Aigo MID Turns UMPC With Battery, OS And Casing Mods

For connectivity, input options and simply fitting into your pocket, aigo's MID certainly has plenty of potential.  Unfortunately, as reviewers have discovered, it's hamstrung by its OS: adding new apps is a struggle, meaning most people will be stuck with what software comes out of the box.  One owner, though, has heavily customized his 3G-equipped aigo to better perform as a UMPC rather than just an internet browser; full video demo, plus details of the changes, after the cut.

Cosmetically, the MID got a new matte-finish faceplate that cuts down on fingerprints and makes it easier to hold.  The standard runtime then gets a boost, with a new second battery that adds just a few millimeters to the back of the aigo but increases usage from 2hrs to around 5hrs. 

Meanwhile the 800MHz processor gets Windows XPe (XP embedded) to play with, and handles it with aplomb; there's enough grunt for multi-tab browsing with smooth touchscreen inertia scrolling, together with the capability to run far more applications than in the MID's native state.  Finding a connection shouldn't be hard, either, given that the aigo has WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and GPS.

As you might expect, it's not perfect: the keyboard could be improved, and with no mouse pointer you're stuck using the touchscreen for navigation.  That could make one-handed use tricky.  The standard aigo SSD is also a limitation, being neither as capacious nor as speedy as you might want for a true companion device.  Still, they're the sort of modifications you might have to turn back to aigo to have implemented.

[via UMPC Portal]