re looking to cut back on your cell bill, you may appreciate the W10. Stay tuned for a full hands-on with both of these devices as we tackle the CES show floor.