By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Choi, a 34-year-old museum technician in Seoul, doesn't leave home without his two favorite digital companions ― a book-sized Medion laptop and a shiny Apple iPod Touch.
``I was fortunate to order the iPod just before they raised the prices ― the device would have been 30 percent pricier,'' said Choi, who often carries a third gadget, a Cowon portable multimedia player (PMP), which he says makes up for iPod's limitations in video compatibility.
``The iPod has certainly been a revelation for me, I am having a lot of fun with it, but I still find myself drooling over newer and smaller Internet devices such as Mint Pad,'' he said.
``Wi-Fi connections are everywhere these days, and you can take better advantage of them as Internet devices are getting smaller and more affordable.''
Despite the economic downturn leaving consumers reeling in their spending on electronics products, small-sized computing products, dubbed mobile Internet devices (MIDs), have been enjoying a boom.
Leading the wave are mid-sized Korean electronics makers such as Yukyung Technologies, Cowon and Digital Cube, and industry giants such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are also displaying a growing interest in the pocket-sized Internet devices.
Add these to the slew of multifunctional handsets that are currently flooding the market, products that are reducing the gap between mobile phones and laptops, and the country seems to be establishing the hardware base for a mobile Internet explosion.
``It remains to be seen how big the MID market will grow, as consumers are still learning what could be expected from their small devices, but you can't deny that the segment looks promising out of the gate,'' said an official from Danawa (www.danawa.co.kr), a major online retailer of electronics products.
``Consumers are clearly wishing the MIDs could be cheaper, and the small keyboards and displays limit their functions as work tools. However, they are cheaper than laptops, and also smaller and easier to carry, and it would be interesting to see if the buzz carries on beyond early adaptors and reach across a larger audience,'' said the official, who said companies are increasingly adding Internet capabilities to their existing PMP products, giving consumers even more options.
It remains to be seen whether MIDs establish themselves a solid market, or prove as ``in-betweeners'' that will eventually be rendered irrelevant by netbooks, or small-sized laptop computers, and ``smart'' phones.
And despite their limitations in functionality and computing power, MID models currently fetch about 500,000 to 800,000 won (about $630) on the shelves, which is similar or more expensive than conventional netbooks. The shaky value of the Korean won that drove up component prices clearly didn't help.
The future might have a different story, but at least for now there is no doubt that MIDs are relevant.
Although significantly smaller than average laptops, most netbook models still weigh around 1 kilogram, and users have been frustrated by battery power that lasts between three to five hours.
And smart phones, which allow Web browsing, multimedia and other data services on top of voice, have yet to live up to the hype and probably won't until mobile telephony carriers lower their monthly data rates.
MIDs seem to be successfully exploiting this gap to establish themselves a niche market. Yukyung needed less than 9 hours to sell out its first 1,000 pre-orders for Viliv S5, the company's latest MID that was launched in February, despite the hefty prices that go up to 759,000 won for 60-gigabyte models.
The handheld computer features a 4.8-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) screen with 1024 x 600 resolution, a 1.33 giga-hertz (GHz) CPU, 1-gigabyte of memory and runs on the Windows XP operating system.
Yukyung has only been providing Viliv S5 through limited edition sales, but believes they will pick up once the devices reach shelves at electronics stores.
UMID, positioned as Yukyung's industry rival, said it sold nearly 2,000 units of its M1 MIDs, despite recalling 500 units due to technical glitches, while Trigem Computer said it sold more than 1,000 units of its LLUON handheld computers.
Hanbit Electronics, Wibrain and Digifriends are some other mid-sized electronics makers that are planning to jump onto the MID bandwagon.
Industry giants Samsung and LG are still deploying a wait-and-see approach toward the products. However, LG seems closer to dipping its toes into the emerging market, with it currently working with global chip giant, Intel, to develop ``smart books,'' which it pictures as a lovechild between the netbook and smart phone.