Congratulations Amy! (entry #61) for winning the UMID mbook. Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway!
This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Intel.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a mobile internet device, Intel’s new UMID mbook, the world’s smallest PC. Given its tiny size (6.3 x 3.7 x 0.7 inches, weighing 0.69 lbs) and resembling a fancy compact makeup case, it’s a technology accessory you can take anywhere.
My first reaction when I opened the box was skepticism. It looked way too small to have any useful features, just another fad gadget I thought. But hey, I have an open mind, so I was off give it a spin.
The first logical stop with the mbook was of course, my kitchen. I usually use a notepad and pen to jot down my countless recipe experiments, or my laptop when I’m feeling really technical, but I hate to give up valuable counter space. I’d long been a little envious of friends who used their smart phones to watch cooking videos while they cooked. Now, it was my turn. I was surprised at the high resolution screen and the clarity and speed at which the videos played, even HD ones. No pesky pixels. The added plus was that the screen propped up and I could watch the videos or browse recipes from a distance, unlike the phones where you’d have to look down at the counter.
Though my husband (a big fan of being productive anywhere and everywhere) has been trying fruitlessly to convince me to get a smart phone, my biggest reason for not getting one is the size. Even though I carry a purse, I like to keep my cell phone in my pocket. I can hear it or feel it vibrate and it’s easy access. Try fitting a smart phone in the pocket of a tight fitting pair of jeans. The mbook easily fits into my purse (I have to say, it’s smaller than my wallet) and I can still carry my tiny cell phone in my pocket.
It has long been known that Intel builds processors, or the “brains” of your PC. Now Intel has gone a step further and designed the smaller and more power efficient Intel® Atom™ processor. It enables you to get devices with full PC functionality and still be small enough to fit into your purse or pocket. How I wish I had the UMID mbook during the Thanksgiving break while lugging kids, carry-ons and my bulky laptop through airport security.
The UMID mbook runs full Windows XP and I was thankful for the snazzy touch screen and stylus. I am a self proclaimed “mouse” girl. My biggest problem with laptops is the absence of a mouse. The touch screen on the mbook won me over. It’s better than a mouse! Guess I’m a “stylus” girl now.
With the size limitations, I found that I could not fit both my hands on the small sized keyboard. After a little adjustment time, I was able to type efficiently using the fingers of my left hand and the stylus in my right hand.
A big plus for the mbook is the on-board camera which made it perfect for me to Video Conference on Skype. The five-hour battery life is great for all my favorites: staying active on Facebook, Tweeting, uploading photos, downloading movies on iTunes, or even just to stay productive. I’m pretty sure that the next time I am on-the-go (or waiting patiently in the car-pool lane to pick up the kiddos), I can continue jotting down my next great recipe idea or answering the countless cooking questions that come daily.
For being the World’s Smallest PC, the UMID mbook is reasonably priced. You can find one at Dynamism.com for $449+. For a limited time, they are even including a free MicroSD Card with your purchase! And for all you girlie girls out there, the mBook is also available in pink.
Want a UMID mbook for yourself?
Of course, if you’d like to enter a contest for a chance to win a UMID mbook, just leave a comment below and answer the question, “How would this small Mobile Internet Device make your life easier?”, or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.
The contest begins 12/08/09 and will end 12/30/09. You have 8 chances to win. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
Contest Rules:
* No duplicate comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
* This giveaway is open to US-Residents, aged 18 and over
* Winners will be selected via a random drawing and will be notified by e-mail.
* Winner will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Please see the official rules here: Official rules
Feel free to visit the Intel official site for more information: Intel Atom Official site
For other exciting offers, visit BlogHer.com special offers page
Review by Hetal Jannu
With this little gadget I would read e-books, keep in touch with family members via skype and look up information on the Internet while on the go!!
Thanks
since i don’t have a smart phone i would finally have internet on the go!
Stay in touch with all my family and friends back home….
Wow what a generous giveaway. I’ve wanted a small computer so I could pull up recipes in the kitchen as I’m cooking. Regardless if I win or not this is a great site with great recipes. Thank you.
Oooh, this gadget sounds too good to be true, I would need pages to fill what all I can do with this. As a busy mom with 2 toddlers, sacrificing and downsizing on everything in this economy, this would be one down’size’ I wouldnt mind!!!
What an awesome giveaway! This nifty little gadget would make my life easier at work! On slooow days (I work in the car business.), I could instead be looking at and editing pictures of my 14 month old son I’m missing so much! Thanks for the giveaway and Happy Holidays!
WOW!! This seems to be the best contest ever! I would love to have this near me all the time. IT would totally change my life & make every step easier. I’ll have easy access to recipes, take down notes whenever i have spare time like in the subway or waiting at the doc’s clinic, etc. It would be the best pass time… lol
IT would be a dream to win this!
I simply fell in love with this mBook.
This would definately change my life, if i win this. I spend most of the time on internet searching best deals for stuff for my family, But this will best deal i could ever gotten.
Oh, so many things. Checking prices out and about, checking recipes at the grocery store, sending e-mails while I sit stuck in traffic, and generally making life more pleasant. Me please!
Communications and my calender on the go would be a dream come true. I don’t have a smart phone so this would be awesome.
I don’t have a laptop — so this would be PERFECT for me. And, in reply to 5 above, nope, I don’t have web browsing on my phone either!
This would be so handy as I don’t have web browsing on my cell and at times it would be so handy–esp with the navigation system. And I am a music freak–I could download ITunes on the go. Sweet deal!
