In regards to the topic:
The Ultra-Mobile PC: Are Disconnected Pocket PCs in Trouble?
This should go with out saying. Pocket PCs were never meant to succeed. For years I have believed this Let me explain my onion. Windows CE has never picked up as I think Microsoft or Bill Gates had hoped it would - being an OS that is found in consumer electronics, from Digital cameras to electronic digital consoles for cars , mp3 players, and everything in between. Instead Windows CE's greatest success was morphed into the Pocket PC OS which in some levels competes against Microsoft's Desktop (remember - I said at least on some levels) and a pocket PC doesn't generate the same revenue with other Microsoft software as a desktop could with Office, Money, desktop OS, and so on.
Next Software had to be specifically written for the Windows CE/PPC, or you couldn't use your favorite desktop software with your new Pocket PC - Instead you had to hope that someone would write a program and many times when people did there was no way real way sync your info over. And Last - Even the Largest Pocket PC, was too small to do any real enterprise work in the real business world. Of course people will argue and say their companies uses PDAs - but truth is if Pocket PCs were all that, than why do more companies use Laptops than a Pocket PC? Fact is - PCs are Kings and always will be no matter what size or shape they come in.
The Lack of Bill's Gates enthusiasm in the PPCs platform has always been evident. The only thing I think Microsoft is content in seeing the Pocket PC OS become is a Smartphone OS, and things of this sort - Because as a smartphone OS it wont compete against anything else that Microsoft has and if Microsoft can position it's self correctly in the Mobile phone market it can still profit big time.
I want something that is small enough to always be with me in my pocket. I want my big widescreen tablet that I can throw in my backpack and do a serious amount of work on. This new concept doesn't fit either. I'll keep my mind open to the idea, but at the moment, "meh..."
Also, regarding the American market, I hope that since these are supposed to be so connected, that the carriers are open to the idea of carrying different models of "Origamis." I'm still not sold on a converged PPC because I'm so locked into my carrier (Sprint).
I really have a problem with devices that are made to be transported, and then the battery life doesn't do justice to that portability. Haven't we created a battery scenario that lasts more then 2.5 hours yet? I mean really; between the advancements in hardware power usage and battery storage improvements, you'd think we could get to 5 hours by now.
The battery life of this device screams "Trans-portable". It will get you where you're going, but you'd better plug it in once you get there...
I already had Newtons, and other luggables. What does this offer me to make it worth strapping it to my back? I could see it if the form-factor offered any improvements to my work performance. it but it seems to be more a small tablet pc than a larger pda. I'll pass.
Gates sure doesn't know when to give up. Well! with all the billions in the bank I guess they have enough to waste on R&D.
This baby looks like I needs to be synced with a PC. Geeez!! ActiveSync is in its fourth generation and MS still hasn't gotten it right. Matter of fact, Windows on the desktop is still a work in progress.
From Handheld PC to Tablet PC to in between.
Sure all these products are great. but why not focus on the core issues and build from there
This device could cost a hundred dollars and it still wouldn't be picked up as a commodity. Why? Because MS has a reputation for jumping the gun and dreaming big.
Windows CE has never picked up as I think Microsoft or Bill Gates had hoped it would
I would have to disagree somewhat on this. I think you would be surprised to find the amount and kinds of devices out now that are powered behind the scenes with CE. In the retail and manufacture business I deal with, I can't get through a day without touching a dozen or more CE powered devices.
why not have a Pocket PC Phone or Smartphone (for phone, PIM, lightweight email, etc.) and a UMPC? I'm intensely curious what you think, so poll time!
I'm convinced that I only need a small smart-ish phone (something like a Nokia 6280 will do) and something similar to an Origami UMPC to serve all my needs. I've done a hell of a lot of thinking about it in the last 6 months and been really honest about how i really use my devices. However, I really need a keyboard with one of these devices.
