The M528 handheld device uses an 800MHz Intel Centrino Atom microprocessor and has a 4.8-inch touchscreen that differentiates it from a mobile phone Taiwanese electronics maker Giga-byte Technology has teamed up with mobile phone service provider Chunghwa Telecom to launch the M528 mobile Internet device in August, a Giga-byte representative said.The M528 is a small, handheld device with a 4.8-inch touchscreen that runs a Linux OS and uses an 800MHz Intel Centrino Atom microprocessor as its calculating engine. It’s part of a new breed of handheld devices the PC industry hopes will catch on as a way for people to surf the Web from just about anywhere. What makes it different from a mobile phone is its larger screen. The biggest mobile phone screens, even when the entire face is used, still top out at around 3 inches.The M528 will be packaged with 3G service from Chunghwa Telecom when it launches in Taiwan, for HSDPA/HSUPA (High Speed Downlink/Uplink Packet Access) Web surfing. The device can also access the Web via Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. The Giga-byte representative said the price of the handheld hasn’t yet been determined since it will be bundled with a 3G contract. The hardware may be priced lower to entice users to sign up for Chunghwa’s service.The M528 weighs just 340 grams and is 152 millimeters by 80mm by 22.5mm. It has a Qwerty keypad with a backlight that slides out from underneath so that people can use their thumbs to type messages or Web addresses.The handheld is built for multimedia. It comes with a 4GB SSD (solid-state drive) to store music, photos, and other data, an earphone, and a 3-megapixel auto-focus camera on one side, with a 300KB Webcam on the front for video chat. The device can transfer files wirelessly via Bluetooth 2.0, and it has USB and other ports, as well as a micro-SD card slot. Technology IndustrySoftware DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business