MiLeap X and Y laptop details get fleshed out
Monday, January 21st, 2008Posted Jan 21st 2008 11:18AM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Laptops
We already had a pretty good indication of the specs for HCL’s new low-cost MiLeap X and Y laptops, but those that still haven’t had their curiosity satisfied can now get their fix courtesy of PCLaunches, which has the complete rundown on both systems. As expected the lower-end MiLeap X is Classmate PC through and through, including a 900MHz Celeron M processor, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of flash memory, two USB ports, and the usual 7-inch 800 x 600 display. The more UMPC-like MiLeap Y, on the other hand, boasts an Intel A110 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a higher resolution 1024×600 7-inch screen. Still no word on a release date, however, though they sure seem about ready to drop.
It may be exceptionally easy to use, but rolling out Apple’s iTunes movie rental service to Europe will be no easy task. This according to a piece just published by the The New York Times. Despite known collectively as Europe, the EU’s 27 member countries remain a patchwork of convoluted regulatory fragments related to digital media. For example, in The Netherlands, it remains uniquely and ambiguously legal to download, but not upload, copyrighted material. Release schedules also vary widely across Europe — sometimes releasing the same day as in the US or months later. Notably for Apple, a distributor of content must secure individual licenses to films in every country they wish to do business. No easy task given Apple’s rental agreements cover all the major and many smaller studios. This lack of coherence makes a pan-European iTunes rental agreement daunting, to say the least. Fortunately, commissioner Vivian Reding of the European Commission, plans to make a proposal mid-year that would streamline digital commerce efforts across European borders. Remember, Viv is the force responsible for stomping out the EU’s ridiculous roaming rates. In other words, we can expect more than just lip-service in the months ahead. Unfortunately, given Apple’s history of trouble with the EU over pan-European iTunes pricing and DRM, you can bet they’ll tread the EU waters carefully (read: slowly) as they attempt to go live in Europe.
var Without a 3G iPhone announcement at MacWorld, Apple remains focused on increasing the penetration of their generation-one handset. True to the rumors circulating the intertubes last week, AT&T is now offering the iPhone to business customers. Plans break down as follows: 
