Pocket-Lint have just posted a news item saying that the ASUS R2H will launch at £799

That's exactly the same price as the Samsung Q1.

Incredibly, they report that this includes 768MB RAM a 60GB HDD and an external DVD Dual D/L Drive. If this is true, Samsung have a problem on their hands.

There is a link to ASUS on the news story but no source quoted for the news.

Lets wait and see if more details emerge from ASUS today.

Steve / Chippy.

tags: asus, r2h, umpc

This is cool.

Currently XP Media Center doesn't contain the features of XP Tablet Edition and Tablet Edition obviously doesn't have the Media Center capabilities.

But when Vista comes, this will change.

Some versions of Windows Vista will include both Tablet PC and Media Center. [ref]

A touch-enabled mobile media center solution is not only going to be very cool, its also going to be pretty much unique amongst operating systems. Neither Apple or Linux can offer that level of out-of-the-box integration yet.

This guy, Stephan Torres, thinks the media center idea is cool too. He's taken a Founder Mininote (AKA Tablet Kiosk 7200 series) put Vista beta on it and then installed it in his car dashboard. Way to go Stephan.

He's also had the privilege of having owned a Mininote for 4 months and his comments are positive. He's happy with the build quality and the power of the device and has a few words to say about other UMPC's too.

• UMPC Samsung: No the webcam, not of reader SD, buttons of navigation and short cuts not very practical

• UMPC Sony (UX90 or 180 according to denominations'): I saw it lately has Taiwan and it appears too much small to to me. The screen is practically illegible with Windows XP. It is necessary to have magnifying glasses in the place of the glasses!!!. In any case I do not like too the closed world of Sony.

Interesting points about the Sony there.

On the negative side, Stephan mentions the static webcam ( I agree, a rotating cam would be a lot better.) the poor speaker volume and lack of cellular data capability.

More pics and translated French over here.

Steve /Chippy.

Update: Ripberger left a comment to correct me on the names of the devices. The Pepperpad Plus was the original name of the pepperpad 3. The current Pepperpad is known only as 'Pepperpad.' Thanks Ripberger.

Pepperpad have just sent out an email covering pretty much what we said in a previous post. That's 2 Pepperpads for $1000 then!

The original Pepperpad Plus Linux-based web tablet device is being cleared out for under $500 (was over $800) on both Amazon.com and e-cost.com to make way for the new Pepperpad 3 device.

Not only that, but the $500 Pepperpad plus is worth another $200 if you're interested in getting the Pepperpad 3. Just order the Pepperpad 3 and order the Pepperpad 3 before the end of Sept and you'll qualify for a $200 discount bringing it down to $500. That's a 30% discount when you take Pepperpad up on the two offers. (Hint: Convince a friend that he needs a Pepperpad Plus and then use the serial number to buy the new Pepperpad 3!)

The new Pepperpad will be shipping, with a 7" screen and an AMD LX800 processor, at the end of Sept. Check out our data sheets on the Pepperpad Plus and Pepperpad 3 for more information, images and links.

Personally I don't think Pepperpad do the Pepperpad 3 device justice in the promotional material. With its x86 architecture processor, there are absolutely thousands of programs out there waiting to be ported over and if the existing Pepperpad community is anything to go by, it won't be long before these devices will be doing more than they were ever designed to do. OpenOffice, Mplayer, Mythtv, TheGimp and Amarok would be the first packages I'd have a go at porting if I had a chance. Followed closely by handwriting recognition software, navigation software and then Windows XP. The only problem is, there's no distribution deal for Europe yet. We hear that they're working on it.

Let me know, readers, if you've ordered one in the U.S. There's a space on Carrypad reserved for your unboxing images and a whole post reserved for the first person that gets XP running on it!

Original email text here

Steve / Chippy.

tags: pepperpad, umpc

A quick scan through the Carrypad UMPC links page shows me I've got some updating to do.

Of the 38 sites listed, no less than 10 seem to be stuck in the water. That is they've had no updates for a month or more.

Not only that but 3 of them seem to be 'made for google' now and have no real content on them at all. This is in addition to the 10 or so more that I've found that I never bothered to add to the link list becuase they add no value at all.

Unfortunately, UMPCorigami.com seems to have been hacked and its shut its doors for the time being. I hope they get back on their feet soon.

