VIA has announced a new "ultra mobile" mini laptop reference design it calls "OpenBook" based on the company's Ultra Mobility Platform, which centers around two pieces of VIA technology: the C7-M ULV processor and the the VX800 digital media IGP chipset.
The new design features an 8.9" screen, supports DirectX 9.0 3D graphics, supports acceleration for various video formats, and includes an HD video processor, indicating that VIA sees mobile video playback as a key application for the device.
The design includes support for WiMAX, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and contains three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, audio in/out jacks, a 4-in-one card reader and a 2-Megapixel web cam.
VIA has also open sourced the CAD computer design files for the reference design in an attempt to ease the creation of products based on the platform.