A mobile Internet device (MID) is a
multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...
capable
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
providing
wireless Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
access. They are designed to provide entertainment, information and
location-based services for personal or business use. They allow 2-way communication and real-time sharing. They have been described as filling a niche between smartphones and
tablet computers.
As all the features of MID started becoming available on smartphones and tablets, the term is now mostly used to refer to both low-end as well as high-end tablets.
Archos Internet tablets
The form factor of mobile Internet tablets from Archos is very similar to the Lenovo image on the right. The class has included multiple operating systems: Windows CE, Windows 7 and Android. The Android tablet uses an
ARM Cortex CPU and a
touchscreen.
Intel announced a prototype MID at the
Intel Developer Forum
The Intel Developer Forum (IDF) was a biannual gathering of technologists to discuss Intel products and products based on Intel products. The first IDF was held in 1997.
To emphasize the importance of China, the Spring 2007 IDF was held in Beijin ...
in Spring 2007 in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
. A MID development kit by Sophia Systems using Intel Centrino Atom was announced in April 2008.
Intel MID platforms are based on an Intel processor and chipset which consume less power than most of the x86 derivatives. A few platforms have been announced as listed below:
McCaslin platform (2007)
Intel's first generation MID platform (codenamed McCaslin) contains a 90 nm
Intel A100/A110 processor (codenamed Stealey) which runs at 600–800 MHz.
Menlow platform (2008)
On 2 March 2008, Intel introduced the
Intel Atom processor brand for a new family of low-power processor platforms. The components have thin, small designs and work together to "enable the best mobile computing and Internet experience" on mobile and low-power devices.
Intel's second generation MID platform (codenamed
Menlow) contains a 45 nm Intel Atom processor (codenamed
Silverthorne) which can run up to 2.0 GHz and a System Controller Hub (codenamed
Poulsbo) which includes
Intel HD Audio (codenamed Azalia). This platform was initially branded as
Centrino Atom but such practice was discontinued in Q3 2008.
Moorestown platform (2010)
Intel's third generation MID/smartphone platform (codenamed
Moorestown) contains a 45 nm
Intel Atom processor (codenamed
Lincroft ) and a separate 65 nm Platform Controller Hub (codenamed
Langwell). Since the memory controller and graphics controller are all now integrated into the processor, the
northbridge has been removed and the processor communicates directly with the
southbridge via the
DMI bus interface.
Medfield platform (2012)
Intel's fourth generation MID/smartphone platform (codenamed
Medfield) contains their first complete
Intel Atom SoC (codenamed Penwell), produced on 32 nm.
Clover Trail+ platform (2012)
Intel's MID/smartphone platform (codenamed Clover Trail+) based on its Clover Trail tablet platform. It contains a 32 nm
Intel Atom SoC (codenamed Cloverview).
Merrifield platform (2013)
Intel's fifth generation MID/smartphone platform (codenamed Merrifield ) contains a 22 nm
Intel Atom SoC (codenamed Tangier).
Moorefield platform (2014)
Intel's sixth generation MID/smartphone platform (codenamed Moorefield) contains
22nbsp;nm
Intel Atom SoC (codenamed Anniedale).
Morganfield platform
Intel's seventh generation MID/smartphone platform (codenamed Morganfield) contains a 14 nm
Intel Atom SoC (codenamed Broxton).
Operating system
Intel announced collaboration with
Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: '' Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All ...
to create Ubuntu for mobile internet devices distribution, known as
Ubuntu Mobile
Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system, being developed by the UBports community. Its user interface is written in Qt, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, ...
. Ubuntu's website said the new distribution "will provide a rich Internet experience for users of Intel’s 2008 Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform."
See also
*
Centrino
*
Phablet
*
Android (operating system)
Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of d ...
*
CrunchPad
*
Moblin project
*
Netbook /
smartbook
A smartbook was a class of mobile device that combined certain features of both a smartphone and netbook computer, produced between 2009 and 2010.
Smartbooks were advertised with features such as always on, all-day battery life, 3G, or Wi-Fi conn ...
*
Ubuntu Mobile
Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system, being developed by the UBports community. Its user interface is written in Qt, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, ...
*
Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC)
*
WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.
The WiMAX ...
*
Mobile web
The mobile web refers to mobile browser-based World Wide Web services accessed from handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, through a mobile or other wireless network.
History and development
Traditionally, the ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mobile Internet Device
Mobile computers
Classes of computers
Mobile web