Only UMPC | Ultra-Mobile PC » Rumors

New MID from Nokia?

Arun — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:30:48 +0000

There is a speculation that the santa will have the new MID from Nokia this year. This device will have a sliding keyboard and 4.2-inch display and may replace the current N810. No assumptions made on the size and battery life yet. But there is another interesting device called Nautilus (codename), which is said to have a ultra-thin touchscreen, a sensor to trigger the opening of a motorized ultra-thin keyboard with keys rising automatically for better feel! Sounds like a super cool device. Nautilus is expected to be in the market by mid 2010.

Dell Adamo 9, very soon

Arun — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:09:02 +0000

Dell slips information about the Adamo 9 in a peculiar way! through its support documents.
Probably it will be an ultra-thin UMPC. Lets wait for more leaks.

Source: Engadget

UMPC Rumors all around!

Joe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:48:13 +0000

Well there seems to be two major rumors which hints on new UMPC players.

Engadget shows us a new device might-be successor of the N800 with the full QWERTY keyboard, which potentially could be an UMPC or a MID. The details are really slim but the images says more.

More images and details here

On the other hand there are hints that DELL (finally) might enter the UMPC market — now take this with a grain of salt, because its not confirmed but looks like a possibility. — Details here
Looks like HTC is getting its next concept ready, though the Shift is not yet out, they are working on the next generation named the “omni” which looks more slim and might compete with the MID markets

More Details here

US700 UMPC — More deets & pics.

Joe — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:48:51 +0000

Steve has found more details of the US700 series. Well I was wondering why the product is named US* and I hope we have the answer.

(US700 series compared with Asus R2H – it is slim!)

From the details, looks like this is designed and manufactured by a team named KIDC The name US700 series is probably because they are calling their UMPC as USPC — so what does that mean? Ultra Slim PC.

So anyone know about the KIDC? (Not sure if it’s the “Korea Internet Data Center“) The Korean site has the LG logo on the very top and not sure if it’s a part of LG. (If you are from Korea can you please let us know).

Head over here for tones of images of the KIDC US700 series. [via Carrypad]

Asus to partner with HTC for nextgen UMPC

Joe — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:00:57 +0000

Looks like HTC would prefer to partner with OEMs to get their products out there, as it has always done. DigiTimes reports that

The stock price of VIA rose nearly 7% to close at NT$27.15 on December 19 due to rumors that the company will partner with High Tech Computer (HTC) on development of a new UMPC. The price reached a three month peak.

If this happens we’d have the best of breed UMPC. DigiTimes also confirmed that Asus is working on its 2nd release of UMPCs which this time will be powered by VIA. The company has already showcased them. It is also predicted that UMPC market will hit a whopping 130 million units during 2007.

VIA to take aim at UMPC Market [DigiTimes]

New UMPC from Inventec

Joe — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:23:28 +0000

Expect these UMPCs to be announced in Q1 07. Our source has confirmed that this is made by the Taiwan based Inventec. This device showed up along with the Yahoo Intel UMPC devices.

Some of the details about the device:

Named the “U1” from Inventec
Targeted at the students community
Powered by Intel
Designed by taiwan based DEM Inc
7″ touchscreen, 40GB HDD, WiFi…etc

If you happen to know more about the device, please let us know

New UMPC on its way

Joe — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:46:39 +0000

Medion, the company known in Germany for making cost effective laptops is working on its UMPC called the MD RIM 1000.

According to sources, the device is believed to have

a 6.5″ TFT touch screen
Slide out keyboard (love that)
WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS
DMV / TV Tuner

The config looks awesome, the pricing is not relvealed yet. BTW this delice looks very similar to the Averatec AHI, may be because both feature the slide-out keyboards.

Medion’s new UMPC MD RIM 1000 [via Engadget]

Asus R2H Price and Availability

Joe — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:04:45 +0000

Now these are news from sources other than Asus, so we are not 100% sure on the exact details. Steve over at carrypad found a news that says the price in UK would be £799. John from Ultranauts says “the R2H has entered manufacturing and packaging and will ’ship’ in November“

This sounds kinda cool. With the price tag of £799 and shipping in November Asus should be able to catch up with the other UMPCs. As we all know, UMPCs are not availalbe in places you want it to be. Hopefully Asus will announce better availability.

Asus Pricing [via Carrypad]
Asus Availability [Ultranauts]

What is an UMPC worth?