Now I know that news has been thin on the ground (especially good news!) and that many of these sites are run on a part time basis but I have to say, 'Come on. You're needed.'  Really. With full-time tech journalists knocking the device all over the place it needs a strong community of supporters to counter these clumsy goliaths. There are customers out there that will probably end up with 3.2Ghz and 5kilo's of laptop just to run Internet Explorer if we don't help them!

On the positive side, UMPCity has moved focus and looks to be very healthy and running as MicroPCTalk. The UMPC definition is very hard to stick to. I understand! Good luck to MicroPCtalk.

The only other new site that I can think of is the TabletWiki.

Also added to the list are the established (but missed last time!) sites below.

• Incremental Blogger
• MobileWhack
• jkOnTheRun
• Craig Pringle
• UberTablet PC talk spot.
• Matt Miller Mobile Gadgeteer.
• Mobile Tech Review.

If you know of any new sites that need adding to the list, let me know. (list at carrypad.com)

The updated and re-organised list is available here.

Steve / Chippy

tags: umpc, websites

OK, perhaps 'pulled' is the wrong word. Lets just say they're not re-stocking any more.

JKonTheRun noticed yesterday that the UX180P had disappeared from the Sony Style website and when I checked it today, it still wasn't there.

Over at MicroPCTalk however, they've had confirmation that it really has been pulled phased out.

we got word directly from Sony USA that they are currently out of inventory for the Vaio UX180P. A new “refreshed model” will be posted in SonyStyle on September 19.

I wonder if the cellular deal didn't work out? Perhaps one of the basic models with compact flash slot is on its way over. No-one actually knows right now.

via MicroPCTalk who, incidentally have changed name from UMPCity.com. Re-set your RSS feeds and bookmarks.

Steve / Chippy

tags: sony, ux, umpc

[update: Before you contact me Tegatech (Hugo), I know! I've just seen the TabletKiosk 7200 series on your website. You deserve a link for my oversight and another link for offering the base model for AUS$1899. Hugo one of the principles of Techagate who runs a good blog also deserves a link. I promise I'll pay more attention to the Oz market in the future.]

Pioneer Computers in Australia are now offering the DreamBook UMPC H700 in their UMPC portfolio alongside the DreamBook UMPC 700.

If you think it looks familiar then you're right. Its based on the Founder mininote which is appearing in U.S. and Europe as the TabletKiosk i7200 series.

Its available in with a choice of processors; The Celeron version and the Pentium-M version and has the big advantage of a docking station included into the package. Other features included a 1.3mp cam, SD/MMC slot, TV-out and the usual Wifi/BT connectivity.

The device should be available now starting at AU$1999 including tax.

I've ordered the Pentium-M version of this (Tablet Kiosk branded) so watch out for some reviews soon. In the meantime, pop over to the Pioneer website or to our product database for in for info on both versions.

Steve / Chippy.

tags: pioneer, dreambook, UMPC

Don't get too excited if you live in the Western world. It looks like Sony has launched a UX50 with a 1-seg digital TV receiver in Asia which isn't much use to those of us living in Europe or America.

Mobile Digital TV is one thing I'd love to see get sorted out in U.S. and Europe. At the moment its a mess of licensing and standards. For the meantime, we'll have to settle with DVB-T in Europe and make sure we carry our usb-DVB stick and antenna with us!

This brings the total number of UX devices to 6. UX90s (Asia) UX90PS (Asia) UX50 (Asia) UX70 (Asia) UX17 (Aus.) UX180p (U.S.) although JKontheRun reported yesterday that it's gone from the website and I can't find it myself either.

Akihabara news doesn't have much more info but thanks to them for the info.

Steve

tags: umpc, sony ux, 1 seg

One of my favorite ultra-mobile PC's, the 8.9" swivel screen tablet convertible Fujitsu P1510d looks like its getting a very nice set of upgrades which could bring it right to the cutting-edge of UMPC technology.

Engadget has reported that details are up on a Japanese website and sure enough, there they are. (Google translation)

The Loox P series uses an Intel U1400 (Core Solo ULV, 1.2Ghz, same as Sony UX90 and the Australian UX17 version.) processor with Intel GMA950 graphics engine and comes in varying flavors of disk and memory. Other highlights include shock-protected hard drives, Gig-E LAN, Fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth 2.0 and 1280x768 LED back-lit screen (on 8.9". That's almost too much!) This is a very high-end mobile device indeed.

