Comments on: Between the MID/Tablet/Smartbook, Which Genre Will Succeed? http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/ portable pc, mobile computer, pocket pc and handheld computing Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Vit http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31035 Vit Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:58:58 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31035 You can twist and turn words as much as you want to prove your point. :) But tablets do include what you call "convertable laptop". And iPod is not a good example of main stream tablet. Slate models, s.a. Archos 9 do have a stand that you can fold to place it comfortalble on a table pretty much same way as laptop, you know, laws of phisics? And very nice,very useful full size keyboards are sold in any electronic retailers starting with just around 10-15 dollars. Just keep your mind open! :) You can twist and turn words as much as you want to prove your point. :) But tablets do include what you call “convertable laptop”. And iPod is not a good example of main stream tablet. Slate models, s.a. Archos 9 do have a stand that you can fold to place it comfortalble on a table pretty much same way as laptop, you know, laws of phisics? And very nice,very useful full size keyboards are sold in any electronic retailers starting with just around 10-15 dollars. Just keep your mind open! :)

]]> By: Vakeros http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31027 Vakeros Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:16:03 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31027 Agreed. Make it 5.6" with almost no bezel (like HD2 - but bigger) and I'll buy it. Agreed. Make it 5.6″ with almost no bezel (like HD2 – but bigger) and I’ll buy it.

]]> By: Vakeros http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31026 Vakeros Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:12:59 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31026 Holding a tablet isn't the same as holding a netbook/laptop. You support the entire weight of a tablet in your arms. You place a netbook/laptop on a table. This is a difference between mobile and portable - which is actually backwards as they are all portable, but the netbook isn't mobile. Notice the way the iPad was being used. You are seated and resting it on your leg for any extended use (because it is too big and heavy.) So no you can't hold them for an hour easily. Not all tablets run Full OSes. I personally would choose a Convertible laptop i.e. S10 over a slate/tablet. But that's because I want functionality over form. When on screen keyboards or alternative forms of keyboards get cheap and usable then I would want to ditch the extra weight. If I were to design a tablet right now I would include a DVD/Blu Ray player. As basically the way a tablet is useful isn't for productivity but for consumption. So you need 720p screen res. Oh and add a bigger pico projector which can be angled when using the slate's kickstand. Holding a tablet isn’t the same as holding a netbook/laptop. You support the entire weight of a tablet in your arms. You place a netbook/laptop on a table. This is a difference between mobile and portable – which is actually backwards as they are all portable, but the netbook isn’t mobile. Notice the way the iPad was being used. You are seated and resting it on your leg for any extended use (because it is too big and heavy.) So no you can’t hold them for an hour easily.
Not all tablets run Full OSes.
I personally would choose a Convertible laptop i.e. S10 over a slate/tablet. But that’s because I want functionality over form. When on screen keyboards or alternative forms of keyboards get cheap and usable then I would want to ditch the extra weight.
If I were to design a tablet right now I would include a DVD/Blu Ray player. As basically the way a tablet is useful isn’t for productivity but for consumption. So you need 720p screen res. Oh and add a bigger pico projector which can be angled when using the slate’s kickstand.

]]> By: Raon http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31010 Raon Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:11:57 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31010 Mids Tablets Smartbooks UMPCs Netbooks Smartphones. This is market segmentation gone mad. All of the devices that fall under these catagories have a CPU/RAM/Chipset combination that allow them to fullfil traditional computing tasks. Back in the day the 'killer app' for desktop PCs was a spreadsheet program, the ability to cruch numbers quickly and acurately soon became the main reason business bought a computer. The need to run office based applications faster saw traditional desktop CPUs get ever faster and more power hungry. Todays killer app is the Internet. The whole Internet and everything it offers to all people has seen an explosion in devices specifically designed to access it. The power in terms of CPU speed and voltage (hence battery life) needed to access the internet is far lower compared with that of gaming and video editing for instance. I think today we are in the gold rush of internet access via small, frugal but powerfull devices. Manufactures don't know what to build so they build everything hoping for hit. Likewise consumers aren't sure what they want either, the killer app keeps evolving and offering new ways to consume and interact. How is Jo Public going to decide on a device when they can barely keep up with what is being offered? Add a GSM aerial to MID and you have a smartphone, add a keyboard to a slate and you have a netbook. Yes, some of these catagories will merge and some will change their name, but it's all market segmentation by an industry desperate to communicate products to consumers when they themselves have had little time to understand the products usage model, it's like one huge beta period for the mobile industry. Right now, I'll take anything innovative with a small screen, I don't care what you want to call it. Bring on the Gold Rush. (YMMV, IMO etc etc) Mids Tablets Smartbooks UMPCs Netbooks Smartphones.

