Goodness, it’s a veritable orgy - an orgy, I tell you! - of unboxing photos today. the next under the kinky lens of the photographer (”honestly, darling, everybody does topless unboxing photos these days”) is ASUS’ greatly anticipated R2H UMPC, certainly the poster-child of the mini-Tablet revolution and, since its announcement following Microsoft’s all-too-successful Origami teaser campaign, the subject of plentiful spec speculation.
Mobile01.com got their hands on a boxed-up retail R2H and proceeded to encourage it out of its packaging. I must confess, my language skills aren’t much cop and so I’m not having much luck with the text of the article; however, there’s plenty of detail in the pictures…
Microsoft later this month plans to roll out an Express Upgrade program that gives buyers of Windows XP-based PCs a coupon for a free or discounted upgrade to Windows Vista through March 15.
As part of the deal, designed to drive PC sales though the holiday season, Microsoft will include coupons in each Windows XP SKU that will entitle users to a free or discounted Vista upgrade when the next-generation operating system ships in the first quarter of 2007, industry sources said. For instance, customers who buy PCs equipped with Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Pro Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP Pro x64 Edition are entitled to a free upgrade to Vista, sources said. Customers will be responsible for fulfillment costs. Not all of the coupons will be for free upgrades. Customers who buy systems running Windows XP Home Edition can upgrade to Vista Home Basic Edition for a flat $49 fee and to the higher-end Windows Vista Home Premium Edition for a cost of $79.
The Windows Vista Technology Upgrade Program runs from Oct. 26, 2006, through March 15, 2007. Distributors are expected to have the new SKUs in house for system builders by Oct. 15.
By “out of the box” I mean software. The video is dedicated to the software experience obtained by the standard features shipped inside a UMPC. I felt this video was important given that only a couple of thousand people worldwide are currently UMPC owners, which means most of you have not even seen or touched these devices. To best translate the UMPC experience I have run the screencasts on an Ultra Mobile PC, uploaded the images using a 16:9 ratio and stayed true to the native resolution of 800x480. Hopefully this is about as close as you'll get to a real device.
Disclaimer: While I try and remain multicultural in my presentations sometimes thing just don't come out right [my American friends will think that using a rubber on a Journal page is a little "interesting," but that's what we call erasers Downunder.]
View the video here:
View Part One: High Resolution - 9.42 minutes/40.3MB
This great bundle includes the normally optional keyboard and carry case!
At just 1.7 pounds and less than an inch thick, the Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC re-defines the term "mobility". The Q1 gives you the power of a PC in a small package. Check your email. Revise a spreadsheet. Every Q1 comes loaded with Windows XP Tablet Edition and integrated WLAN 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.0
While we're all waiting around for the second generation of UMPCs to arrive, platform diehards will have to make due with tweaks to existing products like this one from PBJ. The SmartCaddie EX UMPC jumps off the 1GHz Via C7-M ULV processor to a 900MHz ultra-low voltage Celeron M and drops from a 40GB to 30GB hard disk while shedding some 50-grams in the process. Otherwise, it's the same unit features and spec-wise which launched in Japan originally for ¥99,800 only now demanding ¥139,800 or about $1,167. Huh? Anyway, don't be surprised to see something similar out of TabletKiosk and It's UMPC as well by the time this launches in December.
The world's largest contract laptop PC maker is branching out into UMPCs (ultramobile PCs), using a reference design from Intel and internet software from Yahoo.
Intel executives showed off the UMPC made by Quanta Computer today at the Intel Developer Forum in Taipei. The new device is a sign that Intel and other backers of the UMPC design are gaining further support from hardware makers, which will increase the variety of devices available as well as their functions. More UMPC contenders should also help drive down prices through market competition.
The model on show runs on Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet Edition OS and is Quanta's first product in the UMPC category. It will be the second Taiwanese company to enter the market, following the launch of Asustek's R2H last month.