This is only the second LED backlit screen I've seen on an UltraMobile device (Sony UX also has LED backlighting.) Fujitsu are claiming 4.4 hours battery life using a JEITA standardised test. For comparison, the Sony UX has a similar battery and is quoted at 3.5 hours battery life using the same test.

The base model looks to be around 1700 Euro in Japan and launches at end of Sept. Expect Dynamism.com to jump on these very quickly.

Steve / Chippy.

Via gottabemobile

Current version (Fujitsu P1510d) data sheet.

tags: Fujitsu, P1510d, Loox P

Maybe I shouldn't have written about it this morning but I've just heard that the Averatec AHI is to be set for a possible launch in Q1 2007. Not Q3 2006 as was previously planned. Averatec sent this public message to me via email.

Through development, we have refreshed our vision for the AHI and feel confident that we can release it during the first quarter of 2007.

That's a real shame because I felt (and still feel) that it stirred a bit of emotion amongst potential buyers just like the Sony UX does. Could it be the keyboard factor? Certainly the slider style of keyboard is becoming the most talked about not only on UMPC's but on smartphones too. Maybe it was the price that was rumored. $700 was a good deal cheaper than the Origami UMPC's.

Well, we look forward to an even more exciting design and specifications next year. I'll be at CES in Jan and I hope the Averatec will be there too.

Steve / Chippy

Very nice video show about the Sony UX180P. Warner Crocker brings up some interesting and important points. Especially the crazy location of the rear-facing camera.

Within the show, Warner demo's the Inscribe text entry software that I'm quite interested in trying out and learning myself.

GottaBeMobile is where you need to go to watch the video.

Steve.

Sony UX data sheet, images and links.

...Pioneer/Easybook P7/It's/Ago7. I think that's all of them covered!

Ctitanic has posted some photos of the extended battery solution that Mugen are working on. No prices or dates yet.

To me, it looks like a 9-cell solution. That will translate to just under 6 hours if the cells are a similar capacity to the originals. Very useable!

More over at UMPCBuzz.

 

Steve / Chippy.

tags: mugen, eo, t700, v7110, battery

At the end of Spring, I published a 'watchlist.' A report on what we should look out for in the UMPC market during Summer. 3 months later its time to give it an update.

New Nokia Internet Tablet.
No new news on this one I'm afraid. I'm still confident that something will happen for the Christmas market although the probability is going down with every week that passes.
Probability: 80%
My guess on specs: Late summer release. $550. Slightly bigger screen. Better processor. Linux based. Keyboard.

Samsung Q1 with VIA processor.

"This one is strictly a rumor" I said. The rumor was true. The Samsung Q1b looks like its headed for the UK market in October. Other markets unconfirmed as yet. Priced above the existing Q1. Its possible that good battery life on this device could be why the price has been set high.

Averatec AHI.

Averatec told us in June that the AHI was a "work in progress" and that we should look for news at the end of Q3 with a launch soon after.

Founder Mininote.

This one has appeared in the U.S. and Europe as the Tablet Kiosk 7200 series. The 7210 is due to be the first Pentium-M based (and there for the most powerful) Origami UMPC. Look out for my reviews on this one as I've ordered one. It should be arriving this week.

Pepperpad plus.

It turned out to be the Pepperpad 3.  (OK I got the name wrong. I can't get everything right!) Due for launch in Sept. Based on AMD LX800 processor.

Flybook V33i.

Its now available. Watch out for a review from Carrypad in Sept.

DualCor cPc

I said 'ho hum" last time. I'll say it again. Ho Hum. No real news about this. Some people have engineering samples.

ASUS R2H

Its finally been confirmed on the ASUS global website but as-yet there's no press releases, prices or availability info.

Price wars.

Price wars started with the AgoPC being introduced at 15% less than equivalent devices already available.  

Its quite a shame that the watch list is nearly empty now and the chances of more devices appearing before Christmas are now getting slimmer. The next big 'event' in the UMPC calendar will be CES in Jan and we should expect to see the first rumors starting to appear for that during Oct and Nov. In Dec I guess it will be time for the CES Watchlist.

Regards

Steve / Chippy.

tags: umpc

Akihabaranews are reporting this morning that 'Suze' (whoever she is) has a Vega UMPC and has done a review. Its available in Korean and helpfully (not!) all placed as jpg files. No chance to do much Google translation then! I assume that Akihabaranews will have a translated version of this soon but I'll see if I cant de-cipher some of the review comments and get some info.

