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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