Voodoo Envy – Hands On, Unboxing, A/C and Wireless Adapter (LAPTOP Magazine)

Voodoo Envy 133 On the LAPTOP Magazine blog, there are a couple of articles about some of the unique features of the 13.3-inch Voodoo Envy 133.

First up, unboxing of the Voodo Envy, complete with video.

Next, and more interesting, a hands-on with the Envy’s Instant-on OS. This is very interesting – there are several laptops that already have a similar feature (such as the 13.3-inch Dell XPS M1330), but with the Voodoo Instan-On OS (Voodoo IOS) which is based on Splashtop, you get a lot more than simply being able to play CDs or DVDs. The Voodoo IOS allows you to surf the web, view photos and videos, listen to music, and chat through Pidgin or Skype. The feature allows you to basically be up and running with a few simple applications (browsing the web, etc.) within 15 seconds from a cold start (not hybernate).

Finally, the Voodoo Envy’s A/C/Wi-Fi adapter. This is truly a unique feature, and one that ultraportable fans would probably like to see in future laptops from other manufacturers. Voodoo has what they call the “Aura PowerConnect”. It’s an A/C adapter that also functions as an 802/11b/g wireless access point. Say you have a wired ethernet connection (perhaps a hotel). You plug the ethernet conenction into the RJ45 jack, and voila, you have a wireless network (the Envy does not have an RJ45/ethernet jack).