On the way through the reviews and links, I found that the Raon Digital Korean language website has been updated with pricing and some availability news.

The unit is only available in Korea at the moment but they are looking at international reseller partnerships. There's a hint that these could start by the end of the year.

As for pricing, there's a huge flyer up on the Korean version of the website with prices.(click to enlarge.)

The 256MB version looks like it will be 550 Euro ($710)

The 512MB versions looks like it will be 590 Euro ($750)

The pricing is as predicted (although, looking at the flyer, this could be a limited-time offer.) You'll probably also need to add $100 for reseller costs and margin it ever arrives in other parts of the world.

Vega UMPC data sheet. (Carrypad)

Regards

Steve / Chippy

tags: umpc, uppc, vega, raon digital

Just a quick thought on integrated GPS modules in UMPC devices. Especially if you are thinking about the ASUS R2H.

If you have a car like mine that has a UV filter on the front windscreen, there's a chance that a GPS receiver may not work.

 Here's just one reference from this PDF.

Note: Certain vehicles (in particular top specification BMW, Mercedes, Renault Peugeot & Citroen) have UV screens that block the GPS signals from entering the vehicle, which can stop [the product] from acquiring its position. These vehicles require an additional antenna to support [the product] (please contact xxxx for details). Heated screens can also affect signal strength.

I have this problem. The answer is to buy a Bluetooth GPS 'mouse' and locate it near the back window. Another possibility is to look for a SIRF III GPS receiver. These newer receivers might work and no, I'm not sure what type of GPS receiver is in the R2H. My guess is its a cheaper SIRF II model.

If anyone in ASUS can lend me an R2H, I'll gladly test it out for you.

Regards

Steve / Chippy. 

tags: umpc, uv filter, car, gps

UMPCs for Kids! $100 UMPCs! 1 million UMPCS go into production!

[update. The CM1 is now called the 2B1. Read more here.]

No, I haven't gone mad. You havent missed any big news. I'm just writing about the One laptop per child project which has been brought to my attention by reader Michael who is asking - Is the $100 device a UMPC?

So to kick-off, here's my definition of a UMPC.

A highly portable computing device with 5-10" screen, wired and wireless connectivity that is able to load and run common Internet, office, media and PIM applications operated through a graphical user interface.

So far, its about the best effort I've seen (even though I do say so myself!) at defining a UMPC but its definitely not the same as Microsoft's who would like to see Windows Vista on every portable device. They had a project called 'Origami.' I'll stop there though and ask you to read the buyers guide if you're interested in going further on that topic.

Back to the CM1 then, the question is - is it a UMPC? My answer is answer is 'yes'

It fits the definition. Furthermore, its more powerful than a Nokia 770, its got battery life than you can only dream of and the screen is higher resolution than any Origami UMPC available. Its got a keyboard, WiFi with directional antennas, USB2.0, Quick-boot BIOS, Linux operating system and costs $100.

In fact, its an Ultra Mobile PC that we can learn a lot from. Take the screen for example. Its a fantastic example of a component being designed for the job intended. Many current UMPCs use common industrial or automotive industry LCD touchscreens that are cheap but don't really do the best job in preserving battery power. These screens can take around 5-7 watts of power. The screen being developed for the CM1 will be a dual-mode screen capable of a monochrome 1200x900 reflective mode (using ambient light reflected from the rear of the panel) that takes just 0.2 watts. The transmissive color mode uses LED backlighting technology and runs at just 2 watts.

Other interesting specifications:

• The keyboard is integrated into the unit and is a special sealed rubber membrane unit. Its very thin!
• LinuxBios (fast boot)
• 400Mhz AMD Geode GX x86 processor.
• Flash drive - 0.5GB
• WiFi 802.1b/g with dual rotating coaxial antennas. Built in MESH software.
• 22.8W/hr battery (at least 10 hours battery life)
• Touchpad supporting written input.
• 128MB RAM.
• Thin version of Fedora Core with the Sugar environment

So what's wrong with the device then? Well, apart from the lack of touchscreen, slightly portly 1.5KG weight, no handwriting recognition, no 3D graphics support, no large NV storage area and inability to run XP, the main problem is that you won't be able to buy one. Not even for your child. The project relies on orders from governments (presumably to stop a black-market forming and to reduce tax bills) of 1Million units or more. Maybe one day we'll be able to buy one for a 'westernised' price but by the time that happens, we might be reaching the 7.8 million UMPC units per year that in-sight predicted. The $300 UMPC's could be common by then!

