30Mar2007
Posted by Joe
in Analysis.
Time has an article about a Billionaire’s bet, yes they are talking about FlipStart backed by Paul Allen. Though OQO has been in the game long enough, even before the concept of an UMPC came in to being, they already have the second generation of devices shipping. The only problem is that according to Microsoft the UMPCs were supposed to have a 5 to 7 inch screen with touch screen — the OQO does not have touch enabled screen but is categorized under UMPC.
Paul Allen seems very confident about the future of these devices. FlipStart was first announced / showcased about 3 years back but never made it in to production. They have their first generation now in to production.
Allen, 54, sees UMPCs as nothing less than a game changer. “We’re going to see an explosive evolution of devices like this,” he says, “because people want to carry their personal computer with them wherever they go.”
But then Time seems to be saying that Apple which has seems to be having the major buzz for its forthcoming iPhone (running a slim down version of the Mac OS X) might actually make an UMPC which might be a killer competition for this market. Time suggests that they have something like a “subnotebook” already in the plans!
Apple could employ flash memory instead of a standard hard disc, extending a mini Mac’s battery life and allowing it to start up quickly, like a phone. A Jobs subnotebook would likely be bigger than FlipStart’s but smaller than a laptop. Apple would have a distinct software advantage, given its focus on nongeeks.
Not sure if all Apple fan boys are “nongeeks”, but hey thats what Time has to say. Remember the Apple Tablet? We welcome your opinions too, go ahead comment!
A Billionaire’s Bet [Time]
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29Mar2007
Posted by Joe
in Software.
Today Microsoft released the Deepfish for Mobile Devices (Demo here). Note: This is currently available only by invitation.
The Deepfish Technology Preview enhances existing mobile browsing technologies by displaying content in a view that is closer to the desktop experience. Our zoom-able interface and cue map allow you to quickly access the information you care about over the web without ever losing track of where you are…
Some of the second generation of UMPC sport a better resolution than original / first generation UMPCs (800X480) We need Deepfish for UMPCs as well. Not all sites are designed for Mobile, so there has to be a way to get rid of the annoying horizontal scrollbars on the UMPCs and the answer is Deepfish.
What do you think? Will Microsoft make a version for UMPCs?
Learn more about Deepfish [Microsoft Live Labs]
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29Mar2007
Posted by Joe
in General.
We know its too late to ask this question, If you have been following various UMPC centric blogs, you know more.Vikram Madan, Software Development Manager at Microsoft, leading the development team that builds cool new experiences for the Windows Ultra-Mobile PC category started a blog.
Today the question is “what the @!#$ is a UMPC?” and he has summarized the UMPC to what we have been talking about for a long time.
…“Oy! So it’s just a smaller PC. What’s the big deal?” Wait. Don’t leave yet! J Yes, the Ultra-Mobile PC is a smaller PC. But this is a big deal - at least from the perspective of a deal you did not have before…
Get over there, and read all that he has to say, Not to mention the cartoons/ illustrations that accompany his postings are great too, like the one here.
What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs… [Vikram's Blog]
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27Mar2007
As the second generation of UMPCs are getting ready, this might be the first of the breed to start shipping. OQO announced their Model 2 in January at CES. Those who have pre-ordered the device, it will start shipping with Windows XP and for those who ordered it with Vista — you have to wait until sometime in April. Oh BTW have seen this scream if you drop it.
More on OQO Model 2 | Press Release | Product page [OQO]
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26Mar2007
Posted by Joe
in HTC, Hardware and Specs.
We’ve been hearing about HTC joining the UMPC party for a while. A while ago, we thought it was only the HTC Athena or the Ameo or the Advantage that they were talking about — NO. Engadget has done it again, they have some great news, HTC will soon be announcing the “Shift” the UMPC that we’ve all been waiting for.
…the Shift (codename Shangri-La), is officially announced today. We don’t yet have hard details on release date or price, but we do know it should be available in Q3 (we’d estimate for under $2,000). As for features, we know not to expect anything out of the ordinary (except lots of 3G)…
The specs of the device are
- VIA CPU (the one we tried had a 1.2GHz chip)
- Vista business (yes, it was running Aero)
- 7-inch sliding, tiling wide-touchscreen
- 30GB drive
- Tri-band UMTS / HSDPA, quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE
- WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0
- Biometric reader, front-facing camera
The design looks impressive, and the keyboard is very much the same as they have used it in their previous model. Hope the pricing will be as engadget puts it (under $2000) — that could mean $1999, but we’ll like it to be around a grand.
HTC Shift — the cellphone company finally goes UMPC [engadget] | Press Release [HTC]
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