On one extreme, there are PDAs, smart phones, and the like. They technically are mobile computing, but they are specialized devices adapted to specific tasks. On the other extreme, there are mobile laptops (the 10" varieties). They are for general computing, but they can be clunkly to carry out (not to mention power and cost). I believe there is, or will be, a market for general computing devices that falls somewhere between a PDA and a laptop in terms of mobility (as mentioned in several of the above posts). However, I see several hurdles to this yet unnamed class of devices:
1) Screen size: Face it, screen size limits what tasks you can do with the device. Now, the hurdle to overcome is a large screen size (say 10" or 12") that is portable (like a 5" or 6" tablet). Umm, folding screen technology?!
2) Power: Face it, processing power limits what tasks you can do with the device. Now, adding more CPU power is relatively easy (let's cut out form factor and cost for simplication sake). But this means more drain on battery. Brain matter have been on top of this for a long time without much success.
3) Cost: Face it, anything over $300 (USD) is out of reach of the vast majority of the developing populations. It may come down to this price, but not for a while.
4) Form factor: packing a large screen with plenty of cpu and battery will probably not very portable. Anything more than twice the size of a PDA will be clunky and it's not that much more to carry a 10" laptop. Will require a bit of engineering. We may get there, eventually.
So, my 2cents is a truly global success that'll change our lives forever (like the Internet did) won't happen unless all 4 hurdles above are successfully addressed.
Without an 'Instant On' capability...or a two second or less boot up routine...this device will not sweep the user community.
What is the spec for boot time?...or return from standby time? I'd bet it's a long time for both.
That those specs were absent from the hoopla at release means that 'Turn it on and go' is not here yet.....and with 3 hours or less of battery life your Origami will be dead before lunch.
As a former owner of a Tablet PC before I eBay'd it, the startup time was a big factor in my disatisfaction.
"Standby/sleep" was tolerable but drained the battery after a day.
"Hibernation" was ideal in concept, but sluggish in operation, taking 30 secs after deciding to use the tablet before being able to. Forget jotting down spur of the moment thoughts.
I went back to a PDA, and a smart phone will be my next move.
With the price drop in flash memory I'm betting we'll see a 6-10GB "system partition" that can immediately activate, with the system running in the flash memory.
I'd also bet that these UMPCs can suspend to "stand by" for an extended period of time; for many users this may be adequate.
It seems to me that the big problem with the current implementation of the UMPC is the operating system. WinXP is not a mobile OS. It was originally designed for desktops and laptops, machines that would generally be operated from a sitting position, using a keyboard and mouse, on mains power. It is therefore optimised for this 'use case,' and not for the very different activities that people need to perform when out and about.
Given the numerous iterations that MS's 'real' mobile OS (Windows Mobile) has gone through, you would have thought that MS would have learned a thing or two about the needs of mobile users. Seemingly not. They've shoehorned an overweight, resource-intensive OS (which runs similarly overweight applications) into a small device and are trying to convince everyone that it's the last word in mobility.
It should comes as no surprise, therefore, that the new UMPCs will only run for a couple of hours between charges, will overheat, will be slow and (worst of all) will take up to two minutes to boot.
Even networking hasn't been thought through properly. Truly mobile devices should have ubiquitous connectivity, seamlessly switching between LAN, Wi-Fi and cellular networks as required (like my Vaio TX does). The value of mobile computing largely lies in the currency and relevance of the information it contains, whether that is stock and order data, sports scores, supermarket specials, or severe weather warnings. Just being able to be carried around is no longer a useful definition of 'mobile.' It is the information that needs to be mobile, not just the device.
Which brings me to the question of the UMPC's size. It is clearly too large to be carried in a pocket and so will require some sort of case. This changes the ways in which it will be used. A PDA or Smartphone can be slipped into a pocket or purse at the same time as wallet, keys and glasses. The decision to carry it is automatic. The UMPC's size and power consumption means that requires a conscious decision to carry it (as well as its power pack, connectivity cables and external keyboard/mouse). It's uses, therefore, will be limited to those for which we currently use laptop PCs. So the question is, why not just use a laptop?
