WiBrain's UMPC wins no awards for good looks, but the not-so-surprising kicker to that ugly, boxlike form is that it is an effective and utilitarian handheld computer.
The B1 has a 1024x600 4.8" display, and is powered by a 1.2 GHz Via C7 CPU, up to 1GB of RAM, and comes with Windows XP, a 30- or 60-GB hard drive, WiFi and BlueTooth. It weighs about 500 grams (just over a pound) and an optional recharging cradle.
So far, so standard-issue. It's the proper trackpad, in particular, that makes the B1 so straightforward and fast in practice. Many UMPCs frustrate due to finicky pointing systems and Windows Vista's myriad of quirks and impediments. Mousing on the WiBrain is mindlessly easy. On the other hand, it's not much of a tablet.
The keyboard is O.K., but only for those who find thumbtyping acceptable. The space bar is just another square pad on the left, and there's a labyrinth of function-key combos to learn.
It's pretty small, too, and for $600 or so, it's a snappy little tool that can hardly disappoint. It runs XP, too, which feels like being given a turbo boost after using Vista-equipped UMPCs.
