01-22-2004, 09:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Ultra-Personal Computers - PCs in a Pod
"So-called 'ultra-personal computers', or UPCs, which squeeze a full-blown PC into a form factor more reminiscent of a PDA, have been touted as the next big thing for several years. The recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has finally shown that the UPC may at last have become a practical proposition. The realization of the UPC concept can be attributed to a couple of crucial factors. First, component miniaturization, especially of high-quality VGA displays and hard drives, is now making a desktop-type experience feasible on a small device.
Secondly, the commitment of chip vendor Transmeta to the UPC concept, with the latest generations of its low-power Efficeon and Crusoe designs, provides the necessary horsepower to drive devices based on a 'full' desktop operating system as opposed to the relatively slim-line operating systems used by today's PDAs."
Ah, the classic PDA vs. UPC discussion. Where do you stand? It's my belief that there will always be a place for "appliance" devices like PDAs and smartphones, because operating systems like Windows XP and OS X simply weren't designed with mobility in mind. They need too much RAM, too much storage space, and too many CPU cycles to effectively scale down to a small device. Eventually hardware advances might overcome those obstacles, but until a development paradigm comes about where a mobile/pda application UI is just as important as a desktop UI, I don't see the richness of applications necessary to carry the UPC concept forward.
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01-22-2004, 09:18 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 547
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Why don't they just make Pocket PC's like regular computers and keep the name?
I mean- Ultra-Personal Computers ?!?
What's it going to do? Make love to you or something?
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01-22-2004, 09:27 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 161
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Software Emulation
I was thinking that it would be possible to build a device like the really small pc that offers a dual boot setup. one os is contained in flash rom, and boots to pocket pc. the hdd and most of the hardware would be accessible from this boot, and use software like a normal ppc. the other boot will be a modified version of xp, or whatever, that is a fully blown os. what do you think?
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01-22-2004, 09:29 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 547
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Cool idea, but why would you need the PPC OS on there when you got full blown XP?
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01-22-2004, 09:41 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 7
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How about 1 OS & 2 ueser interfaces. ONe can be regular, for when in a dock, and the other can be simmilar to the PPC UI, for when useing just the handheld portion. Both run the same programs and use the same files.
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01-22-2004, 09:51 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 276
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...
To me the argument really lies in the human interaction between the device, or a 3.5" or 4" screen.
Desktop interfaces are like building blocks, stacking elements and improvements on top of one another as they progress. When a large monitor is available then extra components, on screen widgets and the like are not a problem.
When the size goes down the amount of compromise you have to make for the desktop interface goes up. How much of the screen is really available when looking at an excel sheet with full toolbars? Or a word document?
To me, as a device shrinks, the interaction with it becomes more specific in task. As it becomes specific I have less need for more robust code where a small set of code can do the same thing. Therefor less resources are theoretically needed.
So I think that having a full OS in a small package will catch on only when our interaction with the device becomes less restricted. Ocular implants, wearable monitors (what ever happened to those glasses that made it look like a full screen?) foldable/rollable screens.
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01-22-2004, 10:03 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 333
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Instant on is a huge factor in hand held devices as well. You can only get instant on with a flash based device. Can you imagine the cost of a flash disk large enough for an XP based computer.
Compaq/HP has an interesting idea with the TC1x00 tablet PCs. They have a sync utility and a ROM based application built in to them that allows a user instant on access to a few documents and a read only copy of their Outlook data. I think you may see people swithing to a very small Tablet PC (8 - 10 inch screen) and a Smart phone. Smart phone for tasks, email, quick notes, appointments, etc. and a Tablet PC for everything else.
That doesn't work for me, however, because ebooks is one of my main uses for my Pocket PC (at least in terms of time) and I'm not going to whip out a Tablet PC if I'm waiting in line somewhere.
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01-22-2004, 10:04 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2
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a smaller version of tablet pc or a full blown xp machine with support for thouch screen and some sort of a built-in scrolling/ pointing device would do the job for me.
BTW, I'm still waiting for that killer device that would be operable with one hand (  sorry, PPC isn't)
Ori
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01-22-2004, 10:07 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by rlobrecht
Instant on is a huge factor in hand held devices as well. You can only get instant on with a flash based device. Can you imagine the cost of a flash disk large enough for an XP based computer.
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My thought exactly... unless UPCs can attain "instant-on" capability, it can never replace a PPC IMO.
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01-22-2004, 10:08 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 76
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after living with pda's for almost 10 years I'm really starting to think that a full OS that i can carry around is what I want. The smart phone would handle the PIM part of my life and the work would be done on what i'm thinking would be a large handheld. the tablets are just too big but something the size of the newton or the NEC clamshell is starting to draw me in. I just do too much powerpoint - spreadsheet - word doc's with embedded pictures stuff to make this 4 inch screen thing replace the laptop. therefore the laptop still goes nearly everywhere with me plus the ipaq plus the 2 cell phones plus the stowaway keyboard. this is a pain in the back literally. :roll:
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ipaq 3670*OS 2002
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