I was amused by one of the reports on the UMPC, saying that some models would have a 'clamshell' formfactor with a keyboard on one side. I think that's commonly known as a laptop, isn't it?
Don't get me wrong, I dearly hope that someone makes a truly useful mobile general purpose computer. To my mind, such a device would have a mobile-optimised OS, ubiquitous high speed networking (voice and data), lightweight or web-services based applications, instant-on, eight hour battery life, effective speech recognition and voice operation. While some of these capabilities are available now, some will have to wait for further advances in the relevant technologies. Whatever the case, Version 1.0 of the UMPC will be little more than a demonstration of manufacturers' ability to cram components into a small formfactor. We'll have to wait for 2.0 or, more likely, 3.0 before the promise of the device is realised.
But, I would focus on the lack of a reliable input device as the main deal breaker. Thumb typing ain't gonna do it for most potential customers. I never got used to it on my Palms and eventually sold the last one, a Tungsten C. Blackberry folks, the best thumb typers out there, will find Origami devices redundant. The stylus will not be popular either. Typing with one is slow and one loses stylii. Needing to tote a keyboard turns the Origami device into something close to, but inferior to, a subcompact laptop.
The site is Japanese, but this thing it is very light, it is as heavy as a mobile phone... because it is one but the price is very accesible and it is fairly fast. I went to the store and took a look at it... the bad thing is that I have allergy to MS Windows.
Now, the newton was not a bad product, and I think MS has lots of chances to maket work because of the market share. Look at the X Box, do you remember the Peepin, it was developed by Apple and Bandai, but it did not work well neither, because there werent many Mac Games... I think.
One of the biggest reasons the iPod is a hit, it is beacause is compatible with other platforms. If Apple make the iPuter, or what ever they called, with OS X or any System that say MacOS, cahnces are that it would never be a hit, like the iPod is. And I hope I`m wrong on this one, this is MHO.
As someone mentioned before, MS is not making the hardware, just the software, so they do not have responsability if the gadgets are not cool,
But if that thing are cool, and OS X going intel, some one might end up with a OrigamOS X... but don`t tell Apple.
This device will fail for several reasons: - it's expensive - it's ugly - It does not provide anything better than what a Tablet PC does.
I look at it and I see a Newton super-sized with a awkward Design. I don't think there is the need for this type of device unless it integrates perfectly with your OS like iPod does with iTunes.
Apple Research Lab has built this type of device a long time ago. Look at what happen to the Palm. It was supposedly the best device and then it died. People don't want to learn a new writing language, and they want to take note quickly. Keyboard is fast.
Anyway, this will be pulled out the market by next year.
What is so new about a small computer? There is a whole bunch of them oQo, toshiba libretto, sharp zaurus, etc and a whole bunch of Tablets including the samallest LS800 from Motion Computing on the market already. The first biggest problem with almost all of them they are too big and the batteries run out in 2hrs. The second biggest problem is data input - TEXT how the hell do you thumb it in? Next OS from Microsoft will have a pen input recognition built in and it will allow you to train it to your style of writing. Current Tablt OS 2005 is pretty good at input by pen but there is not way to train it, so hopefully the next version will address this issue. Only when you are able to write on the screen and convert your scribbles to text (100% right) it will get used, until that time it will remain in the vertical markets. About the size... well, untill we have those flexi-screens available it will stay biger than your pda. However, current origami has a sort of better look, when I'm taking notes I would like something like a long and narrow pad, I think Apple with it's Newton was on the right track with that one. Once I'm done writing I can rotate the screen and have a wider field of view for things like internet surfing or spreadsheets. I'm not sure who is designing thoses things... but most of the time it feels as if it was done by people who would never use them.
It certainly is a first step so, yes, it might be worth waiting for the second or third waves which I expect to produce more powerful but thinner and lighter models.
Thin-flexi-screens are really what I am excited about in the near future. And of course, Wi-Fi/Wi-Max, integrated phone/messaging features (cellular? 3G? VoIP?), built-in TV/radio tuner and better battery life.
The best thing about all this is that I can carry my PC anywhere. Business/work stuffs? All in. Communications? All in. Entertainment? All in. Wow!!!
If I need a full PC feature with keyboard and mouse, all I need to find is a docking device. Something that looks really cool both in the house and in the office.