I wish I'd paid more attention to this project before. I had read a lot about it but never in any real detail. Having read through as much as I can today I have to say I'm very very impressed with the technology going on in this project. It shows us just how 'fat' current UMPCs are and how much further they can go. If the screen on a current UMPC was swapped out for one of the CM-1 dual-mode screens then you'd instantly be looking at over up to (see comments) 5 hours battery life. I love the way that the software is fit for purpose and that the device has been designed for long life (5 years is the planned lifetime of one of these devices.) I really hope that some of the technologies get sold on to UMPC ODM's and filter through.

Thanks again to Michael for sending me the email. I'll be following the One Laptop per child news blog from now on and trying to understand more about the wider aspects of the project. Namely, education of children in developing countries.

Steve / Chippy.

Useful links:

• One Laptop Per Child main website
• One laptop per child news.
• E-Week article about the display technology.

tags: olpc, umpc, cm-1, childrens machine, panel, power

OK, the prediction was right. (see previous post)

At last, Asus have formally announced the R2H UMPC.

The important 'unknowns' are:

Price: Unknown

Availability: Unknown

Other specs are as were previously announced and available for a good 3 months, apart from the RAM which has dropped to a baseline 256MB.

Thanks to aquabubble and jkOnTheRun for the nudge.

Thanks to ASUS for no new news whatsoever.

I assume it will appear in the products section of the websites later today though so keep an eye out.

update: It could be a heavy beast!

Steve

Through GottaBeMobile I see that Digit-Life has reported that the R2H will be launched today.

There's nothing on the ASUS news sites around the world yet and Friday is a strange day to be launching a product. Maybe the launch team fancied going out tonight to celebrate a long long project!

More news later I hope.

Asus R2H data-sheet.

Steve / Chippy.

UMPCs aren't at the $500 mark yet but hold on, have you seen the price of some smartphones that are around at the moment. The top-end HTC keyboard-equipped models cost well over $700 which makes a fully-equipped ultra mobile PC at $899 seem like very good value.

And now this. A 1Ghz Toshiba notebook at $2275.



Can I just compare the Dynabook SS S30 specs to an ASUS R2H for a second please. Differences in brackets.
1Ghz processor (ASUS - 900Mhz)
30Gb drive (ASUS - 40Gb)
512MB RAM (snap!)
Weight 1.2kg (ASUS - 1kg)
Fingerprint reader (snap!)
Vista capable - (My guess is that the Asus will uses the Intel 915 chipset which is vista capable.)
Bluetooth 2.0 (snap!)
No touchscreen (Asus has touch and tablet capabilities)
12" screen (7" screen)
Keyboard (no keyboard)

The processor, I admit, is a generation better than the Celeron-M and the graphics co-processor is a bit better but if Asus offered the R2H with a Core-solo and 945gm chipset, it wouldn't be anywhere near $2000. The Sony UX50 (exactly the same CPU/GPU combo) is only $1500.

Did I miss anything? Oh yeah. Battery. 9 hours battery on the Tosh.

It sounds a lot but it's not really. Lets take the usual 25% off for over-hyped marketing (the Q1 is still quoted as having a 4-hour battery, I haven't heard of anyone who's had much more than 2.5 hours) and you get to 6.75hours. Take into account that the 200gms extra weight is about the same as the extended battery for a UMPC ($100 for 5hours) and you have two devices that are capable of 7 hours (battery swap needed in the case of the UMPC)

Dynabook SS S30 - $2275.
High estimate ASUS R2H UMPC + 6-cell battery - $1200.

Save your money. Get a UMPC. And a docking station. And a big screen if you fancy. And a nice case. And another 6-cell battery. And a Bluetooth stowaway keyboard. And still have change left over for the bus home. In fact, take a taxi.

Steve / Chippy.

Pay attention everyone. We posted the HiPad news on Monday while Engadget were still in bed!

BUMP! The Data Sheet is also in the product portal now.

And did you miss the review notes for the Founder Mininote/Tabletkiosk i7210? Maybe it was so unexciting that it wasn't worth talking about? OK I'll give you that one!

But moving swiftly on to new news, Kevin Tofel and JKK are comparing the Q1 to the e0 v7110 using Battery Eater. Notes here. If I can keep my fingers off the 7210 for the duration of the test, I'll be running the same test giving us a VIA C7-M, Celeron-M and Pentium-M comparison.

