Ultra Mobile PC
Posted on March 22, 2006
Filed Under Software, Windows |
Notebook computers are very popular and some choose them over desktop computers to do their day to day work. I am a member of that camp and as the performance of notebooks continues to approach that of desktops, I expect to eventually do away with a big bulky desktop computer altogether.
For true portability though, notebooks are still a bit awkward. Extremely well suited to getting some work done in a hotel room, they are not so great in the car or for quick tasks. Notebooks need to be booted up and some room is needed to open the lid and get some work done.
Tablet PCs appeared around 2002 and promised to add another level of portability. Much like a standard notebook, tablet PCs run a full version of Windows but they also offer touch screen input.
Many models look just like a standard notebook but the screen swivels and can be positioned flat across the keyboard. The screen faces outward and the unit can be used like a pen and paper notepad. The technology has never really taken off, however and you don’t see many Tablet PCs in the field.
For a few years now I have been a huge fan of Pocket PC. A tiny handheld device with a mini version of Windows, Pocket PC has scaled down versions of Word, Excel, and Outlook.
The device doesn’t need to be booted up and the screen merely has to be turned on to begin use. With a data plan form Bell or Rogers, you can even get email in Outlook and in my case it connects directly to my Exchange server.
Nothing’s perfect though and the scaled down version of Windows on Pocket PC is no exception. Word and Excel on Pocket PC are basic and offer few of the advanced features of their full version cousins. Typing with a small stylus on a 4” diagonal screen can also be challenging at best.
Due out in the second quarter of 2006 is the next generation of mobile devices, the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) codenamed ‘Origami’. UMPC will be a cross between Pocket PC and Tablet PC but will run the full Windows Tablet PC 2005.
The UMPC screen will be 7” or less diagonally and the device will be able to run the full versions of Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, or practically any other software that runs on the standard versions of Windows.
There will be no keyboard but rather a software thumb-board. That may be good or bad but since the device will include Bluetooth technology, there will undoubtedly be wireless keyboards available quickly.
Being on the road extensively and needing to be connected everywhere, the Pocket PC has served me well. The UMPC however promises to be more powerful and will make it easier for me to actually get work done while on the road.
More information about the UMPC can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/umpc/default.mspx and http://origamiproject.com
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