It certainly is a first step so, yes, it might be worth waiting for the second or third waves which I expect to produce more powerful but thinner and lighter models.
Thin-flexi-screens are really what I am excited about in the near future. And of course, Wi-Fi/Wi-Max, integrated phone/messaging features (cellular? 3G? VoIP?), built-in TV/radio tuner and better battery life.
The best thing about all this is that I can carry my PC anywhere. Business/work stuffs? All in. Communications? All in. Entertainment? All in. Wow!!!
If I need a full PC feature with keyboard and mouse, all I need to find is a docking device. Something that looks really cool both in the house and in the office.
If you want to use a mobile computer . . - everywhere it'll get damaged; needs to be cheap - without hands it needs to be attached to you - while excercising it needs to be phone sized - all day it needs to be recharged externally - outdoors it needs a transreflective screen - for highres apps it needs thin hot-plug visors - without keys it needs writing/voice recognition
So if these Ultra-Mobiles want to live up to the name they need to address size by separating core from battery/storage/display, provide a practical way to wear several components, like an ammo belt, use faster ports like ExpressCard+sleeved-cables, and provide enough of them for modular expansion.
Let me pick my own gps,umts,visor,kinetic-charger so a core can be used in a carPC or robot later. If new laptops can sell for $500 why can't cores? Negroponte knows it can; Intel isn't very amused!
If you want to use a mobile computer . . - everywhere it'll get damaged; needs to be cheap - without hands it needs to be attached to you - while excercising it needs to be phone sized - all day it needs to be recharged externally - outdoors it needs a transreflective screen - for highres apps it needs thin hot-plug visors - without keys it needs writing/voice recognition
So if these Ultra-Mobiles want to live up to the name they need to address size by separating core from battery/storage/display, provide a practical way to wear several components, like an ammo belt, use faster ports like ExpressCard+sleeved-cables, and provide enough of them for modular expansion.
Let me pick my own gps,umts,visor,kinetic-charger so a core can be used in a carPC or robot later. If new laptops can sell for $500 why can't cores? Negroponte knows it can; Intel isn't very amused!
Sony had offered a Media Center-like software before Microsoft began offering XP MCE.
Now, Microsoft's Origami project comes months after Sony's U50/U70 have left the market, a product which offered the funcionality of the Origami project without the special software.
Sony's device is way too expensive, and when did they start selling it in usa? I htink origami is gonna be big but what they need is at least 16 hours battery life to make it worth my money. I have been looking for something like this for a couple of years now. finally!
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1) Screen size: Face it, screen size limits what tasks you can do with the device. Now, the hurdle to overcome is a large screen size (say 10" or 12") that is portable (like a 5" or 6" tablet). Umm, folding screen technology?!
2) Power: Face it, processing power limits what tasks you can do with the device. Now, adding more CPU power is relatively easy (let's cut out form factor and cost for simplication sake). But this means more drain on battery. Brain matter have been on top of this for a long time without much success.
3) Cost: Face it, anything over $300 (USD) is out of reach of the vast majority of the developing populations. It may come down to this price, but not for a while.
4) Form factor: packing a large screen with plenty of cpu and battery will probably not very portable. Anything more than twice the size of a PDA will be clunky and it's not that much more to carry a 10" laptop. Will require a bit of engineering. We may get there, eventually.
So, my 2cents is a truly global success that'll change our lives forever (like the Internet did) won't happen unless all 4 hurdles above are successfully addressed.
What is the spec for boot time?...or return from standby time? I'd bet it's a long time for both.
That those specs were absent from the hoopla at release means that 'Turn it on and go' is not here yet.....and with 3 hours or less of battery life your Origami will be dead before lunch.
Nice try....but I'll wait for the second release.
As a former owner of a Tablet PC before I eBay'd it, the startup
time was a big factor in my disatisfaction.
"Standby/sleep" was tolerable but drained the battery after a
day.
"Hibernation" was ideal in concept, but sluggish in operation,
taking 30 secs after deciding to use the tablet before being able
to. Forget jotting down spur of the moment thoughts.
I went back to a PDA, and a smart phone will be my next move.