The Mobile Gadgeteer Matt Miller has reviewed the HTC TyTN (Vodafone VPA Compact III, T-Mobile MDA Vario II, Orange SPV 3100, I-Mate JasJam) which is, I have to admit, a nice phone. At 750,-Euro though its not cheap and I think that my Nokia 6280 3G candy-bar slider will make a better companion for a UMPC.

One point of note on the Samsung Q1b. Its going to be more expensive than the Q1 in the UK if the pricing mentioned in the PCW article is correct. That gives that game away a bit because on the surface, the devices aren't much different. OK, there's 60Gb and 1Gb of RAM on offer but I think they've got something else up their sleeve. Its either a 1.5Ghz processor or very good battery life. My money is on the latter. I think they will match or even beat my previous predictions written up in my April report "VIA C7-M CPU and Battery Life tests."

Finally for today, I noticed that the UMPC has been mentioned in the MP3Car.com forums.

After researching carputers for months, I finally figure out UMPC will be my ultimate solution. It is easy to setup, less wiring and no power issues.

At the moment the Q1 is the only UMPC device to have a car mount available. Hopefully we'll see more car mounting options soon because I want to try out that GPS software that was blogged today.

Steve / Chippy.

Tags: Too many!

People have been sending me UMPC images. Thanks! I'm enjoying them.

Maybe some of those Circuit City salespeople that jkOnTheRun were talking about should have this as a bookmark. All potential notebook buyers should be asked 'What do you really want to do with it?' and then shown the images.

I've posted them up at the gallery here. Max 640x480 for guests but some are larger. If you want a copy of the big versions, please register in the gallery.

Keep sending in the pics.

Regards

Steve / Chippy.

There's been a rush of mini-keyboard info over the last week. Here's a summary post if you're looking for some options.

Jezlyn from "Late to the Party." has been out and snapped up a few of them to test. There's plenty of pictures and a final conclusion on which she finds best.

Is it the Logitech or is it the Solidtek? Take a look.

 

Steve / Chippy

A Carrypad reader, Mr Anonymous (!), spotted that the Q1b manual is already online here.

Sure enough, on page 3, there it is in black and white.

The disk and memory specifications are slightly different to what was released for the UK market (1GB/60GB) but I guess its a manual written for multiple English language markets. A quick scan of the manual doesn't reveal any battery life details unfortunately.

[Update. The Q1b will use the VX700 integrated north/southbridge chipset. A slight advance on the shipset used on the VIA C7-M based eo i7110. This could bring battery life advantages.] 

Steve / Chippy.

Carrypad data-sheet. Samsung Q1b.

tags: Samsung, umpc, q1b, manual

I knew there had to be one out there somewhere. The Founder Mininote has been available for some time in Asia so after an hour or so of searching and translating I managed to find a review of the Pentium version of the Mininote on a Chinese website. As far as I know, this is exactly the same as the TabletKiosk eo i7210 so it will give some good pointers as to what to expect when the device is released here.

The review is very hard to read but I picked up some information from the translation. Here is my interpretation of the main points (my own comments in red italics)

• Battery life: 2.5hours under general use. Not bad. Not exceptional.
• No extended battery available. I think this will be less of a problem with a docking station available but I might look for a second battery.
• 'Engineering' plastics. There are a few comments about the quality of the plastics and they don't seem all that positive. In fact, overall I think the device looks rather industrial. Not as good as the Q1.
• Wifi is USB-based. Not Centrino chipset based. That will be  power-disadvantage and might also trigger the C3 state problem that also occurs on the eo v7110.
• 3dmark 2001 SE - 3585 (eo i7110 is about 900, UX50 is around 2500.) Personally I'm not interested in 3DMark scores but its nice to know that the Intel graphics combined with the Pentium keep it ahead of the rest.
• 1.3Mp camera is good enough for web conferencing.
• Noticeable heat build-up. Fans started after 30 minutes. Noise was noticeable.
• The review sample only had Windows XP home edition. TabletKiosk versions have Windows XP Tablet Edition. 
• Covered USB connectors look good.
• Mic and line-out on top is not the best positioning.
• Hardware brightness buttons.
• Stereo speakers "very clear voice soft music, while bass inadequate."
• Backlit keys are good.
• Video output switch on the docking station. Looking at the icons, it seems to be a switch between TV and VGA outputs. I am really hoping that I'll be able to drive a VGA monitor and the eo screen at the same time as separate screens.
• Pointer needs practice to get used to.

