Pocket PC Face-Off: Clarion MiND vs Viliv S5

Larger than an iPhone and smaller than a netbook, Mobile Internet Devices (MID) are PCs you can put in your jacket pocket or small purse. Surf the web, check email, watch video, listen to music, even use as a GPS. MIDs are mighty multitaskers, but often give consumers sticker shock. We recently reviewed two MIDs — the Clarion MiND and the Viliv S5 — that seek to activate your small and useful gadget hunger, both for less than $1000. In fact, if you can forgo 3G, you can get either for under $600. Though these devices are both about the same size, they have some pretty drastic differences. Which you choose to covet will depend on your needs. Of the two, the Viliv S5 has better specs: more powerful processor, twice as much RAM, eight times more memory, and a TV-Out port, which the Clarion MiND lacks. Performance wasn’t bad on the MiND due to having Red Flag Linux installed, which doesn’t need very much power or memory to do well. But its battery only lasted 1.5 hours while the Viliv got almost 7 on a charge. Of the two, we liked the S5′s screen a lot better than the MiND’s. Though both screens were the same size, the S5 offered 1024×600, which made reading web pages much easier. Both devices have touchscreens and both have their drawbacks. We found it difficult to press icons with our fingers in Windows XP on the S5, but did appreciate the buttons on the custom UI. The MiND has a stylus and a custom UI and the on-screen keyboard was better. The MiND came out ahead on GPS. Software is pre-loaded on the MID, providing accurate turn-by-turn voice directions and points of interest. Though the Viliv doesn’t have a GPS app pre-loaded, Microsoft Streets & Trips provided great functionality. One feature the S5 has that the MiND does not is 3G connectivity (though AT&T). This ups the price to $799. A non-3G version with the same specs only costs $599. See both MIDs in action in our head-to-head video. And see our in-depth reviews of the Viliv S5 and Clarion MiND for more.