Joe — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:36:14 +0000

According to an article on CNN, the domain name UMPC.cn along with UMPC.com.cn fetched a whopping US $49,000.00 Not bad for a domain name (wait that a lot for a domain name) So is the UMPC fire catching on? Well if not in the US the Chinese seem to think it has all it needs to become a success story.

They also have this “apple table” – well we’ve had enough rumors about it and We’ll leave the rest to you.

Chinese domain name sells for $160,000 [CNN]
Apple Tablet News at UMPC.cn

Vega Exposed

Joe — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 16:23:44 +0000

Remember the speculated AMD powered UMPC for under $700, Yes details emerge that this is windows XP powered toy with 4.3″ Screen with 30GB/256 MB and WiFI capable with built in support for GPS. Cool all this for less than $700. In any case we’ll know more details about the product in a weeks time.

More Photos at Aving Korea | [Via Carrypad]

A New UMPC in the Making!

Joe — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:39:22 +0000

As for the posting at UltraMobilePCs.com, they are hinting that there’s going to be a new umpc announced soon, and more information is to follow.

Does anyone have a clue of this device. We’d like to say that the design is very similar (if not the same) as the founder mininote.

An Exclusive Sneak Peek at a Soon to Be Released ULTRA MOBILE PC | Via [Ultra Mobile PC Tips]

AMD powered UMPC under $700?

Joe — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:40:11 +0000

Remember the speculation about the UMPCs with AMD, MobilityToday reports about an anonymous photo(shown here) which is running AMD. The image says Windows xp and no Tablet PC! What could be it? The much awaited Haiku, Argo/Zune or an UMPC?

We received this picture from an anonymous member from Korea. The only information we received was that it is running an AMD GeodeTM LX800 with 256MB RAM. You tell us what do you think this could be?

UPDATE: Beta News reports that the much rumored Music Player / iPod Killer from Microsoft will be launched as early as next month, and the image here shows the date of August 10, 2006 – So is it the one they are talking about? Well nothing is confirmed yet – Read the news here

Is this the first UMPC under $700?? – Via [MobilityToday]

New UMPC! iriver wants to join the party

Joe — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 22:11:56 +0000

We should acknowledge that all those mp3 & mobile video players from iriver were designed well, may be it’s just that iriver joined the game very late. Now looks like they want to make up a fair share with the UMPC. dapreview reports from one its forum about this new device from iriver dubbed the “*some*10″ is an UMPC (Tablet PC) that is getting ready.

The D10 (pictured here) was only released in asia, so I wouldn’t be holding your breath for a European or US release. The other and more interesting model’s letter cannot be revealed right now, but its model number will be 10.

Reported features/specs:

smaller than W10

Talblet PC or UMPC

DMB

maybe a camera

Wibro support

GPS built in

Once again, I’m going to have to say that this probably will not become available outside Asia.

If this is true, We’d welcome iriver with whole heart. You know, we need & like to have choices like the Averatech AHI for instance.

Even more iriver models [via Gizmodo]

Argo is now the “Zune”

Joe — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 13:39:15 +0000

Remember the Argo project, yes the so much rumored iPod killer from microsoft is finally known to be the “Zune” Project. This is supposed to be shipped out this holiday season. Oh yes as Gizmodo points out, the product looks good and infact too good to be a microsoft’s product.

iLounge also reports that Microsoft is already approaching iPod accessory makers for zune. If you have not seen the video of the iPod (killer) packaging of microsoft – you should.

Microsoft Argo’s Final Name: The Zune? – via [Gizmodo]

Project “Argo” – Will this impact the UMPC?

Joe — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:23:31 +0000

I guess not, but the fact that “argo” – codename for microsoft’s answer to ipod, seems to have a lot of similarities with the “Haiku” and UMPC.

Seattle times has a detailed article about this project

Microsoft is indeed developing a digital-media player to compete with Apple’s iPod, and there’s much more to the story.

A few details trickled out last week from music companies that Microsoft is lining up to support the device. Microsoft isn’t commenting, but I was able to piece together a broader picture with some research, reporting and information from a source close to the project. What’s being developed is actually a complete line of Xbox-branded digital-media products, including a device that plays media, a software media player and an online media service.