In general I get the feeling that this is a standard UMPC like we've seen before. Nothing groundbreaking. Personally I haven't been expecting anything more than this because its probably a 2005 design and the only thing that I really found that made it stood out from the others was the included docking station. However, I'm a little curious now to see was gaming I can get going on it.

The heat and noise issues are the most worrying thing mentioned in the review. Quite what baseline this reviewer was using thought, we don't know. To be honest, if it's quieter than this Athlon-64 laptop I'm using right now, I'll be happy!

Here are some picture edits from the review. There's a lot more on the website. Google translation here. Original here.

 Steve / Chippy

Carrypad data-sheet. eo i7210 eo i7209

tags: umpc, eo, i7210, review, founder, mininote, lucoms, solo

Have you ordered a TabletKiosk eo 7200 series UMPC? If so, you'll be happy to know that the target release date looks like it will be met.

How do I know this? Because I've been badgering the supplier for info!

This time next week, the first devices will be dispatched for local distribution. That means 1st week of Sept for customers as promised.

In the meantime, how about some naked eo i7200 pictures and comparison shots with the Q1? Click the pics for three review pages for the equivalent Lucoms Solo M1 at the Tablet PC Club website(Korean.)

---

---

I still haven't found out about the battery life on these things but something's telling me it might not be as good as the new Samsung Q1b.

Steve / Chippy.

data sheet: TabletKiosk eo i7209, eo 7210

tags: umpc, lucoms, tabletkiosk, 7200, 7210, 7209, eo

UMPCBuzz have got hold of pictures of the planned extended battery for the Q1 by Mugen Power.

It looks bigger than the 6-cell version from Samsung. Could be a 9-cell part perhaps. No detailed specs are available at the moment.

UMPCBuzz have more pics.

Update: Ctitanic confirmed that its three times the capacity of the normal battery.

Steve / Chippy

Following on the from the previous Q1b news, the info has also been posted on UK-based Personal Computer World

Samsung is also bringing out a Q1b model in October which uses Via's C7-M processor, and slightly improved disk space and Ram: 60-byte hard disk and 1GB of Ram. It will cost £899.

This puts it above the existing Q1 in terms of price. Are they touting the VIA C7-M as the best processor for a high-end system? If they've combined the best of Samsung tech with a good design and software around the C7-M we might see some impressive battery life figures.

Release date is October in the UK. In fact, most of the Q1b stories seem to be coming from the UK at the moment. I think someone there got an interview with Dinesh Chand the product manager at Samsung.

Samsung Q1b data sheet.

Steve / Chippy.

tags: samsung, q1b, via, umpc

"Samsung also plans to release the Q1b, a version of the UMPC that uses a 60GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and more significantly Via's C7-M processor"

This has just been posted up in some Q1 news at Cnet UK

This was a rumor a while back and we have it in our watch-list.

Samsung Q1 with VIA processor.
This one is strictly a rumor (that no-one has formally denied yet!) I really cant imagine Intel (or Microsoft) letting Samsung simply drop a VIA onto the same UMPC motherboard and letting them compete head to head. No-one, even Samsung, is going to benefit from that. Its possible Samsung could remove some of the interfaces (VGA, Ethernet) and make a stripped down 20GB version I guess. We'll have to wait and see.
Probability 25%
Our guess on specs: Late summer release. $750. Via processor. Reduced Q1 specs.

I'm doing some further investigating...back soon.

Picked up through eagle-eyed Ultranauts.com.

Steve / Chippy.

tags: samsung, q1b, umpc, via

Its another AMD LX800 powered device that I've just spotted on the Korean Tablet PC Club website. The Sesol HiPAD II is an updated version of the original HiPad that appeared last year.

It's got a 10.4" 800x600 screen (and a simulated 1024x768 mode), 20Gb HDD, upto 1Gb RAM, flash drive option, wifi, DMB, WiBro and UMTS (3G) options, CF, USB, VGA, PCMCIA and possibly a GPS option.

It will run CE, XP embedded or XP/XP Pro (no mention of tablet edition but it does have a touchscreen.) It has a launcher application and supports screen rotation.

Take a look at the pics here (Korean website) or on the company website (English) here.

No pricing info available at the moment.

The Carrypad data sheet for the Sesol Hipad is here.

