Ultra Mobile 2007: Gates' New Pet Project?

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122032,tk,dn072905X,00.asp

"In April, at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Gates announced that he was considering pushing a potential rival portable computing platform into the market called Ultra Mobile 2007. In remarks posted on Microsoft's Web site, Gates said he envisioned Ultra Mobile 2007 as a new category of device that would cost between $800 and $1000, and weigh as near to a pound as possible. These devices would have a consumer friendly bent and would integrate a camera, a phone, and a touch-screen, and offer music and video playback functions along with very long battery life."

8O Could Bill Gates manages to promote everything else other than Windows Mobile. He's never seemed very big on Pocket PCs and Smartphones, I think largely because he probably has an assistant that does everything for him that we use our Pocket PCs and Smartphones for. Converged devices make too many sacrifices, and I just don't believe the technology is there yet to achieve something like the Ultra Mobile 2007. I want my phone to be a phone - a small phone. I want my camera to be a camera. What's your take on it?

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122032,tk,dn072905X,00.asp

"In April, at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Gates announced that he was considering pushing a potential rival portable computing platform into the market called Ultra Mobile 2007. In remarks posted on Microsoft's Web site, Gates said he envisioned Ultra Mobile 2007 as a new category of device that would cost between $800 and $1000, and weigh as near to a pound as possible. These devices would have a consumer friendly bent and would integrate a camera, a phone, and a touch-screen, and offer music and video playback functions along with very long battery life."

8O Could Bill Gates manages to promote everything else other than Windows Mobile. He's never seemed very big on Pocket PCs and Smartphones, I think largely because he probably has an assistant that does everything for him that we use our Pocket PCs and Smartphones for. Converged devices make too many sacrifices, and I just don't believe the technology is there yet to achieve something like the Ultra Mobile 2007. I want my phone to be a phone - a small phone. I want my camera to be a camera. What's your take on it?

[SassKwatch]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

I want my phone to be a phone - a small phone. I want my camera to be a camera. What's your take on it?

I'm not overly particular about size, but otherwise I couldn't agree more.

Also think you're spot on re: Bill G dancing around WM. For several yr it seemed like he was all about the TabletPC concept. Perhaps this new 'UltraMobile' thing is a sign the Tablet hasn't panned out like he hoped, so he needs to find something 'new'.....all the while leaving WM languishing.(?)

[Santa Fe]

Ahh, the elusive all in one device. I don’t see it fitting into my lifestyle. There are times I don’t want a phone with me and times I don’t need a camera with me and all of the time I don’t need a device that weighs that much and will probably need a lot of charging.

[nskgti]

Gates uses a SMT5600...

[hotdram]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

I want my phone to be a phone - a small phone. I want my camera to be a camera. What's your take on it?

Amen!
I work for a large defense contractor as an electrical engineer. I can not bring a cell phone with a camera into my building. I can't find a phone with bluetooth that DOESNT have a camera. I could care less if my phone has a camera. I currently have an SMT5600 that I have to leave in my truck (in the Texas heat) when I go to work.
(Now, integrated GPS and WiFi would be nice)

~Rob

[Ben]

I want a convergent device. Desperately. I stopped following the smartphone trends when the MPx got canceled. That was pretty much EXACTLY what I needed, and now it will never happen.

Why can't I have something with push email, clamshell phone, keyboard, WiFi, camera, SD expandability, and a decent battery life. I don't even care about the bluetooth, since a convergent device is a convergent device. The technology exists for what I want, but no one has made it. 1 pound, decent clamshell to protect the screen, I don't know what Gates is talking about this time, but I'm certainly willing to check it out.