HP launches first smartbook as Compaq Airlife 100
updated 09:50 am EST, Fri February 12, 2010
HP Compaq Airlife 100 gets 12-hour runtime
HP ahead of Mobile World Congress has confirmed the Airlife 100. The company's first smartbook, the 10-inch touchscreen system is much like the concept design shown at CES and switches away from x86 to ARM, likely a 1GHz Snapdragon. The switch, along with the use of a 16GB flash drive, gives the system 12 hours of battery life (and 10 days of standby) even though the design is thinner than a typical Atom-based Mini netbook.
Again like the concept, the computer runs Android instead of Windows and gets a number of inherent benefits, including an instant-on boot and apps built for touch.
The initial Airlife 100 carries a front webcam as well as both 3G and Wi-Fi for Internet access. 3G will play a large part in the system's launch, as it will initially be sold subsidized through Telefonica in Spain as well as its divisions Movistar in Latin America and O2 in the rest of Europe. As the smartbook has already reached the FCC, it's likely to ship to the US through a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile. Pricing hasn't been mentioned but will likely vary depending on the carrier and the length of the contrast.
When we had a brief test with the smartbook at CES, we found it to be less sleek than the Lenovo Skylight but overall easier to understand since most of the Android platform is familiar. We believe it's using Android 2, but it's unknown if the system will ship with 2 or an earlier release like 1.6. [via Engadget Spain]