The project, or at least part of it, is referred to internally at Microsoft by the code name Argo — a reference to the huge warship used by the hero Jason in Greek mythology [...Read on]

Looks like the device would have

Mp3, WMA and Other leading formats (of course)
Video Playplack (why not!)
WiFi (so a browser!)
Photo Playback
Networking capabilities
Calendar, Todo, Alarm, etc..
Games (the fact that this is developed by the xbox team!)
and lot more

What do you think? Will this impact the UMPC Market?

via [Gizmodo]

Remember the Dell UMPC

Joe — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:36:45 +0000

Remember the Dell UMPC mockup that one of our readers sent us way back? Later Ultranauts had a posting on the Dell entering the UMPC market on the April 1st (yes April 1st). Now Ultranauts seems to have some insider information on Dell entering in to the UMPC arena.

Bottom-line? A Dell UMPC is officially on the drawing board and slated for release within the next 12 months. Not many specifics, but the designers are looking to differentiate from the pack with a design that is “indicative of the one shown in the promotional videos where the screen ‘turns out’ to reveal a keyboard.�? Dell is apparently working to create a device that “appears�? as small as possible. I don’t know what “appears as small as possible�? actually means, but I would imagine it has to do with a small screen bezels and very rounded corners/edges…

Not just that, Tabletkiosk (according to Ultranauts) might be releasing a major update to its line of eo within the next 2 months.

Ultra Portable PC from Apple?

Joe — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 01:27:47 +0000

What should we say, There was a huge buzz late April that Apple might be Working on an UMPC type device, Then we heard about apple filing for new(more) patents for its touch screen interfaces. Now the guys at AppleInsider (I’ve seen most of their news / rumors take shape) reports that Apple might be working an all new Ultra Portable PC (so it’s an UPPC not an UMPC!) Chances are Yes, with all these patents why not. Apple Insider reports…

Apple Computer could introduce an “ultra-portable PC” that employs NAND-based flash memory in time for the January Macworld trade show in San Francisco, one Wall Street analyst says.

UBS Investment Research analyst Ben Reitzes said this week his proprietary checks indicate Apple is working on “ultra-portable PCs” and even notebooks equipped with NAND flash memory in order to speed up boot times.

“We believe these new products could start in notebook products with combo-drives (NAND and HDD) or ultra-portables (NAND only), and could be released in time for MacWorld,” Reitzes told clients.

Intel, which supplies microprocessors to Apple, has made no secret of its plans to build NAND flash — a type of solid-state memory commonly found in consumer electronics like digital audio players — into its own PC logicboard designs.

At its developers conference this past March, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker said it would deliver NAND flash features in its forthcoming notebook platform, dubbed Santa Rosa, due in early 2007.

“We need to have devices that boot up very rapidly,” Sean Maloney, the head of Intel’s mobility group, told developers at the conference. “The same way you come off a plane and get a cell phone signal immediately.”

Reitzes also said his surveys and visits to Apple retail locations show a “very positive” reaction to the company’s current line of notebook computers: the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

The analyst expects sales of the portables to help drive overall Mac unit growth of 5 percent year-over-year, or 12 percent sequentially, to 1.24 million during Apple’s third quarter.

“Checks show the education segment should also lend support to estimates, given June is the time school districts exhaust annual budgets,” Reitzes wrote. “With the education segment accounting for approximately 25 percent of US Mac unit sales, we believe both June and July (when new budgets come into play) could see solid growth, especially for MacBooks and iMacs.”

The analyst maintains a Buy rating on shares of Apple with a price target of $95.

So If they did, and Will it be using all their patents with touch screen and the Dialkeys like keybaord, Will it be playing a role in promoting the Ultra Mobile PC (the whole UMPC thing) We don’t see any reasons for not doing it.

Source [Apple Insider] just could not resist pulling the full post here but What do you guys think?

UPDATE: Even more convincing is another ALL NEW patent from apple, which talks about iPod and also video conferencing wired & wirelessly with TOUCH enabled handheld devices – [Read more at MACsimumNews]

Averatec AHI goes furthur

Joe — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:11:20 +0000

Remember the rumors about the upcoming Averatec UMPC about a month back? Engadget reports that the company is moving ahead with its plans and has made progress, Now Engadget does not state who gave them this information and neither has any links to any of the official announcements or press or anything like that. So we hope it was tip from either the readers or may be even from averatec (you know they have this new images of the device)

This sleek unit is supposed to have

less than 2 pounds
VoIP
videoconferencing
viewing live TV and VOD and
apparently even gaming
voice recognition systems (presumably for use with GPS guidance and the like)
a docking station
from the prototype we can see a camera
and is set to be priced under $800 for Q4 2006

wish they make it the way it is presented here. via [engadget]

Some preliminary specs here!

