FlipStart flips into view
(Credit:
PCMag.com)
The Vulcan FlipStart, an ultramobile PC first announced in 2003, is apparently a little closer to store shelves, despite a longstanding reputation as vaporware.
The gang over at PCMag.com actually have a full review of the not-yet-released FlipStart E-1001S--a system that looks more like a shrunk-down ultraportable laptop than a Sidekick-style UMPC such as the Sony VAIO UX.
The E-1001S flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and a 5.6-inch screen with a 1024x600 resolution. With a Pentium M CPU, a 30GB hard drive, and only 512MB of RAM, it's probably not going to be your main notebook, but for basic Web-surfing and e-mailing, we'd be willing to give it a shot. Other cool extras include a secondary display on the lid for checking e-mail while the lid is closed, an EVDO antenna, and both a touchpad and pointing stick.
Vulcan was started by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, so the company has a serious technology pedigree. There's no release date yet, but PC Mag says the E-1001S will go for $1,999.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
Bye, bye flipstart- we never knew you...