TurboLinux Wizpy launching worldwide from June

The TurboLinux Wizpy, a multimedia media player that contains a PC-bootable version of the Linux operating system, will go on sale worldwide in June.

TurboLinux designed the device based on its own distribution of Linux and will target the same market overseas as it has done in Japan: early adopters who are curious about using Linux but either don't want to or can't install the operating system.

"With Windows Vista just coming out people are thinking about changing their operating system but many are not sure they want to upgrade to Vista," said Noriaki Fukuyasu, director of TurboLinux's international business division, in an interview.

The Wizpy lets users carry a complete Linux desktop in their pocket. When plugged into a PC's USB port the user is given the opportunity to boot-up the Linux system that resides in the Wizpy's memory. User settings, passwords and bookmarks can be stored inside the Wizpy, with the desktop set up to the user's preference so that no matter what PC is used to host the Wizpy, users get their familiar desktop.

The device also doubles as a multimedia player but in this aspect it isn't very different from others on the market. It has a 1.7-inch OLED (organic light emitting diode) color screen and keypad on the front. Within is software to play music in Ogg, MP3 and Windows Media Audio formats, and to show XviD and MPEG4 video files and JPEG images. It can also record sound to MP3 files and display text files, and has an FM radio.

The diminutive player will first be launched in nations where English is the primary language: the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, India and Singapore; non-English language versions will follow late in 2007 or early in 2008. The device itself already has a multilingual on-screen display, but the bootable version of Linux included inside needs to be translated into other languages prior to wider availability.

In Japan two versions of the Wizpy are available, differentiated by the 2GB or 4GB of memory they contain. TurboLinux will offer only the 4GB version overseas. It will be priced at the local equivalent of the Japanese price, which is ¥33,800 (US$278).

The Wizpy will be available in North America through Source One Network, in South Asia through eSys Information Technologies, and in the rest of Asia and Oceania through Ferosys. A distribution agreement for the United Kingdom is under negotiation.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.