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image courtesy of Engadget

Recently I was in a public place when a friend asked me, "what's a MID?" I started to explain it as best I could. I said, "A MID device is like a netbook but it's always connected to the internet." Of course some other dude who was nearby heard my lame description and said, "hey man, I think you've got that all wrong." Now I'm usually pretty open when people come and correct me but I felt like he was encroaching on my role as the guy that knows everything about this sort of thing. He said, "A MID device is one that uses an ARM processor verses an x86 processor." At this point my friend was very sorry he had asked because Mr. Public Interrupter guy was about to get schooled. But, I stopped myself and thought, "maybe I don't really understand the difference between a MID and, say, a Netbook. So I did some research on the subject. After all, DeviceVM is part of the Moblin initiative. In other words, I should know the answer to this question.

According to Wikipedia, a MID Device is defined as:

Mobile Internet Device (MID) is a term used by several vendors to describe a multimedia-capable handheld computer providing wireless Internet access. It is designed to provide entertainment, information and location-based services for the consumer market (rather than the enterprise). The MID is a larger form factor than a smartphone but smaller than the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). As such, the device has been described as filling a consumer niche between smartphones and Tablet PCs.

Hmmm...that sounds a lot like a Netbook. I'm still not satisfied with that definition. Seem like Intel is all over this. What do they have to say?

Mobile Internet Devices represent a new category of small, truly mobile devices that give you an amazing Internet experience -- allowing you to communicate with others, enjoy your favorite entertainment, and access information on-the-go. Consumer electronics and PC companies are using Intel Centrino Atom processor technology to deliver exciting new products for consumers and business users. This latest generation of small, powerful, highly portable Internet-connected devices combines many great capabilities with the convenience of a pocket-sized solution for your life on-the-go.

So if I have a 3G-enabled Netbook, is this a MID? Also given that Intel seems to be highlighting their Atom processor for MIDs that debunks the theory that MIDs are running on ARM processors solely. My next stop is to go to the Moblin site and see what they have to say.

The Moblin Architecture is designed to support multiple platforms and usage models, ranging from Netbooks to Mobile Internet Devices (MID) to various embedded usage models, such as the In Vehicle Infotainment systems.

Turns out Moblin is being optimized for both MIDs and Netbooks. Again, I'm confused. A MID and a Netbook seem pretty similar from a technical perspective. Additionally some smart phones seem like they might be encroaching into MID/Netbook world. It would seem to me that there is yet another level of convergence happening. The difference between all these categories exist in tweaks to their use-case.

MIDs seem ideal for consuming content while Netbooks seem "good" for consuming content but better for creating content (a real keyboard is the best input method). Smartphones are ideal for communicating but only "good" for consuming content and "average" for creating content.

My Conclusion: MIDs core difference, at this point, would seem to be form-factor. The above image of a MID prototype is pretty hot and something I'd love to have in my bag. So, Mr. Public Interrupter, we were both wrong. History tell us a lot too. MIDs appeared well before Netbooks. My guess is that MIDs were supposed to hold down the category that Netbooks today dominate. It would seem that MIDs are converging and adapting now to create a slightly differentiated category.

If you have something to add please don't hesitate to educate us all in the comments.