This attractive padded case not only looks slick, but also protects your eo UMPC from scrapes, bumps and scratches. These cases were designed to fit securely on the eo V7110 and eo i7200 series Ultra Mobile PCs while providing easy access to all of the buttons and I/O ports on the unit. The cases feature comfortable elastic criss-cross straps to provide easy one-handed use as well as an adjustable shoulder strap for hands-free carrying convenience.
Black Diamond Launches SwitchBack PC, World's First Rugged Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)
SwitchBack PC Unveiled at the Intel Booth at ESC Boston; First-of-its-Kind Rugged UMPC is Patent-Pending with Unique, Extendable Modular Technology
BOSTON, Embedded Systems Conference, Intel Booth #801, Sept. 26 -- Black Diamond Advanced Technology (Black Diamond), a technology development firm specializing in the design and implementation of rugged electronic systems, today announced the launch of its flagship product the SwitchBack PC (www.switchbackpc.com), the world's first rugged UMPC (Ultra Mobile Personal Computer). The SwitchBack makes its debut at the Intel booth at the Embedded Systems Conference taking place this week in Boston, MA.
The SwitchBack (7.5" x 5.5" x 2") utilizes a 1.0 GHz Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor, 1GB of 400 MHz DDR2 and can run Windows XP, CE, Mobile or Linux, packing the power of a desktop PC in a lightweight, handheld rugged form factor. The SwitchBack features the efficiencies of other UMPCs on the market, such as anywhere connectivity and portability, but takes it one step further with its own unique elements of extreme ruggedability, modularity and power.
The SwitchBack has all the features of today's rugged handheld tablet PCs, but it's smaller, more powerful and it has another significant differentiator ... a detachable/attachable Module on the back which can be used to extend functionality by adding additional hardware, devices or connector interfaces.
Franklin Wireless announced its CDU-550 Mobile Broadband USB modem can now support both Windows Mobile, the most prevalent OS running on most PDAs and Ultra-Mobile PCs, and Linux operating systems.
Franklin Wireless' innovative CDU-550, which is also supported on Intel based Macintosh systems running the latest update of Mac OS X v.10.4.7 operating system, is the industry's first dongle EVDO USB mobile broadband modem to be introduced in the United States. The USB mobile broadband modem enables wireless subscribers using Tablet PC, Mac laptop and desktop that do not have a PCMCIA card slot, to connect to the Internet with broadband-like speeds. Additionally, the wireless connection is not limited to hot spots, which allows greater freedom and a true mobility to the subscriber.
"The CDU-550 was developed for the user who wants wireless access without being limited to hotspots," explained Mr. O.C. Kim, President of Franklin Wireless. "There are many cards available, but only the Franklin Wireless CDU-550 is multi-platform, having a cross-platform feature that is not available anywhere else in the market. Additionally, it is the only USB mobile broadband product that supports the Linux system.
Now, Quanta Computer, the world's largest contract laptop PC maker, is branching out into UMPCs, says Dan Nystedt of IDG News Service. He said the company is using a reference design from Intel and Internet software from Yahoo. Here's what it looks like with the keyboard opened.
The device runs on Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet Edition OS
On Tuesday, UML introduced a very manly UMPC concept for high-powered businessman and we promised the next one would be for the modern woman. The Walletino is just the UMPC to keep you connected with your friends and family while out on the town. Designed to look just like that wallet you have stuffed full of money and credit cards, it hides a little secret. Open it up to find a large, bright LCD screen and a fully functioning PC.
I just got back from the TabletKiosk Demo Days in Anaheim, CA, 10-19-06. Fun times, not only getting lots of hands-on time with all of the different tablets and UMPC's, but especially talking with Gail Levy (TabletKioskGail in these forums), Director of Marketing with TabletKiosk, Linda Epstein of http://www.tabletpc2.com and Chris De Herrera of http://www.tabletpctalk.com. Man, I learned a lot from these folks, especially Linda and Chris, they know their stuff when it comes to the tabletpc/UMPC universe.
Chatting with Gail, she told me that TabletKiosk will be coming out with a new outdoor viewable screen for the i7200 series UMPC's. This will be an option for the i7200 series, and available most likely the beginning of next year. This was excellent news!
