Well I don’t. The concept is great and we just need few more choices, better battery life, faster processors and ofcourse lower price.
If you think you are one of them who hates the UMPC, Tom’s hardware guide has an article where he explains why does everyone (???) hate (!) Ultra-Mobile PC. Looks like Tom does hate the UMPC, but Dick and Harry might love it.
Again it’s the products that we hate because of the price, performance and various other factors – not the concept, If Intel were to sell their sliding prototype say at $700; I don’t see a reason, why someone would hate it.
The UMPC’s are new. Most people cant cope with “new”
I have been using a EO for a few weeks now. Very happy. I use it for digital photography. The Eo sits in my camera bag, my canon dslrs are packing 802.11g wireless. Bingo instant backup to the eo.
I can check my work. Tag it and send it…
Sorted.
I think it’s a cop out to say that people can’t cope with new things. It seems that there are lots of *new* things that do well. (Nintento DS, Treo, PSP, etc).
The problem is that the UMPC is an almost product. Sure it will have some niche markets where it might do well. But until I can get decent battery life and the first generation quirks taken care of I’ll just stick with my sony T150 (10″ screen), I do get 5 hours of battery life with the wireless off and the screen at mid-brightness. (mostly reading books and comics).
I like the passive touchscreen and if they can get the price to 500 bucks (doubtful since that’s right in the middle of the pda market) with a 4 hour+ battery then I’ll probably bite and get one.
I don’t think that that’s going to happen anytime soon since you usually need to get volume in order to drastically lower the prices (this is assuming that they are making a profit at the 1100 dollar price).
What’s interesting is that the PSP is going for 250 bucks so can something that will sell in _much_ lower volume and have a larger screen, a touch screen, a harddrive and the microsoft tax be able to be sold for 500 bucks? That’s going to be intersting.
So I don’t HATE the UMPC, that’s silly, but I am disappointed.
I can cope with the new. It’s the price/performance that remains an issue.
That and what Alexander Pope said:
Be not the first by whom the new are tried,
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.