DualCor cPC: From Connected to Disconnected

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dualcor.com/files/DualCor_cPC_Data_Sheet.pdf' target='_blank'>http://www.dualcor.com/files/DualCo..._Data_Sheet.pdf</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060513-DualCorcPC.jpg" /><br /><br />Bleh, what happened to the DualCor cPC? :? Contrary to earlier reports, the final specifications sheet now indicates that the dual Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows Mobile 5.0 device lacks any sort of wireless connectivity out-of-the-box. So, those of you hoping for the convenience of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular capabilities will have to rely on CompactFlash or USB add-ons.<br /><br />With huge potential as the ultimate <b>connected</b> device, this is a huge letdown. A bit like shipping a car without wheels and asking the consumer to buy them separately, eh?

[ricksfiona]

Hehe. I'm SURE glad I'm getting my TabletKiosk instead. $2000 for an unwired tablet? This thing is toast.

[Silver5]

I'm seriously thinking about getting one of the touchscreen Fujitsu tablets. It seems alot more useful to me...

This DualCor thing just seems like a waste...

[MEEGOOK]

What started out as the devise to drool over will die on the vine. It first debued with 40 gb hd, b/g wireless, BT, the promise of cell phone capabilities in the future, $1500 price tag and was supposed to be available in the first qtr. Now, a 30 GB, no built in wireless, release date in 90 days and $2000. Hhhm less for more money, Good luck with that marketing strategy Dualcor. You just killed any hope of making it in this market. In 90 days at the original price, full wireless, you'll have a chance. To bad, I've been scanning your site daily waiting for the good news only to be sadly dissappointed.

[Eriq Cook]

WTF? Are these people smoking crack? It's 2006. It makes no logical sense to release a device like this without Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. So I'm going to pay $1750 (after tax) for a hybrid telephone/Windows XP Tablet PC device WITHOUT standard wireless functionality?

What in the world were these people thinking? Wow...

[phreaker18]

i was so excited about the dualcor........ i had a feeling it was too good to be true.... my fears have come to live...... i simply dont undertand how they cud be so shortsighted.....

[benyeap]

I knew there was a gimmick when they dare not to post up the actual device's specs when it is announced.

[MitchellO]

THey have destroyed themselves. There is no way this device will success now. No wireless? What are they thinking!! The biggest uses for this device would utilise wireless of some kind.

Now with competition from UMPCs with half the pricetag or less + WiFi + Bluetooth, they are gooooooooooooone.........

[ausindo]

Hang on?

This thing is kinda contradicting itself.

If you look at this weblink:
http://www.dualcor.com/umpc.php

It states that it does have wireless capabilities, however, it does not show that you need to either connect it by USB or by CF, but clearly it states that and doesn't need any external peripherials.

[KTamas]

In memoriam DualCor cPC....

[MEEGOOK]

This thing is kinda contradicting itself.

If you look at this weblink:
http://www.dualcor.com/umpc.php

True, but if you watch all the videos for "a day in life of Dualcor " doctor lawyer etc, it states if you need b/g wireless insert cf card, if you need to make a call insert cf card. So, that leads me to believe no internal wireless

[MitchellO]

...but because the cPC is both a PDA and an XP Computer with 802.11 and 3G data wireless connectivity through Compact Flash cards...

Guess they just haven't updated their UMPC vs. DualCrap comparison.

[Phoenix]

I remember reading about this choice of theirs. Unthinkable. There's simply no excuse for excluding wireless in ANY device these days. All devices have to be wireless or they have no chance in the market place, especially at this price.

I wonder who made this design decision? I remembered that concern over DualCor's management team (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=398145&amp;highlight=michael+wilson+dualcor#398145) had been brought up before. As far as this new direction in design is concerned, who's to say who pushed for it or what their reasons were.

But regardless of who and why, I don't see how DualCor could ever possibly carve out any space in the marketplace now.

People don't want add-ons. Wireless integration is the key.

[MitchellO]

I just had a good read though 3 of the 4 scenarios that DualCor made up to show off the versitility of the device, and the number of times that the user is swapping between USB Bluetooth, CF WiFi and CF 3G adaptors is ridiculous! Certainly doesn't seem as easy as they would have you believe.

And not trying to be a pain, but do they seem to swap between XP and WM5 a little too often, and for stuff that they really don't need to?

[isajoo]

well at this point they should probulary just go a head and remove the rechargable battery and run this POS on AC current. this is not meant for wireless unless it has a wireless connection. what a bunch of morons!!!

[gnad]

It's very dissapointed, I thought that I will replace the Hx4700 - similar size and offer more - .
Swapping card is a very bad, bad idea, besides the hassle that users have to carry numbers of cards, we are probably more concern on the wear and tear on those connectors, because it will make the intefaces ports less reliable and prone to errors.

(You can not packing it without removing the attached device usb, CF with anntena...)

I don't think that "the disconnected" option is their engineering's decision, unless their resource is stretching to the limit. It's is most likely the marketing decision due to cost and time.

Anyway I am heading to ebay for a backup Hx- just in case.

[alese]

I guess it's clear now, how this device gets relatively good battery life numbers, no wireless to suck juice.

If they continue in this spirit of "allways connected without connectivity", they could further "improve" the device by taking out batteries to give it "unlimited" run time, or maybe by removing everything else from the device and make it just a solid block of metal, they could even make it "unbreakable"...

[Justin Noland]

Wow, all time low for them. No wifi? Wow, just wow. Whomever is heading their R&amp;D dept needs to be shot. Have any of you checked out the OQO (it actually exists) www.oqo.com and it is very similar. Not much larger than first gen ipod, full qwerty slide out keyboard, wifi, BT, 30 gig HDD, XP tablet, home, or pro, touchscreen, 512 megs ram, same price tag. Its a pretty sexy device, and the OQO +01 or whatever their second gen device is called actually has decent reviews. The only benifit of no built in wifi is that you can add a CF wifi card with a pigtail antenna port and turn it into the ultimate wardriving/warwalking machine.

[DaViD_BRaNDoN]

Off-topic: anyone knows the name of the visualstyle that the device is using?

[Don't Panic!]

Well for once I made the right choice tech wise. Instead of waiting for the cPC I picked up a laptop with Bluetooth and Wifi (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF25a/21675-38187-38191-38191-38191-12318784.html).

[Darius Wey]

Off-topic: anyone knows the name of the visualstyle that the device is using?

If you're talking about the Windows Mobile 5.0 theme, then that's a special DualCor theme.

If you're talking about the Windows XP visual style, then that's the Media Center (a.k.a. Royale) style.

[DaViD_BRaNDoN]

If you're talking about the Windows XP visual style, then that's the Media Center (a.k.a. Royale) style.
Thanks for the identification. Gonna look for it now :wink:

[stllhogan]

"Your personal computer, pda, and wireless conectivity device."
computer, pda, connected. cPc but wheres the last C, I don't see the conectivity part. as I'm sure many don't.