The Viliv X70 is like Danny DeVito; it’s big on character, yet it’s small in stature. And like Mr. DeVito, when you first look at the Viliv you don’t expect much (though the X70 is cuter; it’s just small). What is this device exactly? It’s an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) that’s near perfect and virtually an all-in-one piece of hardware. Don’t be fooled by the Viliv X70’s small stature (8.26” x 4.60” x 0.88”), as it’s as powerful, or more so, as some subnotebooks twice its size, which still isn’t very big. With its svelte design and robust capabilities, the X70 garnered positive reviews across the board and it may be all any on-the-go guy or girl needs in their messenger bag.
Undressing the Viliv X70
So, what is all this greatness that I’ve been so liberally bestowing upon the Viliv X70? On the physical front, the Viliv X70 measures in at a respectable 8.26” x 4.60” x 0.88” (that’s right; it’s less than an inch thick) and has a vibrant and crisp seven-inch 1024 x 600 screen. There’s no mouse, but there is a four-way selector nub that’s a little difficult to push and there are six buttons around the screen (to the right there are two mouse buttons that also function as A and B keys, and to the left there are hot keys in addition to keys for Windows Start and the virtual keyboard). Along the edges, there are a number of in/out ports, including one USB, one mini USB, SD card slot, a headphone jack, SIM card slot, AIV out, component, S-Vid, and composite. Not bad, but some USB ports would have been great.
Inside the Viliv X70, you’ll find EasySuite transfer software, TweetDeck, eReader, Google Reader, PowerPoint viewer, the Intel GMA 500 (which is on the weak side and has difficulty handling HD video in such places as YouTube), the 3G HSPA modem, Garmin Mobile PC (which turns the X70 into a GPS navigation device for your car), Skype (to go with the web cam and mic), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
The base-model Viliv X70 will cost you $599 and gives you a 16GB SSD and 1.2GHz Atom CPU. The $879 model gives you a 32GB SSD , 1.33GHz and an HSPA modem. And a $1,379 model exists with 128GB.
