Viliv S5 Premium MID Reviewed

Normally, we’ve been skeptical on the need for mobile internet devices and UMPCs, viewing them as expensive devices that fit in the odd nook between smart phones and netbooks. Our own Joanna Stern, recently wrote a more in-depth explanation in her Notebook Diva column, but Pocketables.com seems to like the Viliv S5 mobile internet device a good deal. The site just finished reviewing the Viliv S5 Premium, which packs an 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, Windows XP, 1GB of RAM, a 1024 x 600 4.8-inch touchscreen, and GPS into a handheld device that’s just 6.1 x 3.3 x 1 inches in size. Pocketables was most impressed by the device’s strong build quality and appreciated the ease of which they were able to navigate around the display with a finger as opposed to the included stylus. And the device’s screen can switch between portrait and landscape mode. But all wasn’t good. The site also commented on the virtual keyboard, but said that it’s “far from being as good as a hardware keyboard,” due to the inconsistencies in virtual key feedback. The S5 booted in 41 seconds, that’s about 17 seconds faster than the average boot time we’ve recorded for netbooks, and it’s running Windows XP. But processor activities, like playing back 720p HD video were exceptional and it was able to stream videos from the likes of Hulu and YouTube without a hitch. We’d expect more than 6 hours of battery life out of a handheld, but that’s what the Viliv S5 delivered. Head on over to Pocketables.net for the full review. via jkontherun