Microsofts project Origami team did quite a good job of raising awareness of UMPC’s didnt they. The team blog shows that it even suprised them! However, the ultra mobile PC doesnt appear to be an intel and MS-only category, just a buzzword. There’ll be others that will be introducing products into this market and Via seems to be hot on the tail of the marketing momentum. VIA has announced a new core logic chip to sit alongside its C7-M processor. The VX700.‘Core Logic’ is a term they’re using to describe […]

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week3/origamipics.jpg[/img]

Week 3 just got here for Microsofts Origami and it looks like it is showing the new devices seen at CeBit today http://www.origamiproject.com/3/

According to the new community site the Origami will include something called the Microsoft Touch Pack which includes new software that was specifically designed for easy targeting with your finger on the touch screen.

Software included is:

* Program Launcher — A customizable interface that let’s you quickly get to the programs and web sites you use the most. In addition to changing the categories and the shortcuts in Program Launcher, you can also change the background to one of the images we provided or to one of your own.

* Brilliant Black — A Windows Media Player skin designed to make it easier to target the user interface with your finger.

* DialKeys — A program by Fortune Fountain Ltd. that gives you a way to input text on the touch-screen computer.

* Touch Improvements — A group of settings that make Windows easier to use and view on an Ultra-Mobile PC.

* Sudoku — A touch- and pen-optimized version of this popular number game.

The page also has a link to a new community site at
[url=http://origamiproject.com/default.aspx]http://origamiproject.com/default.aspx[/url]

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week3/origamicommunity.jpg[/img]

And they even have program launcher backgrounds available on the site. However they say you can only download them if you promise to only use them with the Microsoft Touch Pack. Thats like using the honor system.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week3/gallery.jpg[/img]

…..

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/otto/otto1.jpg[/img]

Well, the video Scoble is set to premier on Channel 9 tonight (interview and demo with the Origami Creator, Otto Berkes) is available for download on msdn right now.

This is the first official video from Microsoft detailing the actual product. It checks in at 37 minutes and 28 seconds and features an interview with the head of Microsofts Ultra Mobile PC Group, Otto Berkes.

[b]Lots of Details about the Origami Products to be released soon revealed below:[/b]

1) Otto is holding the Samsung UMPC we posted shots of earlier. He said this is one of the pre-production units in the Ultra Mobile PC class that will be going to market in the next few months.

2) Hey Look, its the form-factor from the original leaked promo vid:
[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/otto/otto2.jpg[/img]

3) Otto says you will be able to run PhotoShop on this, although he wasn’t too emphatic with it. He confirmed that you can [b]run any Windows application on the device[/b], some make more sense than others.

4) Plan is to eventually take applications made for desktops and notebooks and create specialized versions optimized to run on ultra mobile PCs. Specifically, to utilize the [b]touch-screen abilities[/b] of these new devices, so you can navigate with your fingers.

5) This is just the first-generation. There is a road-map for future products. This future vision is the Haiku model that Gates showed at the last WinHEC (Pictured half-way down this post). There is still a lot of hardware and software work to do before they get to that point.

6) Back to talking about the first-generation devices. [b]Processing power in the 1 GHz[/b] class, full x86 compatible architecture. Integrated graphics capabilities [b](DirectX 7, DirectX8 Level)[/b]. You’re not going to run Halo 2 on this generation.

7) All of them will be [b]XP Tablet Edition and come with a stylus[/b]. Otto’s handwriting leaves a lot to be desired, as seen below:
[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/otto/otto4.jpg[/img]

8) The Samsung model has a [b]USB port on the left-side and one on the right-side[/b] that you could use for a USB keyboard. Some models will also have integrated docking connectors that could potentially connect to a full-sized keyboard and full-sized monitor. There is also a [b]VGA connector on the side[/b] and you could run the External monitor on the high resolutions you would expect.

9) No exact number given on the number of Origami manufacturers, because the number is increasing on a regular basis.

10) No answer on the price, waiting till the products are announced, but the [b]expected price-range is $599-999[/b]. [b]Weighs 2 pounds[/b].

More analysis below.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamiuipics/origami_ui.jpg[/img]

New items from CeBit have been emerging today around the Origami and UMPC devices.

The picture above was discovered in the Official CeBit news [url=http://cebitnews.turnpages.com/]here[/url].

It shows a screen accessible keyboard running on top of a windows XP device. It also has some of the specs for the Samsung device saying it has a 40GB hard drive with both Bluetooth and WiFi built in.

The news article also talks of an add on DVD player for ripping movies to the device and a bluetooth keyboard.

New pictures have also surfaced on [url=http://www.golem.de/]golem.de[/url] showing a new Asus UMPC. This particular device is the first pictures shoeing the OS that was in the leaked origami picture that was first featured on this site.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamiuipics/asusorigami3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamiuipics/asusorigami4.jpg[/img]

So there seems to be 2 different OS versions running on the devices that have been shown.

We are continually staying on top of the CeBit and Origami News over the next couple days, so check back for more info.

[b]Update 03/09/2006 6:21 pm: [/b]

We have learned that the OS shown on the Asus is actually an application launcher that will be included with the UMPC devices. It sounds as though it can be turned off so that the normal Windows XP interface can be used.