ASUS R50a UMPC Shipping Now

The ASUS R50a UMPC has begun shipping, in Europe at least, from retailer Informatic.  The 5.8-inch touchscreen device has a 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD for storage and runs Vista.  There's also integrated 3G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth and a massive price: €1,475 ($1,839).Unboxing video of the ASUS R50a UMPC after the cut

That's considerably more than the price Hispazone quoted in their recent review of the R50a, and at €1,000 that figure had been tough to swallow.  While the R50a is certainly an impressive device – managing 3.5hrs battery life despite both the 3G and WiFi being turned on – it's difficult to envisage customers flocking to it when ASUS' own Eee PC range offers similar functionality (internet browsing, media playback) for a whole lot less.

For your €1,475 you get the R50a, an external optical drive, wireless keyboard, case and various adapter cables.  Not a bad bundle, and a step above what's usually in the box with most netbooks certainly, but is it worth more than eighteen hundred dollars?

[via jkkmobile]