Originally Posted by [url=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=318106#318106
gibson042[/url]]I really like these tiny and/or modular PCs, but personally I don't think they're for me. They'll never be as powerful or have as much storage capacity as your primary desktop or laptop, which means they'll never replace it. And that places them squarely in competition with Pocket PCs. The problem is, the Pocket PC would still be better even if they had the exact same hardware, because of the difference in OS. Windows XP (and Longhorn, and whatever comes next...) is big and clunky and slow. It is not designed for small screens or small devices, and would be less than pleasant to use in the palm of your hand. Windows Mobile, on the other hand, is designed for such usage and generally does a good job of helping you quickly accomplish what you wanted. When the products do eventually merge and the modular PCs are "there," I expect that they'll be running Windows Mobile (although they might also have a full-fledged computing OS as well, for the keyboard/mouse/monitor usage scenarios).
From Casio E-10x days I always hoped and expected that PPCs will be able to replace notebooks. But the fact is they did not and will not.
The Origami on the other hand, will do just that. It will replace notebooks for many that don't need or want to lug around heavy notebooks.
This will also solve all my main gripes I have with current PPCs when I want to use them for some serious work:
- I can use external display (with bigger resolution) if I need/want to, for work, presentations, video... - you can't do this with PPC except Axim.
- I can connect it to external USB devices - you can't really do that with PPCs, even the ones that support USB, it's only USB 1.1 and it's limited to spme storage and input devices
- PPCs are very limited when it comes to storage - the best you can do is 8Gb microdrive + 4Gb SD in dual slot device, but this is still only 1/3 of HD capacity in Origami, not to mention the cost...
- And finally I can use "standard" full featured SW, not some underfeatured "pocket" versions - you can create Power Point not only run it, you can browse without compromises and the list goes on...
I'll still use my PPC, but I'll use it for what it does well - as my PIM, with integrated phone.
My assessment of my own actual needs is probably something beyond those of the average computer user:
- email
- web browsing/banking/shopping, downloading media/software
- capturing/encoding movies/music with minor editing
- media playback, connected to earphones or a stereo
- editing still photographs, some original artwork
- reading ebooks, articles
- some FTP
- word processing
- scanning and printing of documents
- very little, but still the odd game
That's about it. Most of it can be done with a Pocket PC. I should know, as most of my computer time (over 95%) over the past 6 years has been on a Pocket PC, not a PC. If DVD ripping and DivX encoding, and if MP3 ripping from CD could be done on a Pocket PC, I'd have almost no use at all for a full-scale PC. Unfortunately, I had to buy a PC of some sort to support the PPC with software installations and media content. If not, I'd probably still not have one.
This Origami project provides for a user such as myself the first really attractive option bigger than a PPC. It's portable enough to cart around. An extended battery could at least double the usable life, and knowing Mugen's after-market batteries as I do probably triple. Plugging it into an external DVD reader/writer and any number of other peripherals effectively renders it a low-powered full PC, which even in this initial version is far more powerful than my current PC. That's more than enough for such basic chores. Being able to take i with me just makes it sweeter, providing not only portable higher-powered computing and media experiences, but also the security which comes from not abandoning the PC at home. In a rented and not very secure house, it's only a matter of time before some idiot starts a fire (our basement neighbours smoke pot indoors, and the landlord seems unwilling to do anything about it) or before a burglar comes in and takes all the toys (which is why I have everything important, data-wise, in a small external hard drive which always goes with me).
Sure, if I wanted to play densely constructed 3D video games I'd need a lot more power, but frankly they just don't attract my interest. Too much else to do with my time. And as VLC or any of several alternatives play movies very smoothly, there's no need for more processing power there. Already they play very well on my 600MHz PIII, and re-encoded play nicely on the Toshiba e800. 900MHz + would be gravy, especially running a severely stripped down XP, without all the bloatware turning it into a slug.
So yeah, I see one of these as perfectly viable. I find fault with the survey options - someone had to say it - in that there is no "I'd use one, alongside a connected full-size Pocket PC" option. Smartphone/PPC Phone Edition devices tend to be rather cramped. My Toshiba is big enough for most anything, and is 'connected' via Wi-Fi. Add a GSM radio and it'd be about perfect.
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