I'd also bet that these UMPCs can suspend to "stand by" for an extended period of time; for many users this may be adequate.
Given the numerous iterations that MS's 'real' mobile OS (Windows Mobile) has gone through, you would have thought that MS would have learned a thing or two about the needs of mobile users. Seemingly not. They've shoehorned an overweight, resource-intensive OS (which runs similarly overweight applications) into a small device and are trying to convince everyone that it's the last word in mobility.
It should comes as no surprise, therefore, that the new UMPCs will only run for a couple of hours between charges, will overheat, will be slow and (worst of all) will take up to two minutes to boot.
Even networking hasn't been thought through properly. Truly mobile devices should have ubiquitous connectivity, seamlessly switching between LAN, Wi-Fi and cellular networks as required (like my Vaio TX does). The value of mobile computing largely lies in the currency and relevance of the information it contains, whether that is stock and order data, sports scores, supermarket specials, or severe weather warnings. Just being able to be carried around is no longer a useful definition of 'mobile.' It is the information that needs to be mobile, not just the device.
Which brings me to the question of the UMPC's size. It is clearly too large to be carried in a pocket and so will require some sort of case. This changes the ways in which it will be used. A PDA or Smartphone can be slipped into a pocket or purse at the same time as wallet, keys and glasses. The decision to carry it is automatic. The UMPC's size and power consumption means that requires a conscious decision to carry it (as well as its power pack, connectivity cables and external keyboard/mouse). It's uses, therefore, will be limited to those for which we currently use laptop PCs. So the question is, why not just use a laptop?
I was amused by one of the reports on the UMPC, saying that some models would have a 'clamshell' formfactor with a keyboard on one side. I think that's commonly known as a laptop, isn't it?
Don't get me wrong, I dearly hope that someone makes a truly useful mobile general purpose computer. To my mind, such a device would have a mobile-optimised OS, ubiquitous high speed networking (voice and data), lightweight or web-services based applications, instant-on, eight hour battery life, effective speech recognition and voice operation. While some of these capabilities are available now, some will have to wait for further advances in the relevant technologies. Whatever the case, Version 1.0 of the UMPC will be little more than a demonstration of manufacturers' ability to cram components into a small formfactor. We'll have to wait for 2.0 or, more likely, 3.0 before the promise of the device is realised.
But, I would focus on the lack of a reliable input device as the main deal breaker. Thumb typing ain't gonna do it for most potential customers. I never got used to it on my Palms and eventually sold the last one, a Tungsten C. Blackberry folks, the best thumb typers out there, will find Origami devices redundant. The stylus will not be popular either. Typing with one is slow and one loses stylii. Needing to tote a keyboard turns the Origami device into something close to, but inferior to, a subcompact laptop.
The site is Japanese, but this thing it is very light, it is as heavy
as a mobile phone... because it is one but the price is very
accesible and it is fairly fast. I went to the store and took a look
at it... the bad thing is that I have allergy to MS Windows.
Now, the newton was not a bad product, and I think MS has lots
of chances to maket work because of the market share. Look at
the X Box, do you remember the Peepin, it was developed by
Apple and Bandai, but it did not work well neither, because there
werent many Mac Games... I think.
One of the biggest reasons the iPod is a hit, it is beacause is
compatible with other platforms. If Apple make the iPuter, or
what ever they called, with OS X or any System that say MacOS,
cahnces are that it would never be a hit, like the iPod is. And I
hope I`m wrong on this one, this is MHO.
As someone mentioned before, MS is not making the hardware,
just the software, so they do not have responsability if the
gadgets are not cool,
But if that thing are cool, and OS X going intel, some one might
end up with a OrigamOS X... but don`t tell Apple.
- it's expensive
- it's ugly
- It does not provide anything better than what a Tablet PC
does.
I look at it and I see a Newton super-sized with a awkward
Design.
I don't think there is the need for this type of device unless it
integrates perfectly with your OS like iPod does with iTunes.
Apple Research Lab has built this type of device a long time ago.
Look at what happen to the Palm. It was supposedly the best
device and then it died. People don't want to learn a new writing
language, and they want to take note quickly. Keyboard is fast.
