We were expecting Toshiba to arrive at Berlin's IFA exhibition with a few new TVs and perhaps a Blu-ray player or two, but we weren't expecting this:
That's the Japanese manufacturer's Journe Touch, a 7in touchscreen MID (Mobile Internet Device) powered by Microsoft's Windows CE 6.0 Pro operating system, albeit with a custom finger-friendly overlay.
Details are scarce in regards to the hardware powering the unit, but an optional cradle will be available to provide HDMI connectivity - allowing for the Journe Touch to playback HD media on a big-screen display.
When on the go, the unit's LED-backlit display provides an 800x480 resolution and a contrast ratio of 300:1. The device supports the MPEG 4/H.264 file format, so video playback on the move should be enjoyable. There's built in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g connectivity, and a built-in USB port allowing for the use of a 3G modem when out and about.
Out the box, the Journe Touch is touted as a instant-on solution to social networking, with YouTube, AceTrax, FrameChannel, Picasa, Flickr and MSN Messenger services supported as standard. Web access is of course available, and the unit's built-in web browser is based on Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6.
There's only 1GB of integrated flash memory, but users wanting to make content on the go will find an SD card slot allowing for up to 32GB of storage. According to Toshiba, the unit's Lithium-ion Polymer battery will provide seven hours of audio playback or two hours of web browsing from a single charge.
We're told to expect the device at some point in Q4, and Toshiba has provided the following specification:
- 7’’ 16:9 Touch Screen Panel (800x480 resolution)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g Wireless
- Wi-Fi: support WEP,WPA, WPA2
- WinCE Pro + IE 6.0 (browser) +MSN (message/voice)
- 2200 m Ah Li-polymer internal battery
- Memory Cards Support: SD*, MMC, MS and MS Pro, xD (*SDHC: supported up to 32GB)
- Internal Memory: 1GB Nand Flash
- Docking station: HDMI TV out, Charging
- Speakers: 0.5W Speaker*2 (stereo)
- Supported File Format:
- Picture: JPEG, BMP
- Audio: MP3, Video: Mpeg4. H.264
- USB port:
- 1. A type USB 1.1(Host)
- 2. Mini-B USB 2.0 (USB device)
