24May2006
We’ve seen and heard a lot of things about the UMPC. Lately there has been a lot of speculation about the Sony UX series, is this an UMPC or Sony’s answer to the UMPC?
According to Microsoft and Intel, when the UMPC was first announced they said: “The Ultra-Mobile PC is a new kind of computer. It combines the power of Windows XP with mobile-ready technologies that make it easy to access and use your software on the go” Till date we’ve seen many vendors with their own versions of UMPC. Now comes the Sony Vaio UX Series.
Sure it does have the features that all other UMPCs don’t have, but wait is it worth the $1800 - Well we are talking tech and not just style. Sure it does pack
- Intel® Core™ Solo Processor U1400 (1.20 GHz)
- 512 MB of RAM
- 30 GB of Storage with G-Sensor™ HDD Shock Protection
- 4.5″ Wide SVGA LCD, Touch Screen (will this be good enough for the applications that we run on it?)
- 2 Cameras (Why not have just one that rotates)
- Cingular EDGE Card buit in
- Integrated WLAN, WWAN, and Bluetooth® technology
- Integrated Biometric Fingerprint Sensor
- USB 2.0, Memory Stick Duo™ slot, headphone and microphone inputs
- Port replicator which includes three USB 2.0 ports, i. LINK®4, VGA, AV-out, Ethernet, and DC-in, and the VGA adapter includes ports for VGA, Ethernet, and AV-out.
- Built in Sliding Keyboard
Well may be, but we’ll have to wait to see the product in person to judge its features and ease of use. Some thing that really bothers me is the Screen Size, Yep Small is beautiful but when it comes to Screens everyone wants it BIG, and when it comes to gadgets smaller the better.
The unit comes pre-installed with Windows XP (SP2) and seems to be ready for Vista, From the pictures released so far it also appears that sony would pack its own version of touchpack to the product. With the sliding keyboard the need for dialkeys is gone. Yes in many ways the product specs and features looks very promising except for the price. Though the unit comes with microsoft streets installed the optional GPS reciever has to be purchased (price not announced yet)
More information on Sony Vaio UX Series
It would have been great if sony had packed the a SIM card slot in to it and made it a phone too (well it would not be much bigger than those black berries). Go ahead tell us what you think.
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24May2006
Posted by Joe
in Reviews, Samsung and Specs.
By now most of us have a clear picture of what to expect in an UMPC and there has been many reviews done on the Samsung and TabletKiosk till date, Riyad of Trusted Reviews has yet another in-depth review of the product…
I have to admit that I’m not convinced that the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) category of devices has any business existing. From the minute I saw prototypes of these devices start to appear, the UMPC just appeared to be a solution to a problem that didn’t really exist. Is there really a need for a device that sits between an ultra-portable notebook and a fully featured PDA? I’m not so sure. But despite my lack of faith in the UMPC, I am a real sucker for cool gadgets so I was keen to get my paws on a Samsung Q1 despite my reservations.
The first thing that struck me about the Q1 was the packaging. Samsung has really pushed the boat out to make the Q1 look good even when it’s in the box. Much like the old Apple iPod cube shaped boxes, the Q1 packaging looks sleek, stylish and expensive. But since you can’t judge a book by its cover, it’s good to know that the Q1 itself looks even better than the box that it ships in [...more...]
Verdict:
Top marks to Samsung for creating a beautifully designed and constructed ultra mobile PC. The Q1 really does look the part and in many ways it has the ability to back up its stylish appearance. The inclusion of the USB keyboard travel pack is more of an obvious necessity than a good idea, making the Q1 a usable mobile computer. General browsing and even watching video is a joy on this little machine, but you really want to do these things on the move, without being tethered to a power socket.
Ideally I’d like to see the next Q1 (the Q2 maybe?) ship with a higher resolution screen – preferably 1,024 pixels wide – and better battery life. Considering that Sony can squeeze seven hours out of the TX2XP, I have no doubt that Samsung can manage better battery life in the next Q1, but as the current Q1 stands, it’s not the ultimate mobile computer that it should be
Read the [ Full review here ]
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23May2006
Posted by Joe
in Hardware and Sony.
Guys at Digital World Tokyo seem to be feeling lucky - they say: they asked sony nicely and they got one, and will be posting a review soon.
“Whaddya know? We asked nicely and Sony sent us over a VGN-UX50 this weekend for us to road-test. Lucky us.
So far, results have been pretty mixed but we’ll be publishing a full review shortly, which we hope will answer a few of the hundreds of calls we’ve had for a complete rundown of Sony’s UMPC killer. Keep your eyes peeled.”
Via [Digital World Tokyo]
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23May2006
It’s Samsung again, But no with the price tag of $2430 - Yes thats a lot pricy than a high end stylish notebook today.
“SEOUL, Korea – May 23, 2006 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the leader in digital media technology, will release the world’s first PCs embedded with a 32-Gigabyte (GB) NAND flash-based solid state disk (SSD). This marks the first time that NAND flash has moved into a commercial mobile computing application and is a breakthrough that will pave the way for replacing hard disk drives with NAND flash-based memory disks.
The Samsung Q1, an ultra-mobile computing device and the Q30, a 12.1-inch screen notebook PC, will be available in the Korean market from early June.
The two new SSD-enabled PC offerings are designed for optimal portability and resolve many of the traditional challenges of mobile computers. The data in flash memory are much more secure against external shocks that can occur when transporting a mobile computer. The SSD can withstand about twice the impact that would cripple a regular hard disk drive. In addition, stored data can be more easily retrieved from flash memory than traditional hard drives when PCs are dropped or liquid is spilled on the device. These mobile computing devices are the ideal solution for professionals and executives who are constantly on the move…”
Read the press release
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16May2006
Posted by Joe
in Hardware and Sony.
After a few days of speculation this week, Sony has confirmed the existence of a UMPC device in their Sony VAIO computer line. The VAIO Type U will go on sale by the end of the month, and will be available in two versions, the VAIO U VGN-UX50 and VAIO U VGN-UX90. There are some differences in the specifications we speculated on previously, which we’ll go over in a moment; the basic specifications, however, are still the same. With the first UMPC that breaks the design mold set by Samsung’s Q1 and TabletKiosk’s eo, will Sony have what it takes to bring these devices into the mainstream?
If you want to take a closer look at the device, jkOnTheRun uncovered a Japanese Flash demo of the device. Check it out here.
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