HTC Athena launches in Europe; will it fly in the States?

HTC Athena

(Credit: Engadget Mobile)

Good 'ol HTC recently launched another innovative device (in Europe, of course--guh), but it's not a smart phone. The HTC Athena is a UMPC of sorts, and it's jam-packed with features. It is powered by a 624MHz Intel processor, runs Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition, has an 8GB hard drive and 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash ROM. You want wireless options? Oh, it's got your wireless options--Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA, and GPS. On top of all that, the gadget boasts a 5-inch, 640x480 resolution touch screen; a detachable full QWERTY keyboard; and a 3-megapixel camera.

Drooling yet? Well, I actually got to see a working model while I was at CES, and though I didn't get to play with it for very long, I did have a couple of thoughts on it. First, with the large display and QWERTY keyboard, I can easily see how this might be a good stand-in for your laptop when you need to fire off some quick e-mails or notes. The device seemed pretty responsive from what little time I had with it, and the HTC rep also mentioned using it as a portable video player for his kids--OK, another good use. Yet despite all this, I have to wonder, are we ready for this kind of device in the United States? Granted, I might be asking the wrong group of folks, given that you tech-loving Crave readers would probably jump on a gadget like this, but I think it's a legitimate question. As I mentioned before, it's currently being offered in Europe (through T-Mobile and renamed as the Ameo), and HTC said it didn't know about U.S. availability. I can certainly understand why carriers would be a little hesitant to pick up such a device. To me, the Athena is kind of like the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet and UMPCs: cool concepts but just not ready for mass consumption. What do you guys think? If the HTC Athena were to become available in the States or if you could even get your hands on an unlocked version, would you get it, and how would you use it?

[seamonkey420]

if its under 1k and unlocked, i'd get one!

i know i would definitely consider this device if it does make it to the usa or is available unlocked. i've had a few chances to use a sony vaio ultra portable laptop from work and must say i love the smaller form factor. i had a MDA but sold it because it was too slow and wasn't quite as good as a surfing device as i had thought..

however the athena looks sweet! size is of no concern for me, i'm looking to replace a laptop for when i go places on the weekends and phone calls would be its secondary function (i prefer email or txting). so HTC bring it on! even better if tmobile usa picks it up (get a better deal by selling my soul for an extra 2 years)

peace

btw, how does one make a call on it? bt headset?

[dsafety]

What about GPS?

The one thing that appears to be missing on this and other similar devices is built-in GPS maping. Add this capability and the product could be a home run.

[clumpkin]

Why is there so little coverage of the OQO?

I keep seeing articles about the next WIZ-BANG gizmo that does the latest and greatest thing and I keep scratching my head thinking "The OQO (http://www.oqo.com) has done that for over two years and this device is news because?". Granted the OQO has a starting price of $1,400 but seeing as it is a full blown PC that masquerades as a UMPC the price is very reasonable. Add to that it has Bluetooth 2.0, WIFI, Sprint or Verizon mobile broadband and you can use it as your "Every Device" device.