1GHz Celeron M
30 or 40GB drive
Up to 1GB RAM
1.3 megapixel webcam
Bluetooth
802.11b/g
WWAN optional
4-in-1 card reader
External VGA
Audio out and
A 5-inch 800 x 480 display (so does it fall under the UMPC Category? well I don’t care, I Love it.)

Shots of Sony UMPC

Joe — Tue, 16 May 2006 06:59:16 +0000

The rumored Sony UMPC seems to be coming closer and closer to reality. Today, a few screenshots of this device have appeared on the net. Now whether or not these are real is up to you, but no one can argue that they look sweet. What’s interesting is that some new information has been revealed about the Vaio-branded device. To be honest, these specs seem a bit too detailed to just be fiction. My guess is that Sony can’t miss out in this new market, and is making a huge splash with this UMPC.

Read On

Toshiba Utopia (UMPC): Almost there

Joe — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:06:23 +0000

Yesterday GottaBeMobile has something interesting for us, Now it Hugo’s turn and he says….

While you were sleeping, Australia was still awake. Knowing that I was nearing Toshiba Utopia (UMPC), infamous bloggers like James Kendrick and Rob Bushway did some investigating of their own. It was mostly Rob that could not let this little Aussie Blogger get away with the UMPC scoop of the blogging era. Even though JK thought I should “get a life,” I thought to myself “tonight’s not the night mate, tonights not the night!” LOL

Barely 48 hours had passed since I sniffed out a Toshiba UMPC and the blogosphere was ablaze. Most of our readers were not nearly as concerned with the significance of such news, but the inside crew made up of Warner Crocker, James Kendrick, the Uberly passionate Rob Bushway and I, were!

So what did I get up to today?

Today I rang Dan Warne, Journalist of APC Magazine Australia, and decided to get more info. Due to copyright protection neither Rob or I were granted permission to publish the article that sparked this riot. Here’s what I did found out:

[The following is a reenactment of the conversation – omissions are the small chit chat]

Hugo Ortega: “Hey Dan, tell me about Toshiba’s UMPC�?
Dan Warne: “I know as much as you do.�?
Hugo Ortega: “You conducted an interview with Toshiba Australia’s Product Marketing Manager, Matt Codrington, in regards to a new concept device. When was that interview conducted?�?
Dan Warne: “Let me check my diary…on the 26th of January�?
Hugo Ortega: “That explains all the veiled talk of Origami while other OEM’s are now touting UMPC. What made you write this up; did Matt submit a Press Release?�?
Dan Warne: “No, I’ve known Matt for a while. We bumped into each other at the launch of Core Duo in Australia; over coffee we discussed several topics of which this one caught my attention! So I decided to run with it. I contacted him later in regards to the matter.�?
Hugo Ortega: “Did you have a face-to-face?�?
Dan Warne: “No, we conducted the interview over the phone.�?
Hugo Ortega: “When I read the article I felt that it reeked of UMPC…you agree?�?
Dan Warne: “Sure sounds like it to me! I’ve pointed Matt Codrington to your blog, let’s see what he has to say!�?

Read the full story @ [Hugo's Blog]

More UMPCs – Toshiba might be in.

Joe — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:52:31 +0000

A few days back, Hugo blogged about this (Some one tell me when is Toshiba is coming out with the UMPC?) and reffered to an article that might come up in APC Magazine soon. Now GottabeMobile has the answer for it.

I checked with a source of mine at Toshiba and he had this to say:”Sorry, but my inquiries with product planning are coming up blank. Nobody knows what he is referring to… wish I could help.”

I then contacted Dan Warne, the author and News Editor at APC Magazine. He sent me an image of the actual article titled “Toshiba’s Secret Project�? where he interviews Toshiba Product Marketing Manager, Matt Codrington. He asked that I not post the article or transcript it due to copyright issues, but that I could relay the facts of the article to you. I’m going to honor Dan’s request and not post it ( I don’t want to get sued ), but I can attest to you that the article is real and I’ve seen it. Here is a summary of what Matt Codrignton told Dan Warne.

Dan asks Matt if this “mysterious device�? is going to compete with the Nokia 770. Matt admits that they have a project underway, it is nothing like a PDA, it will support tablet pc functionality with a strong focus on a much “more natural user input.�?

The device will have loads of connectivity options

That devices smaller than 7�? are difficult to use all day every day.

That the devices like the one they are working on will need to handle rich digital multi-media.

