Microsoft's new Ultra-Mobile PC platform combines the power of Windows XP with a lightweight touch screen device. Will it replace the Pocket PC?
As a road warrior, I'm always interested in reducing the baggage I carry with me on trips. I've left my laptop at home and tried doing everything with Windows Mobile devices. So far, the best experience I've had, without a laptop, has been with a Pocket PC Phone Edition.
The key to on-the-road success is having a small, powerful, and connected device. For good connectivity, you need a device with integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a wireless phone with high-speed data capability (preferably, EV-DO). So when I heard about Microsoft's new Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC), I got excited. Early reports about the new device, Code named Origami, were full of hype; it was touted as go-anywhere technology that would replace Tablet PCs, Pocket PCs, MP3/media players, and portable storage devices.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the Samsung Q1, one of the first of this new breed. I was eager to find out if it lived up to all the hype and if I'd really want to replace my Pocket PC with it.
Fig. 1: Samsung Q1 UMPC (top), Toshiba Tablet PC (middle), Fujitsu slate Tablet PC (bottom).
UMPC vs. Tablet PC
The Samsung Q1 (http://product.samsung.com/micro_manuals/Q1/samsung_Q1.html) resembles a small slate model Tablet PC; it shares similar features with a Tablet PC, but also has significant differences. Both are based on the Windows XP OS, and both are pen-entry devices with built-in handwriting recognition, allowing you to write on the display to enter text, and to touch the screen to control the device. However, the screen on a Tablet PC uses an electromagnetic digitizer which requires a special digital pendon't lose the pen! Like the Pocket PC, the UMPC has a true touch screen. You can use a standard stylus with it, a plastic pen top, or even your finger.
Tablet PCs usually have more internal memory and faster processors. The Fujitsu Stylistic shown in Fig.1 is an example of a slate-style Tablet PC. It and other slates do not have built-in keyboards, but most have optional external keyboards that attach to the slate directly or via a docking station. The docking station may also add more connectivity ports, CD/DVD drives, and other features. The more useful Tablet PCs come with a built-in keyboard, swivel screen, and CD drive, like the Toshiba Tablet PC, also shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 2: Samsung Q1 with optional external keyboard and CD/DVD drive.
The UMPC is a new device category, and the Samsung Q1 is the first such device to be released. Few accessories are currently available for the device, but Samsung does offer an external keyboard, a CD/DVD drive, and a high-capacity battery for the device (Fig 2).
In addition to more memory, a faster processor, and more built-in hardware features, Tablet PCs have a larger and more readable screen than the UMPC. However, the larger screen and built-in hardware features mean that Tablets are larger and heavier then the UMPC, making the Tablet less portable.
Text entry and control using the UMPC's touch screen
I have had a standard Tablet PC for a while and am accustomed to using a digital pen for inputting text. One of the big advantages of the Tablet's screen is that it only senses where the tip of the digital pen is. You can rest your hand on the screen and drag it across the screen as you write. The screen ignores your hand and only sees the tip of the pen.
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