This would be great for traveling. I end up taking my (BIG) laptop everywhere, but I mostly end up using it for internet access. I would love to have something I could stick in my purse that didn’t require its own bag just to tote around!
i feel like i spend so much time in the car these days. it would be nice to be able to have access to something like this while waiting, waiting, waiting for my kids to get picked up etc.
It would be so nice to be able to organize my life!
I have to carry so much as it is with an ever travelling job. This would be a boon for me which would shed off a lot of weight. I can constantly be in touch with my precious family & be productive in my professional life as well with this cool gadget
I would use it to stay productive and engaged while on the go. How crazy it is to have that much power in a wallet-sized gadget. Love!
It would help get me organized and I can keep all aspects of my life on me to help do so.
Oh this is cute! My daughter is a junior in high school, taking AP classes and wanting to become a surgeon or neonatal doctor-I know she could use it!
Wow! You read my mind!
We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel, I do a lot of recipe experimentation with online recipes as a guide (including SMTC recipes!) and one thing I have been looking for to add into the kitchen was a solution where I do not have to print recipes or walk across the house to the office to check a measurement or refresh my memory on the steps. This would be perfect for that! And a million other things.
for baby pictures!
I would love to be able to get directions or update twitter or facebook while on the go!
beck.ashley AT gmail DOT com
Having one of those would mean Google at my fingertips all the time. And that would just be…wow. 🙂
My life would be made easier by having everything at my fingertips all the time! How cool is that? I wouldn’t be running home to check the internet for something – then actually forgetting what I was going to look for by the time I got home. Traffic, directions, google for heaven’s sake 24/7! WOOHOO!
I could sooo use this for pretty much everything. It would be so much easier than dragging my heavy laptop around with me. 🙂
victoriahoffman [at] gmail [dot] com
http://www.twitter.com/victoriah
Small is the new BIG! I think this small wonder will help me to be better updated with information that I need on the run.I will be doing residency in Pediatrics next year, so this is a perfect gadget for a kids doc!
I would be much more organized–being able to take it with me where-ever I go would be so beneficial!
I need this! I need a Christmas Present for myself
This would make packing to travel so much easier. We usually have two full size laptops along with presents and a weeks worth of clothes packed in the car. It would be so great to be able to replace at least one of the laptops with this little device!!
mattschmunk at hotmail dot com
I linked to MID on twitter
melindajoy926
mjf926 at gmail dot com
i would be thrilled beyond belief. I travel a lot on wknds, and this would be so helpful to log on when I’m out of town!
mjf926 at gmail dot com
I blogged about it!
Hey Hetal, we are a young family (us and two boys) trying to break the cycle of debt by putting any and all extra money onto our student loans. Needless to say, our stockings are going to be a little limp this year.
My husband works two jobs and goes to school nights to make this possible and I would love the chance to show my gratitude for all of his sacrifice by putting this little beauty in his stocking. It would rock his world!
With 5 kids, I never get any computer time. With this, I could have one of my very own!
If I were lucky enough to win this, I would give it to my hardworking on the go daughter. What a great way for us to keep in touch.
I would use it to stay in touch with my son who is in the navy,search for recipes and read my favorite blogs on the go.
I am online ALL the time, but even my tiny little Mac isn’t small enough sometimes. It would be so great to use this little device to do all the things I love to do online…work, play, shop.
Well, it would make my life easier when I’m out and about and I have something realllly important to look up… like maybe if I won this giveaway? :o) Or so I don’t have to pack up my computer to go somewhere and can just fit that into my purse! Very convenient. Like bringing it to a class instead of my computer!
Blogging from a coffee shop without having to lug my laptop down? Would be amazing.
Oh, wow, could I use one of these. I would use it for reading e-books, take it with me to the town library (which has ‘net access) when doing research so that I’d still have easy access to my personal files, and generally use it as a backup to my desktop PC (I work from home as a medical transcriptionist and live in a very rural/remote area, so should something happen to my big PC I /really/ need to have backup ‘net access. It would be so cool to have something truly portable like this.
This would really make my life much easier. I am a very busy stay at home Mom of two very active sons. I am constantly on the go taking someone somewhere or volunteering for something. I could check my email on the go! How cool it that.
Tweet! Tweet! http://twitter.com/ebogie/status/6477796712
It was difficult to fit the tweet with such a long URL.
I have a desktop PC, and my phone doesn’t have web browsing capabilities, so when I’m out I feel lost! When I go away for Christmas I’ll be at the mercy of others to share their devices. This would make my life so much easier!
Hi girls. I love your website. Nice gadget. I have never won anything. So I thought why not try again… If I win then it would be a nice Christmas gift for myself. 🙂
Very cool gadget. It is amazing how small things are getting.
I would use this to keep up with happenings on Ravelry when I was out since I am not a Facebook Gal.
I’m the only person I know who doesn’t have web-browsing on my phone, and won’t be getting it anytime soon (we’re downgrading after our 2-year agreement expires next year to pre-paid phones to save money).. so having a portable PC would be perfect!
I would use it to be able to track my daily calories while on the go.
I blogged about this:
http://grand-giveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/intel-giveaways.html
I would be on cloud 9 if I won this little gadget! Right now I have no way to check email on the go and this would be great to have. As a mom of 3 kids, shuttling them back and forth to different activities, having a device like this would be very helpful to keep in touch with other moms, teachers, friends while on the go.
I will use my mini pc to browse the fabulous recipes at showmethecurry while im browsing the aisles of the grocery store. with a full time crazy job it will make things so much easier!