Mintpass Mintpad: Internet Tablet Done Right?

Back in the day, a mobile device that could browse the Internet was incredible, expensive, hard to find, and often cumbersome.  I remember how absolutely cool it was to browse the mobile web from my Sprint PCS Vision phone, although it was only black-and-white text, of course.

Before the advent of the iPhone, the Palm Pre, the BlackBerry Storm, HTC Mogul, T-Mobile G1, and other phones fully capable of browsing the Internet gracefully - the Internet tablet attempted to bridge the gap. 

I always wanted an Internet tablet, but they were far too expensive and limited to make it worth it, and besides, only a few years later I was able to browse the web reasonably well on my PocketPC with a tethered Bluetooth connection.  My phone didn't have a decent browser or PDA capabilities, but my PDA did.

Now, though, I've caught wind of a brand new device that is now available in Korea - the Mintpass Mintpad, and I really want one.  I don't need one, I want one.  Why?  Because it's relatively inexpensive and it looks like a LOT of fun to use.

This nifty little gadget is compact and features a bright 2.8" touchscreen.  They seem to have taken a cue from the Palm Pre; the OS has you "flicking" about to navigate from screen to screen, and looks very intuitive in the video.  The Internet browser supports Flash, which a LOT of mobile phones do not do, and you can watch movies, read blogs, view pictures, etc.  You can do virtually anything you wantwith the Mintpad - and it would be an awesome device for those who want a capable Internet enabled gadget but don't want to upgrade their phone.

I guarantee you the gadget world will be keeping close eyes on this puppy - apparently, English firmware will be available later this month, and it better be on its way to US shores soon.  Right now, the price in Korean won is about US$157.

[Video and First Impressions at SlashGear]