17May2007
The first release of UMPC specifications were minimal and as things are getting more robust, the second version of UMPCs should be more powerful , slimmer and long lasting and ready for Vista. Though there are lots of UMPCs out there that support vista and some even with Aero, Microsoft seems to be getting ready with their next spec for UMPCs
… built-in QWERTY keyboard, 3-4 hrs battery life, 1GB of minimum Ram and less than 1.5 lbs
The second set of possible UMPC specifications under consideration calls for ultra-thin PCs that weigh less than 1.5 pounds, incorporate 5-inch or 7-inch displays .and are housed in an 18- to 20-mm footprint, executives said.
Potential features of the next-generation Origami design at the drawing board include an integrated QWERTY keyboard, a touch screen fully integrated into the LCD, at least 1 GB of memory, and battery life of between three and four hours, said Microsoft Vista development manager Vikram Madan, at the Windows Hardware Engineering conference…
Microsoft To Debut ‘Origami’ Ultra-Mobile PC Specs For Vista [Channel Web]
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17May2007
Gigabyte has announced that their version of the UMPC will be ready in Taiwan starting May 22 with an initial shipment of 500 units. They are positive that the UMPC market will be successful estimating about 2 Million units by 2007.
The specifications of U60 are
- Genuine Microsoft®Windows®VISTA™Business or
Genuine Microsoft®Windows® VISTA™Home Premium or
Genuine Microsoft®Windows® VISTA™Home Basic
- VIA® Esther Mobile Technology
- VIA Esther ULV C7-M (1.0GHz~1.5GHz, 400/800MHz, 128KB/128KB L2)
- VIA VX-700 UniChrome Pro II Graphics Integrated
- DDR2-533 512MB on board (Max.768MB)
- 6.5” TFT-LCD WXGA, 800×480, with LED backlight
- with 3G support
all of this at an estimated price of US $920 (according to Gigabyte) but DigiTimes states a price tag of NT$26,900 (US$808).
Press Release | Product Page [Gigabyte]
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16May2007
Fujitsu today unveiled the “FMV U8240″, We’ve seen and heard about this a lot, but here is the official word on it.
Tokyo, May 16, 2007 — Fujitsu Limited today announced the addition of the U Series of ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) to its FMV-LIFEBOOK line of notebook PCs. Intended for business users, the U Series is the world’s smallest tablet-convertible UMPC(1), weighing only 580g and with a thickness of only 26.5mm. The new series is available as of today. Combining the usability advantages of a UMPC with robust security features, the U Series has wide-ranging appeal as a powerful mobile machine…
The specs have not changed much from what we heard earlier
OS: Windows XP / Vista Business
CPU: Intel® Processor A110 (800 MHz)
RAM: 512 MB (DDR2 SDRAM)
HD: 20 GB
100BASE-TX
Security chip
and the pricing starts at JPY 144,000 (~USD 1200) to JPY 164,000 (~USD 1350) for the Vista and 1GB Ram.
Press Release [Fujitsu]
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15May2007
PLX technology will be demonstrating the USB Duet™ at WinHec 2007. So what does this do? Well this technology will allow your UMPC or computers running Windows XP or Vista to connect directly to other devices via docking or for video sharing.
Asus R2H gets shipped with something similar but not close, the USB sync cable(item 6 on the linked page) lets you connect 2 computers through the standard USB without a need for router or a network. USB Duet will let you share video to another device like an Xbox or use the standard dock for sharing your mouse, keyboard and the monitor.
The demonstrations feature USB Duet - a revolutionary cabling technology allowing computers running the Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems to connect through a standard USB cable — in two applications the technology excels in: video-file sharing and computer docking.
Press Release [PLX Technology]
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20Apr2007
Engadget reports that Samsung is getting ready to ship the product by May. There has not been any official word on the pricing from samsung still, but it is believed to be around $1600 as Steve reported earlier.
…which means we have about a month to figure out if we’re willing to sacrifice the slickness of the onscreen keyboard foisted upon us by 1st generation UMPCs with the actual convenience of being able to type. While that added width might look a tad frumpy, what’s clear is that the specs and connectivity here are enough to melt the hardest of hearts…
Samsung prepping Q1 Ultra for May [engadget]
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