Anyway, this will be pulled out the market by next year.
There is a whole bunch of them oQo, toshiba libretto, sharp zaurus, etc and a whole bunch of Tablets including the samallest LS800 from Motion Computing on the market already.
The first biggest problem with almost all of them they are too big and the batteries run out in 2hrs. The second biggest problem is data input - TEXT how the hell do you thumb it in?
Next OS from Microsoft will have a pen input recognition built in and it will allow you to train it to your style of writing. Current Tablt OS 2005 is pretty good at input by pen but there is not way to train it, so hopefully the next version will address this issue.
Only when you are able to write on the screen and convert your scribbles to text (100% right) it will get used, until that time it will remain in the vertical markets.
About the size... well, untill we have those flexi-screens available it will stay biger than your pda. However, current origami has a sort of better look, when I'm taking notes I would like something like a long and narrow pad, I think Apple with it's Newton was on the right track with that one. Once I'm done writing I can rotate the screen and have a wider field of view for things like internet surfing or spreadsheets.
I'm not sure who is designing thoses things... but most of the time it feels as if it was done by people who would never use them.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton" target="_newWindow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton</a>
Origami = Apple Newton + Palm + PSP + Wi-Fi + oQo + Intel = UBER NEWTON 2006!
What will Microsloth think of next?
do with a bit of class and if they wacked on os x, then we'd have a
winner.
i tell you who could design a good looking one, apple. Put that
together with os x and i think it'd be great!!
Thin-flexi-screens are really what I am excited about in the near future. And of course, Wi-Fi/Wi-Max, integrated phone/messaging features (cellular? 3G? VoIP?), built-in TV/radio tuner and better battery life.
The best thing about all this is that I can carry my PC anywhere. Business/work stuffs? All in. Communications? All in. Entertainment? All in. Wow!!!
If I need a full PC feature with keyboard and mouse, all I need to find is a docking device. Something that looks really cool both in the house and in the office.
Dock indoors.
Mobile outdoors.
Meanwhile, my backup disks stay safe at home.
Thin-flexi-screens are really what I am excited about in the near future. And of course, Wi-Fi/Wi-Max, integrated phone/messaging features (cellular? 3G? VoIP?), built-in TV/radio tuner and better battery life.
The best thing about all this is that I can carry my PC anywhere. Business/work stuffs? All in. Communications? All in. Entertainment? All in. Wow!!!
If I need a full PC feature with keyboard and mouse, all I need to find is a docking device. Something that looks really cool both in the house and in the office.
Dock indoors.
Mobile outdoors.
Meanwhile, my backup disks stay safe at home.
- everywhere it'll get damaged; needs to be cheap
- without hands it needs to be attached to you
- while excercising it needs to be phone sized
- all day it needs to be recharged externally
- outdoors it needs a transreflective screen
- for highres apps it needs thin hot-plug visors
- without keys it needs writing/voice recognition
So if these Ultra-Mobiles want to live up to the name they need to address size by separating core from battery/storage/display, provide a practical way to wear several components, like an ammo belt,
use faster ports like ExpressCard+sleeved-cables, and provide enough of them for modular expansion.
Let me pick my own gps,umts,visor,kinetic-charger so a core can be used in a carPC or robot later. If new laptops can sell for $500 why can't cores? Negroponte knows it can; Intel isn't very amused!
- everywhere it'll get damaged; needs to be cheap
- without hands it needs to be attached to you
- while excercising it needs to be phone sized
- all day it needs to be recharged externally
- outdoors it needs a transreflective screen
- for highres apps it needs thin hot-plug visors
- without keys it needs writing/voice recognition
So if these Ultra-Mobiles want to live up to the name they need to address size by separating core from battery/storage/display, provide a practical way to wear several components, like an ammo belt,
use faster ports like ExpressCard+sleeved-cables, and provide enough of them for modular expansion.
Let me pick my own gps,umts,visor,kinetic-charger so a core can be used in a carPC or robot later. If new laptops can sell for $500 why can't cores? Negroponte knows it can; Intel isn't very amused!
Now, Microsoft's Origami project comes months after Sony's U50/U70 have left the market, a product which offered the funcionality of the Origami project without the special software.