Easily confused with the Japanese mega-corporate of the same name, ‘Pioneer Computers‘ is a budget-conscious Australian PC maker determined to show us just how low smartbooks can go…
Looking to step on the toes of the Haleron Swordfish, the company has announced the $199 AUD ($177) ‘DreamBook Lite E79′. Given the impulse purchase price (you can pay more for an iPod nano), it isn’t surprising to see Pioneer cut right back on the specs, but it does still keep true to the smartbook mantra.
Tick number one is the choice of an ARM-based Samsung 533MHz CPU, and the E79 backs it up with a 7-in. 800 x 600 pixel display, 128MB RAM, 2GB of flash memory storage and integrated graphics. This is all packed into a tiny chassis measuring just 213.5mm x 145mm x 32mm. Connectivity is good too, with Wi-Fi, LAN, 3x USB ports and a 32GB-compatible SD card reader, though cost means integrated 3G is a $99 AUD ($88) optional extra. This is an approach we saw with the Swordfish, and could well become a trend for smartbooks looking to dive under the $200 mark.
As for the operating system, Pioneer has chosen to go with Windows CE 5.0 (Compact Edition) a route also picked by the Mobinnova Beam and Swordfish. This cut-down Microsoft platform is more commonly seen powering MIDs and Satnav devices, but is a competent OS in its own right, with Flash support and compatible editions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Firefox and Skype amongst others. It also has extremely low performance requirements, which means Pioneer should be able to get away with the E79’s low spec.
Wasting no time, Pioneer Computers has already put the ‘DreamBook Lite E79′ up for sale on its official site. A wider international release? Unlikely. A wave of imitators? Almost certainly.
Gordon
