Following a thread on Origamiproject.com today I saw that 'JKK' has been getting very good battery life out of his device. It turns out he has a device direct from Amtek which is giving very different results. It obviously something changed in the hardware becuase the Amtek is idling at a much lower rate than the eo.
He also doesn't see C3 states.

Either he's got a hand-modded device or Amtek have changed the design for the latest production run. Either way, its good news becuase it means at some point (could still be weeks though,) TK will get improved devices.

Thread link

Steve.

I've just had this from 'JKK'.

It shows the Amtek bios details people were asking for.



Regards

Steve

Here's mine.

http://www.tokash.org/umpc/bios.JPG

Hummm... certainly does make you think it's something with the hardware. I would hope he didn't get a hand modified unit (aka. flywired unit) and that AMtek would have spun the PCBoard to include any needed fixes. That's the more robust/reliable way to make a fix in production.

I guess there is still the remote chance that the Windows Image Amtek has is still slightly different than the Windows Image that Tabletkiosk must be installing when they get the units. I'm assuming that AMtek has a software load they install on the production line so they can run some end-of-line checks then Tabletkiosk gets the units and loads their custom Windows Image.

Maybe (hoping) there are some settings/drivers that AMtek is loading differently than Tabletkiosk.

If it is a hardware issue, then a recall should be underway as others have mentioned. This wouldn't be the end of the world for Tabletkiosk because they should have provisions in the contract with AMtek to back-charge them for shipping product which presumably doesn't meet the original product specifications.

It's also obvious that the "rigorous testing" Tabletkiosk performed the weekend before they shipped the initial units did not include a battery life / operating current draw test. I would hope they request this sort of information from AMtek in the future.

Quote:

That exactly the same device we have with thesame version and Bios version, We have to compare drivers to find any difference and if we don't find any then it's in the hardware what they changed the weird part is that they did not change the device version.

Guys, it seem to me that it is a software update Check the device version.

We have to compare display drivers versions and USB drivers version to begin with.

Here is what I have

Attached file:   display.jpg (100.29 KB)

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USB controller

Attached file:   Usb.jpg (163.15 KB)

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A couple more images from JKK. (click to enlarge)

One showing streaming, 400mhz CPU and 25% screen - 11.6W



and another showing 400mhz cpu - full load and 50% screen - 12.3W


JKK also tells me he did a full-load test and saw only 14W drain. Thats about 65% of the eo full load figures (20-21w)

Steve

If you select Max Battery the CPU stays always at 400 MHz the weird thing is that the power drain still 15.18w

This is interesting that they have different releases with different manufactuers within such a short amount of time.

Its also interesting that because of this JKK was able to get the device to get longer battery life out of it.

So I suppose that means that there is more than just the C3 power thing that can be fixed.

Quote:

Exactly, is getting more than 2 hours or around 2 hours without the C3 Stage so when that is fixed too, these devices can get easily 2:20.

That's a really good news. The bad news is that I just got an email from TabletKiosk with the usual canned answer:

Quote:

I'm hoping that Paceblade (due to have the Easybook P7 branded version of the Amtek 700) will have a second-run device. Its due this week but I can't get any contact with suppliers at the moment. Maybe i'm on the PR blacklist! They need not worry though. I'm still positive about UMPC's.

Steve.

I'm still positive about UMPCs as well. I think the second generation devices will be very popular once they get the price down, battery life up, Windows Vista, and user-interface kinks worked out from the 1st-gen devices.

These "growing pains" everyone is currently experiencing is necessary and the early adopters are a critical group to listen to.