UMID said going out of business, stops exporting MIDs to US
updated 03:35 pm EST, Fri December 10, 2010
UMID may be shutting down according to Dynamism
Gadget importer Dynamism today told a potential buyer that UMID was shutting down. The note claimed that the Korean company had "gone out of business" and would stop making its Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), including the mbook BZ, M1 and yet-to-be-launched SE (pictured). It didn't say to the buyer and Pocketables reader what would have happened to UMID.
A quick check revealed that the company still had a website, but it was now redirecting to the company's mbook-specific page rather than the usual company site. The possibility exists either that UMID has stopped exports beyond Korea or that it hasn't yet completely ramped down.
UMID is potentially a victim of the popularity of tablets such as the iPad or the Galaxy Tab, both of which often occupy a similar role of a larger-screened mobile device. It has been one of the chief advocates of the MID, a category invented by Intel for its early push into mobile, and often developed full Windows XP-based systems that could sometimes fit in a pocket. Intel has largely dropped the category itself through poor sales and the eventual transition to netbooks and tablets.
The mbook SE is or was to have a 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and its signature 4.8-inch, 1024x600 screen. The relatively short battery life, $574 equivalent price and complex computer interface may have hurt its chances versus the larger but longer-lasting and easier to use Apple and Samsung slates.