This is market segmentation gone mad. All of the devices that fall under these catagories have a CPU/RAM/Chipset combination that allow them to fullfil traditional computing tasks.

Back in the day the ‘killer app’ for desktop PCs was a spreadsheet program, the ability to cruch numbers quickly and acurately soon became the main reason business bought a computer. The need to run office based applications faster saw traditional desktop CPUs get ever faster and more power hungry. Todays killer app is the Internet. The whole Internet and everything it offers to all people has seen an explosion in devices specifically designed to access it. The power in terms of CPU speed and voltage (hence battery life) needed to access the internet is far lower compared with that of gaming and video editing for instance.

I think today we are in the gold rush of internet access via small, frugal but powerfull devices. Manufactures don’t know what to build so they build everything hoping for hit. Likewise consumers aren’t sure what they want either, the killer app keeps evolving and offering new ways to consume and interact. How is Jo Public going to decide on a device when they can barely keep up with what is being offered?

Add a GSM aerial to MID and you have a smartphone, add a keyboard to a slate and you have a netbook. Yes, some of these catagories will merge and some will change their name, but it’s all market segmentation by an industry desperate to communicate products to consumers when they themselves have had little time to understand the products usage model, it’s like one huge beta period for the mobile industry.

Right now, I’ll take anything innovative with a small screen, I don’t care what you want to call it. Bring on the Gold Rush.

(YMMV, IMO etc etc)

]]> By: Mobileer http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31007 Mobileer Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:19:24 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31007 Until we get some dramatic improvement in either batteries or the power required to run a full OS capable device with WWAN, MIDs, Smartbooks and the a like most def has a future. Personally though with the capabilities I can now achieve with my two smartphones (out of which one is a iPhone 3GS) and VNC I don't have the same need for a UMPC I had 2-3 yrs ago. I believe if we can see some decent virtual machine solutions for say the iPad we might maybe even start to see a slow but sure death of "traditional full OS'". The iPad really isn't something that appeals to most any of us visiting this site, yet it has us talking, I am sure I will within the next year get a refurbished or used iPad just to have one around home for surfing, entertainment etc. What I am thinking though is will the emerging smartbooks turn more or less all into smartPADs? Also I wouldn't mind there be a upscale smartphone category that would be a 5" or so MID. Personally I'd love a 5" iPhone, maybe with iPad features like capability to add a BT keyboard. Time will show but I do think that cloud computing and ARM based devices (or the alike) will only grow the next few years. We are slowly going back to the mainframe-dummy terminal setup as I have been saying for years now :) Until we get some dramatic improvement in either batteries or the power required to run a full OS capable device with WWAN, MIDs, Smartbooks and the a like most def has a future.

Personally though with the capabilities I can now achieve with my two smartphones (out of which one is a iPhone 3GS) and VNC I don’t have the same need for a UMPC I had 2-3 yrs ago.

I believe if we can see some decent virtual machine solutions for say the iPad we might maybe even start to see a slow but sure death of “traditional full OS’”.

The iPad really isn’t something that appeals to most any of us visiting this site, yet it has us talking, I am sure I will within the next year get a refurbished or used iPad just to have one around home for surfing, entertainment etc.

What I am thinking though is will the emerging smartbooks turn more or less all into smartPADs? Also I wouldn’t mind there be a upscale smartphone category that would be a 5″ or so MID. Personally I’d love a 5″ iPhone, maybe with iPad features like capability to add a BT keyboard.

Time will show but I do think that cloud computing and ARM based devices (or the alike) will only grow the next few years. We are slowly going back to the mainframe-dummy terminal setup as I have been saying for years now :)

]]> By: JeCh http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31006 JeCh Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:03:36 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31006 Completely agree with you. 5" is the biggest screen that can fit in a pocket. And with a resolution of 1024x600 it can handle a full OS and desktop applications. But a modified UI is a big advantage, so I believe Moblin or Mer (opensource version of Maemo) will be the best choice. Limited OSs such as Android, WM or iPhone OS are a very bad decision on a MID. Completely agree with you. 5″ is the biggest screen that can fit in a pocket. And with a resolution of 1024×600 it can handle a full OS and desktop applications. But a modified UI is a big advantage, so I believe Moblin or Mer (opensource version of Maemo) will be the best choice.

Limited OSs such as Android, WM or iPhone OS are a very bad decision on a MID.

]]> By: turn.self.off http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31005 turn.self.off Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:45:34 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31005 i blame all those stock market analyzers that seems to have made market share the holy grail of one number success indicators (basically the same as Hz for cpu, megapixel for cameras and other "higher is better" examples). i blame all those stock market analyzers that seems to have made market share the holy grail of one number success indicators (basically the same as Hz for cpu, megapixel for cameras and other “higher is better” examples).

