Could Viliv be exiting from the market shortly?

Viliv has been synonymous with Ultra mobile PCs and MIDs for a long time. The company reportedly entered the tablet business looking at the popularity of the same. In fact Misco.co.uk is even taking pre-orders for the latest X70 tablet for 550 pounds ($887) ex VAT. But UMPC Portal reports some surprising facts that actually suggest that the company might be closing its shops. UMPC Portal says that there have been hints of various kinds that indicate towards a closing down of business – like people leaving the company, the company not turning up during Computex where they were supposed to showcase their latest products, closing of the US support number etc. Not only that, apparently Viliv withdrew a long-time ad campaign on UMPC Portal, and no amount of discount could win them back.

What could be the reason behind Viliv closing down their business, if that really happens that is? The rising popularity of tablets can be one of the main reasons. The fact that companies like Apple dominates the market along with biggies such as Samsung, HTC, Acer and Asus may not have given the Korean company much leverage. Note that none of these companies were too prevalent in the MID or UMPC category, which gave smaller companies like Viliv a niche segment to market these products. Now you get tablets with much bigger screens at a slightly higher price.

What interests us, and could prove the rumors false, is the pre-ordering of X70. But then misco says it does not have stocks available with them, and would order one on demand. The X70 has some impressive features though - Intel Atom Z670 1.5GHz processor (Oak Trail), 32GB SSD, micro USB, micro SD/SDHC and Windows 7 Starter edition all encased within a 7" Clear Type LCD multi-touch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

Whatever it is, we like to have options.

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