The reality of the ultra mobile PC market today is that most of what you might have seen last week at CES is trechnology and products that are months and months and months away. Some of it is years away. Intel’s Menlow mobile Internet device platform officially launches in April with, I guess, the first product availability being announced. I wouldn’t expect anything to hit Europe or the U.S. before June and so that leaves us back in the situation where Intel’s McCaslin and VIA’s C7 based devices are the latest platforms. CES didn’t change much at all for the current ultra mobile PC customers. Read on…
If you actually need a device for an identified business need then there is, of course, no need to wait. Six months is unlikely to bring a significant change in product scenery and there may not be any major changes in the next 12 months. It’s that simple for you business types!
If you’re not sure that you need a ultra mobile PC but you think you might get some advantage or enjoyment from one, my recommendation is to buy one anyway. No more waiting! We’re seeing more and more devices go under the $800 mark and new offers are coming in all the time so take advantage of this, buy a device and start to learn! UMPCs aren’t simple devices. You can not simply map your notebook PC usage on to a ultra mobile PC because you will end up being inefficient and will certainly miss out on many of the advantages that a ultra mobile PC brings. If you buy a ultra mobile PC now, you will have 6-12 months to work out how you actually use a ultra mobile PC in your real life. You might even find out that you don’t need a ultra mobile PC at all. Many, if not most people, really don’t need a UMPC. (but it’s going to become one of those skewed equations that you apply to a Nintendo Wii purchase so watch out in 2009!) You might think that you will be blogging on the train but when it comes to it, a coffee and a book might be more enjoyable. You might think that you want to read RSS feeds in bed but when your partner whacks you over the head with the pillow for the tenth time you might realise that you need a silent UMPC. On the other hand, you might not realise that you can clear your mornings inbox on the bus journey to the train station and watch an episode of Friends in your lunch break! I can actually clear the rubbish from my inbox before I even get out of bed in the morning and I won’t tell you where I catch up on my RSS feeds.
There are a number of solid choices around at the moment. How about cutting your teeth on a Q1 Ultra UMPC? Its a great all-round slate device and is coming down in price. In the U.S. you can pick one up for around $800 now. Then there’s the WiBrain B1, also great value and soon the Amtek U560 which, according to some tips I’ve had, should really give the Q1 Ultra a run for its money. You might even want to try out an Eee PC. Take it out with you and see if you feel comfortable using it in new scenarios. I doubt you’ll feel that good about getting it out in your local supermarket for a quick cashier-queue RSS-check but imagine if it were smaller. Imagine if it were bigger! If you prefer a more pocketable solution, try the Nokia N800 which is a great Internet tablet bargain that will allow you to work out what you need. There’s also the iPhone and Sony Mylo COM 2 to think about too. Buy one now, take the device with you everywhere, play with it, learn how to use it (they all have different usage styles) and I guarantee that within 2 months you will know exactly the sort of scenarios you use a ultra mobile PC and using that knowledge you’ll be able to refine your choice. You’ll know very soon if an Ultra Mobile is for you. Yes, you lose a significant percentage of your first purchase but you will then have the knowledge with which to research your new purchase.
One thing that might be difficult for people to test (and I really wish this was easier and cheaper for people) is mobile broadband. Prices are high, contracts are long and coverage is patchy in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, this is one of the great, almost killer features of a UMPC. Without mobile Internet you won’t get any exposure to the social and interactive elements of a ultra mobile PC like email, instant messaging, sending images or updating your Facebook account. Add broadband-speed mobile Internet to the mix and you’ll get access to YouTube and fast file downloads. I thoroughly recommend testing it somehow though. Try and get a pay-as-you-go program (there are plenty of these in Europe) or, for a short period, use your normal mobile phone contract. The data rates will be higher than normal but you will get a flavor of how this changes your usage scenarios.
CES was exciting and fun and in the coming months there will be more ‘shows’ where new concepts will be demonstrated but don’t forget the reality of the situation today. UMPCs are still at the beginning of their development cycle in terms of hardware, UMPC-focused operating systems haven’t even reached their first release and this big hope called WiMax is years away. If you have an idea that you might get some use out of an Ultra Mobile solution, take a learning step now. Read the buyers guide, ask a few questions in the ultra mobile PC forum (Don’t feel that you need to know what you’re talking about to start asking questions in the forum!) browse through a few options and think seriously about your first ultra mobile PC purchase and your first steps with your ultra mobile device.