]]> By: Vit http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31004 Vit Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:38:48 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31004 I don't know where you get your information on tablets, but you better do you homework. Tablets do run FULL Win 7 OS, they do have USB ports, Some of them with larger screens, have DVD drives as well,and most of them have a keyboard. As far as weight concern, it's the same or slightly less than comparable laptop. If you can hold it for an hour you certanly can hold a tablet. On top of that many most popular apps come now with touchscreen support, includin but not limited to MS Office, Photoshot, Correl draw, etc. So buttom line is, Tablet offers same functionality as comparable note/netbook PLUS touch screen functionality. IMHO, the biggest setback for tablets right now is very high price tag (almost twice as expansive as reular laptop)and limited availability. At least here in New York you can find them only on the web, major retailers don't have them. I don’t know where you get your information on tablets, but you better do you homework. Tablets do run FULL Win 7 OS, they do have USB ports, Some of them with larger screens, have DVD drives as well,and most of them have a keyboard. As far as weight concern, it’s the same or slightly less than comparable laptop. If you can hold it for an hour you certanly can hold a tablet. On top of that many most popular apps come now with touchscreen support, includin but not limited to MS Office, Photoshot, Correl draw, etc. So buttom line is, Tablet offers same functionality as comparable note/netbook PLUS touch screen functionality. IMHO, the biggest setback for tablets right now is very high price tag (almost twice as expansive as reular laptop)and limited availability. At least here in New York you can find them only on the web, major retailers don’t have them.

]]> By: lexequinerad http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-31001 lexequinerad Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:34:37 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-31001 The competition will be fierce on all device-types, manufacturers, and OS's/platforms. I think that the "convertible tablets," off features, power, full OS, and tablet mode, that would give users the best of all worlds. I am particularly fond of the forward-thinking, sleekly-designed Viliv devices. The Apple iPad, will probably be a "convergence, niche" sleek tablet, with a fast, and sleek touch GUI, with its own somewhat closed ecosystem. The iPad's underlying limitations, have been pretty extensively reported over the last ten days. I am a MS Windows person, but recently bought an IPOD 3G 32GB, touch, that I use as a professional, business, and Internet WiFi MID. I also have an IPAQ hx 4705, with that beautiful 4 inch VGA display. I still like my IPAQ, but it only still has the original 64 MB of RAM. Does, Chippy, or anyone know, how I could get more than 128 MB of RAM, on this device? I would be very appreciative. This is my first post on this site. Thanks,...P The competition will be fierce on all device-types, manufacturers, and OS’s/platforms. I think that the “convertible tablets,” off features, power, full OS, and tablet mode, that would give users the best of all worlds. I am particularly fond of the forward-thinking, sleekly-designed Viliv devices. The Apple iPad, will probably be a “convergence, niche” sleek tablet, with a fast, and sleek touch GUI, with its own somewhat closed ecosystem. The iPad’s underlying limitations, have been pretty extensively reported over the last ten days. I am a MS Windows person, but recently bought an IPOD 3G 32GB, touch, that I use as a professional, business, and Internet WiFi MID. I also have an IPAQ hx 4705, with that beautiful 4 inch VGA display. I still like my IPAQ, but it only still has the original 64 MB of RAM. Does, Chippy, or anyone know, how I could get more than 128 MB of RAM, on this device? I would be very appreciative. This is my first post on this site. Thanks,…P

]]> By: chippy http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-30999 chippy Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:07:08 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-30999 All this talk of winners and losers makes me wonder what the definition of success is. If i make an MID that sell 100K units, makes 95% of owners happy, builds a brand that can be used in the future, makes a profit of $2m but doesnt even register by any measure of market share, i would call it a success. What i hope will happen is that companies think about 1 platform, multiple devices to satisfy many different types of customers. The chances of anything in the 4-8" segment being a 10M unit per year success are close to zero so lets hope pc companies start to think like auto manufacturers and go for the single-platform, multiple model/variant model. Both ARM and Intel are in a position to offer this to clients within the next 12 months. I feel Intel / Moblin / Intel app store has a better offering than most. All this talk of winners and losers makes me wonder what the definition of success is. If i make an MID that sell 100K units, makes 95% of owners happy, builds a brand that can be used in the future, makes a profit of $2m but doesnt even register by any measure of market share, i would call it a success.

What i hope will happen is that companies think about 1 platform, multiple devices to satisfy many different types of customers. The chances of anything in the 4-8″ segment being a 10M unit per year success are close to zero so lets hope pc companies start to think like auto manufacturers and go for the single-platform, multiple model/variant model. Both ARM and Intel are in a position to offer this to clients within the next 12 months. I feel Intel / Moblin / Intel app store has a better offering than most.

