Thursday, November 5, 2009

New Netbook Twists to Fit in the Living Room

Webbook

It’s a netbook that can morph into a picture frame. Boston-based startup company Litl has launched a laptop that can be used straight up or flipped around so it can stand upright like an easel.

Called Webbook, the device has a 12-inch screen and a hinge that can pivot to change how the netbook looks. Twist it around and the device takes on the form factor of a picture frame than a traditional laptop.

“With its screen exposed, the Webbook is ideal for passive or lean back web activity like enjoying photos, listening to music, or consuming news, weather and other web content,” says Litl in a statement.

Under the hood, the Webbook doesn’t have much to brag about. The device has a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB RAM, 2 GB flash memory, a camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, a USB port, two infrared ports and a HDMI port. Clearly it is intended as a clould computing device, one where you don’t store much locally on your hard disk but use it to access files or photos already on the internet.

The Webbook will also have proprietary “channels” or feeds from sites such as Flickr, Shutterfly, The Weather Channel and Facebook, says the company.

It’s a cute idea but rather expensive one. The device is available online for $700, with an optional remote control for $19. Without the hardware muscle to back it up, the Litl Webbook will be a hard sell for most users. The device doesn’t have enough storage to be a primary laptop and at its current price point, an all-in-desktop for the living room might be an attractive alternative.

More pictures of the Webbook

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