Small Wonder: litl Webbook Makes Mobile Splash

Company:

Headquarters: Boston

Technology Sector: Hardware

Key Product: litl Webbook

Year Founded: 2007

Number of Channel Partners: Seriously considering initiating a channel program

Ideal Channel Partner: Volume-Oriented Reseller Partner (VARs with home and theater expertise)

Why You Should Care: The litl Webbook operates in the cloud; there are no local applications on the device. The company is all about offering the operating system as a service and having a device that is extremely maintenance-free.

The Lowdown: The team at litl Webbook thought they knew pretty much how it would be used, but they never really knew just how creative people would get with the product, said James Gardner, vice president of marketing for litl.

The litl Webbook debuted in November 2009 as an Internet computer for the home, blending the content and social interactivity of the Web with high-quality TV-like viewing of online photos and other digital content. It was designed to be transported anywhere in the home.

For example, Pandora and lastfm bring in streaming music; news headlines can be viewed and are constantly refreshed; and RSS, Facebook and Twitter feeds are continually updated. It features a unique design -- it can be folded into an easel for viewing -- and is conducive to a more "passive" computer experience, Gardner said.

"Our vision is that a different kind of Web can be enjoyed in a passive mode," he said. "That's where we've gone. You don't need to be in front of it."

The premise arose from the engineers' observations of how people were using a computer. Increasingly, tasks are performed in a Web browser and less on traditional software. "But the computers we see are based on requirements of 30 years ago. They're operating a little island of data processing. But people in the real world have no interest in updating software, installing patches, updating their firewalls. So we began to rethink what a computer would be like if it were not tied to the thinking of 15 years ago."

So the company went about simplifying: The litl has no hard drive, no moving parts. There is flash storage on board, but photos are stored on Flickr and viewed on the litl, or streamed through the litl and onto a television. Videos likewise are stored on YouTube. Documents can be created on Google Docs.

In addition, the device is maintenance-free. All updates are done automatically. And because the product doesn't support downloading, Gardner said there is close to zero risk of it becoming infected with viruses or malware.

Interested VARs are encouraged to contact the company directly. The product currently sells direct through litl.com and through Amazon for $699, but Gardner said it is studying the expansion of its distribution channel to include IT resellers. The device could be ideal for companies wanting to show videos or slide shows in reception areas, for example.