Dan asks him if it is another Tablet PC. Matt tells him that there will be support for pen input, but wouldn’t want to classify it in the Tablet PC category.

He also says that it will be different in terms of weight and form factor.

The context of the article, the direct questions and direct answers, all point to an upcoming Toshiba UMPC.

Source [GottaBeMobile]

Education: Microsoft & Apple

Joe — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:36:14 +0000

With Apple having a major holding in the education, Microsoft is now making its move with the UMPC to get a piece of it. But engadget reader today pointed out at some mysterious device on the Apple Website today, is that a Table PC? iTablet, iTab…

So for some reason, eagle-eyed reader Jacob S. was checking out the Apple website’s page on educational initiatives, and stumbled upon a picture of a bunch of smiley dentistry students at the University of Michigan using Apple products to enhance their studies. In the photo we see a pair of Mac laptops, a trio of iPods, and….a tablet PC? That’s right — the future dentist at the bottom of the photo is clearly scraping off some virtual tartar or tightening a set of of virtual braces on what is definitely some sort of pen-based computing device. Our money says that is simply a case of some jokester slipping a Microsoft-based product onto the set for kicks, because surely Apple wouldn’t be so careless as to publicly reveal a secretive product like the mythical iTablet in such a way, would they? Would they?

Update: The consensus among engadget’s readers seems to be that this is a Compaq TC1000 series TabletPC we’re seeing here; if so, kudos to Apple for publicizing the sensitive issue of mixed-OS working environments.

With lot of patents that apple had filed for touch interface, people were expecting a iTablet (sort of) a device but nothing YET is announced from apple. Though interestingly there are some prototypes that the guys at “The Place for it all” have created iTab out of an iBook.

Apple’s Mysterious Device page | Source Engadget

Microsoft’s Other Secret Hardware Project

Joe — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 01:29:12 +0000

It’s not over yet, Seattle Pi reports that Microsoft is planning yet another secret project which might be announced any time soon, yes yet another hardware, so is that a Music Player? Transmeta Corp., which specializes in microprocessors for hand-held computers seems to be involved in this…

Microsoft appears to have another mysterious hardware project up its sleeve.

Transmeta Corp., which specializes in microprocessors for hand-held computers and other machines, disclosed in a regulatory filing last week that it had “substantially completed” the work required under a series of “development services agreements” that it signed with Microsoft last year.

This much is clear: Microsoft says it’s not related to the tiny “Ultra Mobile PCs” unveiled earlier this month as part of its previously secret Origami Project.But beyond that, neither company will say what Transmeta has been doing for Microsoft.

The Santa Clara, Calif., company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings describe the initiative only as a “proprietary Microsoft project.” About 30 Transmeta engineers have been assigned to the effort, according to the company’s filings.

Given the timing, some analysts speculate that the deal could reflect Microsoft’s desire to see hardware makers release new types of machines to generate extra consumer interest later this year, when it launches Windows Vista, the next version of its flagship operating system.

Microsoft’s main business is software, but it often works on prototypes and reference designs to influence the direction of the broader computer market.

“It’s clear that something is up” with the Transmeta deal, said industry analyst Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. “It fits tactically with the larger strategy of trying to have new, interesting stuff coming out toward the end of the year, when Vista is launched.”…

….However, the first Origami devices, from three hardware makers, use chips from Microsoft’s traditional partner, Intel, not Transmeta. Asked about the situation last week, a Microsoft representative said the Transmeta development agreement isn’t related to Ultra Mobile PCs….

Read the full article at [ Seattlepi ]

UMPC in your Car!

Joe — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 22:33:25 +0000

Well, there was a press release from VW about they working with microsoft on having an integrated PC in the car. Remember that 7″ screen, touch enabled, Windows Powered, running GPS…? (come on, that has to be the UMPC – microsoft/intel just found a name for it)

Soon there would be more UMPCs made just for your car. Take a look at this post at [NaviGadget]

Will DELL get in to the UMPC market?

Joe — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:05:56 +0000

You bet. Our readers are creative, Thanks to our reader John who sent us this mockup, looks pretty neat and we wanted to share it with you.

Why not, with so much of potential in the market, it is very easy for dell to come up with one such product with various configurations and BEAT those markets out there with super low prices. Sure they might have a Samsung screen, an Intel chipset and processors in a neat casing from DELL,. it would not take long…

Go ahead let us know that you think about it, and do send us stuff like this