Yesterday the HTC Shift. Today the Fujitsu U1010. Hugo is working very hard this weekend.
I’ve just finished watching the video and updating the product page and have some notes to share here. The thing that strikes me first about the U1010 is how much case volume there is for so little screen. In addition, the screen is so small and the resolution so high that test visibility could be an issue. Especially as this is a device form factor that lends itself to desk use. If you look at the Everun’s screen you’ve got a 4.8″ diagonal but only an 800 pixel wide screen. The U1010 is only a little bigger in terms of screen space but has smaller pixels. 211 PPI. No as much as the Sony UX but still, very high. Specifications-wise there are no surprises apart from one big one. A heavy touch screen. And a car adaptor. Question mark. How’s that going to work because you can not use your finger on the screen and there’s no way you want to be getting the pen out or using a keyboard while you’re driving. Seems very strange to me. The mounting unit is HUGE too. Wouldn’t actually fit in my car. I guess we’re talking lorry, bus and taxi here.
One thing I noted is that Hugo called devices running on the A110 processor ’sluggish.’ Yes, compared to a UMPC running windows XP Tablet Edition on a Pentium-M, they are sluggish. This will also apply to the HTC Shift too and I really wish OEM’s wouldn’t let their marketing departments decide on the OS although in this case, with the tiny heavy touch screen it is going to get all the help it can get so maybe Vista is the right choice.
Personally I think the U1010 is too big and too small at the same time. The package is too big for a pocket therefore you will have to carry it in a bag. The screen is too small for a 1024×600 resolution. Why not trade up to the 7″ screen and fuller keyboard of the Kohjinsha SH6 (lets assume they finally complete an 800mhz version of the SH6 and fix the battery life. There are rumors…) or the VIA Nanobook (buy two!) or the HTC Shift if you need HSDPA. The U1010 isn’t actually that small if you put it side my side with other devices. Look at a size comparison. Mind you, if you want good pen input on a mini convertible UMPC, this is the one!
About the battery. Hugo says its a 2.5 hours device. That’s not bad although I have heard reports of 2 hour WiFi-on battery life. I wasn’t expecting a long battery life on this device anyway as its only got a 19W/hr battery. That’s 0.6 of the capacity of the battery on the Q1 Ultra although 4 times the capacity of the battery on the Nokia E90 - a reminder that UMPCs still have a long way to go on improving battery life. Mind you, this is a mini tablet PC. If you want a good mini inking device, this is the one!
Like the Kohjinsha SH6, this one could be a good choice for digital photographers and mobloggers although you’re going to need an extra battery which is going to make it much bigger. Maybe it will find a home in some student situations. For note-taking and then slinging it onto a backpack its got huge appeal but the cost could be a major issue. And of course, those that value the design and size over other features will obviously go for it. The biggest user-set that I can think of though is…the inking fans. Actually, people that want keyboard AND ink in one device. Like on the P1610, good quality inking to be the main attraction here unless you just have to have the smallest notebook PC in the world!
Check out the GottaBeMobile Fujitsu U1010 video in full.
