03-09-2006, 06:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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The Ultra-Mobile PC: Are Disconnected Pocket PCs in Trouble?
So, in addition to Ekkie's huge roundup of the latest Origami news, Microsoft's got their official UMPC webpage up, and Engadget has some hands-on pics and thoughts with some the UMPCs at CeBIT. One of the interesting things is the Touch Pack to be distributed with many (all?) of the UMPCs, including a launcher app, "DialKeys" (pictured below), Touch Improvements, etc.
It's pretty clear to me that this is part of Bill Gates' vision. He's been known to be a huge fan of Tablet PC, and less so of Pocket PCs. Now, let me be clear: it's pretty certain Windows Mobile isn't disappearing anytime soon. These units are full-fledged PCs, relatively large (~ 2 pounds) and with 2-3 hours of battery life -- that's not going to do for one's PIM, cell phone, or even industrial solution, although they're supposed to get smaller and cheaper in the years to come. Still, I can't help but wonder if this will eat at the high-end disconnected Pocket PC market, especially the VGA standalone units. I remember trying to cram everything on my Toshiba e805, and for that kind of application, something like this might be easier. Instead of having a dumb cell phone and a Pocket PC, 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!
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03-09-2006, 06:08 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 218
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No way; I have a U70; I hate it, and don't ever take it with me. I thought it was so cool at first. Unfortunately, I got it before Sony issued them in this country, so it has a Japanese OS, jiggled into English by Dynamism. That means no CD to restore the OS, and since I'm scared to loose my information onto the world, I can't sell it because I can't zero out the hard drive. A hard lesson. But that very fact kept me trying to use the thing long after I knew it was a losing proposition.
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03-09-2006, 06:14 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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It't just the wrong size to be either. Like the Newton was.
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03-09-2006, 06:59 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 242
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For what I use my current Motion Computing tablet for, this may fit the bill in an even more compact (and less expensive package). When I take an honest look at my real-life use, I basically do:
Email
Finance (Miscrosoft Money)
Music
Picures
Video
Everything else is W?BIC.
As such, I could basically use this as a desktop replacement and get the portability to boot. That said, this is certainly not for everyone and I don't know whether I will go with a first generation one of these.
One thing I read was that 'future versions' will be compatible with Vista; don't know what that means but it doesn't I don't think it bodes well. It seems to be following the Windows Mobile philosophy where if you want to upgrade the OS, you have to buy a new device and/or rely on OEMs to provide it (which has been generally disappointing in my view - I give you HP as an example). Hope that was just early misinformation...
db
__________________
'It has been my experience that the more extreme the opinion, the less likely it is to be based on or altered by fact.'*- db
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03-09-2006, 07:32 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 172
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This would be more of a laptop replacement for me than a PocketPC killer - or a tablet replacement. The form factors are one major thing that they've forgotten here - yes, it's still hand-sized... but it's about half again as large as most PocketPCs, which I already consider to be on the 'big' end for a portable device. From what I can see, they're about the size of a hardcover book, which would put it firmly in the 'luggable' category for me, and thus as something I'd use if I had a few moments to sit down or stand around to access some information rather than a pocketable device I'd pull out to check a contact, to make a call with, or to look up something quickly.
It may do well replacing the Portable Media Centers, and to displace my own PocketPC as an e-book reader (even if the battery life's awful), and as an internet appliance or maybe even a quick document editor (although, for document creation, I'd rather get a keyboard... which means we're going back into laptop or desktop territory again)... but not if I'm working on the run. It's just too BIG for that, and until they perfect virtual or HUD displays for such things, I'd have to say the PocketPC still has a place in my own lifestyle.
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03-09-2006, 07:34 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 24
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:roll:
I kinda see where they are going, it interests me, but I'm not sure I'm looking for anything between my iPAQ 4700 and my smallish Sony notebook.
Right now the killer is battery life. That screen has a lot more real estate to light up than my PDA. If they are claiming 3 hours battery life, you know it is really more like 2 hours -- probably couldn't even finish a movie. If they got the run time up to a true 4-6 hours, it would look a lot more interesting.
This thing reminds me of someone who places 8th in every pentathalon event and thinks that consistency will get him a gold medal.
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03-09-2006, 07:36 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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DualCor is supposed to be out this month right? :wink:
I don't think the PocketPC is going anywhere. There are SO MANY people out there that are not nearly as high-tech as the rest of us and will want a minimalist approach to keeping their PIM's functioning. It will get smaller, thinner and more powerful if anything. Hopefully simplier.
But the Ultramobiles are awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on the DualCor. This is 1st generation stuff too... So the 2nd and 3rd generation of these device will blow us away.
If it werent' for games, I would use the DualCor for everything...
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03-09-2006, 07:39 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 810
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This device looks great, but my inital reaction matches one of the choices in this poll - too small to be a useful replacement for a laptop, and too big to be a replacement for Windows Mobile.
WM devices keep us connected and give us enough power and flexibility for what we need while on the move without having to resort to an XP machine, while remaining compact enough to carry around with no trouble. And when we need more power, we have laptops of all sizes and specs, and price ranges. These UMPC's don't have integrated optical drives (for loading software or watching DVD movies, and I mention this because who wants to lug around a bunch of peripherals?), and they're too big to stuff in a pocket.
As cool as it would be to have all this power in a more portable package like this, and as much as I'd love to see something like this succeed (because let's face it, they are pretty slick), I can't see it filling anything else other than a niche in the market. I think WM has more overall appeal than Origami ever will.
But I'm still going to wait this one out a bit and see how it progresses.
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03-09-2006, 07:41 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 450
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This'd be a really nice gadget to have...but for real use...no, it wouldn't work for me. I have a notebook for desktop/sometimes portable purposes, and a Pocket PC Phone for the true portability and to have emails, ebooks, music, PIM, phone and such with me anywhere.
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03-09-2006, 07:48 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 349
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I'm just curious as to how it would affect the sales ofAll of which have quotes estimated street prices of $1500-2000.
This must be quite a shocker to those manufacturers (though I'm sure someone must have seen it coming) into either releasing their products as fast as they can (and hopefully not screwing it up in the process by releasing an unfinished product - what? that'd never happen! :roll
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