Steve /Chippy.

tags: Sesol, hipad, umpc, tablet, webpad, ultramobile

Thoughtfix's Nokia 770 laptop project is complete.

 

He's taken a 770, an additional battery, a USB hub and a keyboard, made some new cables and fitted it all inside a day-planner case.

There's some good videos, a flash presentation and some images so if you've ever thought about making your 770 more useful, take a look.

Part 1

Part 2

This modular approach is great. I'd like to see it taken further with ultra-thin, ultra-light, battery powered 12" LCD screens available together with a keyboard in cases like this. You could just open up and connect via next-gen Bluetooth. Then you'd be able to use a UMPC as 1) and handheld  2) a desktop (in a dock) 3) a modular laptop.

Thanks Thoughtfix.

Steve / Chippy.

Carrypad links: Nokia 770 data-sheet.
tags: umpc, 770, tablet, project

Watch out for this if you're thinking of putting one-care on your UMPC (or any touchscreen device for that matter.)

Thoughtfix at Ultramobilegeek.com had some problems with his eo. Installing the Windows OneCare security packages disabled his touchscreen.

I have a feeling that Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun uses OneCare on his Q1. Maybe Thoughtfix should drop the guys a line. I'd certainly be interested because I'm due for a renewal on my Anti-Virus software and I won't be buying Kaspersky again. So far I've heard nothing but good reports about OneCare and at $50 for 3 PC's it's also good value.

Steve / Chippy

tags: umpc, security, touchscreen, OneCare

jkOnTheRun has some photos of the Q1 car dock. Actually it looks more like a simple holder rather than a dock. There's also some photos of the extended battery. Pop over to take a look.

The items are appearing on EBay via sellers in Asia now so at least we know that they are available somewhere in the world! Here's a picture one of the items that's being offered at the moment.

Taking a look at the various UMPC-related auctions on EBay, I found this.

Its a strange-looking tablet that I've never seen before. It labeled as a Fujitsu Stylistic LT P600 and Its got an old old spec. Anyone know anything about it?

Also going on EBay are a stack of UMPC-related domain names. $2K for UMPC-ACCESSORIES.COM anyone?

 

Regards

Steve / Chippy

tags: samsung Q1, umpc, accessories, car

I've really been trying to ignore all the rumours about an Apple tablet/UMPC over the last 6 months but this one has caught my eye.

It was shown on jkOnTheRun just a few minutes ago and it just looks lovely. The image shows a price of $2499 and what looks like a 10" or bigger screen. Possibly not a UMPC then.

Event if it's a photoshop design, its worth airing just as a recommendation to Apple. Just like this one that we saw back in March.

The image was sent to jkOnTheRun from blog.hooway.com

tags: apple, tablet, umpc

Brando workshop make a small keyboard and Thoughtfix went out and bought one...for $25! A bargain.

It's the perfect size to fit in a UMPC gadget bag.

If you're in Europe, its sold under the Keysonic brand as the ACK-3400U for 20,- Euro.

Thanks Thoughtfix.

Update: Jezlyn at "Late to the Party" found another option.

Details here.

Update 2: jkOnTheRun found another! Info here.

tags: umpc, keyboard

Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun has been playing with Ubuntu on his Q1 and came up with the same problem as others did. Touchscreen.

Linux is one of the things that Thoughtfix will be looking at on his eo. Thoughtfix has done a lot of work with Linux and I plan to keep in touch with him on his progress. I've also got some support available from Epios who are also interested!

Its going to take some time but I feel quite confident that Linux on an Origami is going to be achievable and, importantly, useful!

If you're interested in Linux on UMPC's , there's a Linux section over at Origamiportal.com forums where we're tracking as much as we can on the subject.

Steve /Chippy.

tags: umpc, linux, ubuntu, epios

Asus have kindly sent me their marketing image pack for the R2H which I've uploaded to the gallery and product info page.

Two things to note from the close-ups.

1) No docking port.

2) VGA,TV-out and Ethernet port on board.

This, for me, puts it above the Samsung Q1 and in the same media-oriented bracket. Considering the gps, webcam, fingerprint scanner and tv-out, its going to sit above the Samsung Q1 in terms of specifications and in the same media-oriented bracket. If the price is better than the Q1, this is going to knock it for six.

Regarding launch date, we've heard two rumors of week 37 in Europe. That's the week starting 10th Sept.

tags: umpc, asus, r2h, images, ultramobile