03-21-2006, 09:00 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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Engadget : Origami Is a Paper Tiger for Now
"Here we go again. In its unending capitalistic quest, Microsoft is determined to figure out how to sell people their nth computer. Today, its ideal consumer's computing inventory looks something like this -- a couple of desktops around the home, a notebook for those mobile jaunts, a Media Center PC for controlling the television experience serving up Windows Media files to an Xbox 360 or lesser Media Center Extenders, and at least a Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Smartphone device. But, wait. That could leave an unacceptable seven minutes and 34 seconds during waking hours when you don't have a Windows license at your wallet-handling fingertips. "
I know from the recent poll that Janak conducted a few weeks back, a large percentage of you (~30%) are not very excited by the prospects of Origami (a.k.a. UMPC). Well, you can add Engadget guest columnist Ross Rubin to that list as he goes on to expound on the non-existing market for Origami, though he does leave the door slightly ajar for the future if the price is right. Overall, his main gripe is in the lack of value of a device that is too big to be pocketable, but yet is geared towards mobility. Give it a read and let us know if he's captured the essence of Origami or if he's just missing the point.
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03-21-2006, 09:09 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 13
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You would think with a name like Origami it woud do something really cool like fold up. Then it would be pocketable and everyone would want one. Just think a big foldable screen...
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03-21-2006, 09:33 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
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I think a lot of people are missing the point. Just 3 years ago, I was willing to lay down $600 for a Pocket PC device that does a fraction of what this can do at the same price. It is bigger, yes. But honestly, I stopped trying to do a lot of the things I wanted to do on my Pocket PC due to the fact it simply doesn't do them well.
1) Any MS Office function
2) Web browsing
3) Can't use any of my PC software
4) Mediocre video playback at best
If I need these more powerful features, I'm more than happy to have it all in a bag with me. I don't want to carry around a heavy laptop though and when I'm on a plane, I hate having a laptop with me but my PDA just doesn't do what I'd like it to.
I'd much rather have something like the Origami or a small tablet & a pda/smartphone for basic PIM. That's what I originally had a PDA for and that's what I want mine for.
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03-21-2006, 09:39 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 266
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If this comes in at $500-$700, I'll be very interested in/likely to get one... We have an OQO at the office and I really like that device, but the OQO costs too much for me to buy one for myself...
8)
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03-21-2006, 09:48 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 980
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Well, as you can see, origamis have a market. Read the above posts.
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03-21-2006, 09:50 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 468
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Of course I'm a big Pocket PC fan. But then I'm also a big Tablet PC fan (and as the host of The Tablet PC Show podcast, I ought to be...
One of the glaring weaknesses in the Pocket PCs, in my opinion, has always been the lightweight Office applications, especially the Inbox. The UMPCs (aka Origami devices) solve that because you get the full-blown Office applications running on a very small device.
No, it's not as portable as most of the Pocket PCs out there, although they're not a whole lot bigger than the beefier Mobile devices available. None of them would fit in my pants pocket. However, they would go almost anywhere with me, perhaps in a small bag or carrying case, or for those who carry one, a purse.
Add to that a Smartphone or small phone-enabled Pocket PC, like a Treo, pair them up with Bluetooth and use the phone's high-speed data access to give the UMPC data-anywhere capability, and you've got a pretty powerful combination.
So, I don't see the UMPCs killing off the Smartphone or small phone-enabled PDAs at all, but I do see them giving the larger, more expensive Pocket PCs a run for the money. Perhaps not immediately as the initial price of the UMPCs looks to be about $1000, but Microsoft and Intel are both working to bring down those prices to somewhere close to $500 and at that price, they are definitely a PDA-killer.
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03-21-2006, 09:58 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 980
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I don't think that they are definitely a PDA-killer but they will cut the price of current PPCs a lot. There are moments where you need a small device to take some notes, to help you with contacts addresses or emails that you can't remember or just as an alarm clock. For those times the PPC will be the perfect device. The UMPC will take care of those moments when you need a PC but you don't want to carry a 7 pound laptop or Tablet PC. The UMPC is going to be the perfect companion for vacations. But OEMs have to keep the price in the range of $600 to $900. That what the market is ready to pay for.
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03-21-2006, 09:58 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 307
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I think pocketablility as a criterion has been over-stressed.
When it comes to truly pocketable devices, you won't get far beyond smartphones, but anything small enough to fit in your pocket will be constrained by the laws of physics, geometry and so on to have a display too small for many purposes.
If we look at the market for powerful yet portable devices, the UMPC is lined up against competitors which are either horrendously expensive (including all those gorgeous paper-thin notebooks from newly-evil Sony) or at-least-a-bit-more-expensive+considerably-more-bulky.
And I swear, if anyone mentions iPods again I will reach out of their monitor and slap them.
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03-21-2006, 10:03 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 67
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by ctitanic
Well, as you can see, origamis have a market. Read the above posts.
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And more than likely those few posts will constitute it's _entire_ market.
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03-21-2006, 10:03 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 980
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Linear Mode