The demo days was an informal event, lots of great vibes from folks and especially Gail, and an opportunity to get hands-on time with the units and various accessories. The i7210 was what I was hot on. It felt great and solid in my hands, was warm and never hot, and really peppy with its stock config with its processor, 1GB RAM and 60GB HD. The wider bottom bezel of the i7210 made it really easy to ink, resting my palm on the bezel and not getting any vectoring while inking with its passive touchscreen. More info about the i7210 can be found at http://www.tabletkiosk.com.
Samsung has widened the range of Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPC) it offers. It has recently begun selling two new variations of its original model.
This summer, this company announced an updated version of its Q1, which is now available. Bearing the name Q1b, this device has a Via C7-M processor, not the Intel Celeron one in the original model.
Another new version of this device is called the Q1-Pentium, and as its name suggests it is based on a 1 GHz Pentium processor.
Memory Changes
Despite what earlier reports said, the Q1b has the same memory configuration as Samsung's first UMPC.
This Q1-Pentium, on the other hand, will sport a larger hard drive (60 GB vs. 40 GB), and more RAM (1 GB vs. 512 MB).
Otherwise, though, these two new models are essentially identical to the Q1. That means they run the special version of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition that Microsoft has developed for this new class of devices. Like the original, they also sport a 7-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
The Q1b is priced at $900, while the Q1-Pentium costs $1,250. The Samsung Q1 currently sells for about $1,100.
BrunMed, Inc becomes Scriptnetics, Inc. to better reflect its expertise in custom programming for handwriting on the Tablet PC and Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC).
The Tablet PC and the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) with their handwriting capabilities have opened up a new area of computer application development. This is handwriting as the method of data entry for control and retrieval in computer programs and is beginning to be referred to as scriptnetics.
Michael Milne, CEO, states, “Our ability to provide customized software systems that take advantage of the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC operating system puts us at the cutting edge of software programming.”
The Windows XP Tablet PC operating system was released November 7th, 2002 by Microsoft as a super set of the regular Windows XP operating system. This super set could take advantage of the maturing technologies of wireless, network access, low power CPUs and screen digitizers. These technology developments laid the foundation for computers to become lightweight and robust enough for “corridor warriors,” workers who can not be tied to a desktop computer and who multi-task throughout the work day.
The now newly named Scriptnetics began to leverage the new technologies into applications for medical doctors. Physicians and hospitals were the first large group of corridor warriors to purchase and use the Tablet PC. The first application released by Scriptnetics was Medscribbler, the first electronic medical record (EMR) with embedded handwriting.
Other Scriptnetics products include: a soon to be released an UMPC based prescription writer called RxScribbler, a medical dictionary for the Tablet PC, Prairie Dog Bash for the UMPC plus customized software applications for medical and medical software companies.
Scriptnetics is a Microsoft Tablet PC Premier Partner, one of only fifty companies world-wide, and provides software programming services from North America and information publishing for physicians.
The Ultra-Mobile PC is portable, lightweight, and configured to connect on the go. It’s the device that you’ll always want with you.
Do everything
Featuring full Microsoft Windows XP functionality and the ability to touch, write, or type, the Ultra-Mobile PC is a powerful companion that lets you communicate, accomplish your tasks, and stay entertained and informed wherever life takes you.
An Ultra Mobile PC is a new category of mobile devices optimized for specific usage models such as Internet-to-go, Entertainment-to-go, and Education-to-go, while providing full PC capability and versatility. UMPC devices are expected to be small enough so they are easy to carry, deliver long battery life so you can access information for extended periods of time, have multiple wireless options so you can be connected anytime, and are location aware so it can adapt to your personal needs.
You can access your favorite online games, videos, music, TV shows and more on the go, with the quality you are used to when you are in front of your PC. The UMPC also connects you to people via email, VoIP, Instant Messaging and texting. Additionally, the UMPC platforms are expected to have GPS capabilities which allow it to recognize your whereabouts and provide you with local information.
Windows Vista through March 15. 
(UMPC)