]]> By: Steve 'Chippy' Paine http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-53307 Steve 'Chippy' Paine Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:12:27 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-53307 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Good discussion going on about the mid/umpc/tablet segment here. http://bit.ly/dysxr9</span></span>

Good discussion going on about the mid/umpc/tablet segment here. http://bit.ly/dysxr9

]]> By: Daniel Hayden http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-30996 Daniel Hayden Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:42:43 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-30996 I just bought an Acer Aspire One (8.9") for an incredible price. The one thing here in the US that I think will determine which will provail is the PRICE. Money is tight now. I wanted something faster than my Samsung Q!U-V and more HDD space. Also i agree with the statement above about the OS. No one wants to use something that is not tried and true. I want something that is pocketable, but I choose value and elimination of other devices to make life easier. My old Archos 380 is on my Aspire and the files from my Samsung, and TC1100 and Sony UX380, so I have eliminated more weight to carry. I do want a pocketable device, but not at the expense and frustration of learning an new OS especially when something doesn't work. I just bought an Acer Aspire One (8.9″) for an incredible price. The one thing here in the US that I think will determine which will provail is the PRICE. Money is tight now. I wanted something faster than my Samsung Q!U-V and more HDD space. Also i agree with the statement above about the OS. No one wants to use something that is not tried and true. I want something that is pocketable, but I choose value and elimination of other devices to make life easier. My old Archos 380 is on my Aspire and the files from my Samsung, and TC1100 and Sony UX380, so I have eliminated more weight to carry. I do want a pocketable device, but not at the expense and frustration of learning an new OS especially when something doesn’t work.

]]> By: Another guy http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-30991 Another guy Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:39:39 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-30991 In my opinion, all these tablets (iPad-style) are just a temporary fashionable thing that are actually very uncomfortable to use (holding that thing in the air for an hour-plus is VERY tiresome), limited in features (no real OS, no multitasking, no USB connectivity, no real keyboard, no flash, etc) and all in all there is nothing they can do that a netbook cant. So, in my opinion, the iPad is another marketing stunt like the Macbook Air but with no beef to back the hype back. Smartbooks? I still dont see the difference between them and standard netbooks to be honest... As far as I am concerned, I am all over MIDs right now, especially those with Windows environment and Atom processors. As a mobile IT professional, being able to edit HTML documents, FTP uploads, photo editing, etc on a device that fits on a jacket pocket is just priceless. In my opinion, all these tablets (iPad-style) are just a temporary fashionable thing that are actually very uncomfortable to use (holding that thing in the air for an hour-plus is VERY tiresome), limited in features (no real OS, no multitasking, no USB connectivity, no real keyboard, no flash, etc) and all in all there is nothing they can do that a netbook cant. So, in my opinion, the iPad is another marketing stunt like the Macbook Air but with no beef to back the hype back.

Smartbooks? I still dont see the difference between them and standard netbooks to be honest…

As far as I am concerned, I am all over MIDs right now, especially those with Windows environment and Atom processors. As a mobile IT professional, being able to edit HTML documents, FTP uploads, photo editing, etc on a device that fits on a jacket pocket is just priceless.

]]> By: Marvell http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-30989 Marvell Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:02:11 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-30989 Just seen: the first ARM-Netbook is coming next week http://bbrv.blogspot.com/2010/02/efika-mx-smartbook.html http://www.genesi-usa.com/products Just seen: the first ARM-Netbook is coming next week

http://bbrv.blogspot.com/2010/02/efika-mx-smartbook.html
http://www.genesi-usa.com/products

]]> By: alkarl http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/between-the-midtabletsmartbook-which-genre-will-succeed/#comment-30985 alkarl Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:20:15 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=11178#comment-30985 ARM is trying to climb the ladder to netbooks trough android and iphone os, intel is going to counterattack (since it's ARM-less) with x86 moorestown and maybe a sooner medfield since 32nm have been proven with arrandale's cpus. microsoft is trying to counter iphone supremacy with WM7 but it will definitely backup intel if needed with some kind of lite & idle version of XP or Win7. ARM have crippled OS's support this battle won't last long, all is depending on the future of intel atom's power consumption and baterry capacity development. UMPC's are winners because they have famous siblings called smartphones which will take the role of market openers. pico projector is also a nice technology to have onboard in the future of pocket devices. ARM is trying to climb the ladder to netbooks trough android and iphone os, intel is going to counterattack (since it’s ARM-less) with x86 moorestown and maybe a sooner medfield since 32nm have been proven with arrandale’s cpus.
microsoft is trying to counter iphone supremacy with WM7 but it will definitely backup intel if needed with some kind of lite & idle version of XP or Win7.
ARM have crippled OS’s support this battle won’t last long, all is depending on the future of intel atom’s power consumption and baterry capacity development.

UMPC’s are winners because they have famous siblings called smartphones which will take the role of market openers.
pico projector is also a nice technology to have onboard in the future of pocket devices.

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