Menlow-based Kohjinsha SC3 is here. Live sessions today.

It arrived a few hours ago after a swift pass through customs over the weekend and it’s still sitting behind me, boxed and sealed. I’m very, very excited!

The Kohjinsha SC3 will be the first retail device based on the new Intel Menlow platform that I’ve been able to test, and test it I will. Battery life, video performance, Vista performance, typing, GPS, ExpressCard capabilities and much more. It all starts today and for most of it, I’ll be live in the studio so you can join me for a behind-the-scenes look while I do the unboxing. Later today I’ll be running a presentation so you can join me for a closer look and will have the chance to answer questions. I’ll be at the desk doing the unboxing video from about 1700 CET but doing the presentation from about 2100 CET. That’s 2000 UK, 15:00 New York and at 1200 in San Francisco.

See you on UMPCPortal/Live. I’m just off to put some suitable clothes on!

Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta. good, but where’s the hardware? Review and Video.

[This is the second in a series of 3 articles. See previous article here.]

After more than 6 hours of learning, playing and testing on various devices, I’ve come to a decision about Opera 9.5. Beta. It’s technically a great browser with a very good user interface. Unfortunately though, there’s a core problem out there that’s out of Opera’s hands. Hardware. Opera does a good job but limited processing power and small screen sizes and resolutions hold it back from presenting a full Internet experience.

In this review (video below) I’ll be looking at Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta on the iPaq 214 (see previous article for information on the iPaq 214) from a mobile computing perspective. I’ll be comparing the browser to what I’ve seen on MIDs and on Ultra Mobile PCs. In effect, I’m comparing it to the desktop. Not fair you say? I think it is. Mobile devices are now capable of running desktop software and full desktop browsers at impressive speeds. For many, the slower, although cheaper, mobile Internet experience offered by many consumer devices is probably good enough but if you rely on your browser for more than just browsing, you’ll want the fastest and most accurate mobile browsing platform you can find. In the near future, consumers are going to be more demanding of their mobile browsers too. Unfortunately, as I write this, there are very few Windows Mobile devices out there that have the screen-size and processing throughput, from network to rendering, that are able to offer users the chance to experience modern web pages, AJAX applications and to come anywhere near to a desktop-standard browsing speed. Opera 9.5 doesn’t appear to be any more efficient than it’s predecessor either. It has some other issues too issues which i’ll highlight here but please note that this is Beta software. While we are unlikely to see any more features (apart from the ones listed as disabled in the beta here), there could still be bug fixes and optimizations to sort out.

Willcom D4 unboxing, pics.

The Willcom D4 and Kohjinsha SC3 devices, the first to run on the Intel MID platform (Menlow) are reaching peoples hands through importers now and I’m happy to be one of them. I have an SC3 sitting behind me, still sealed up, that i’ll take a closer look at later. If you’re tracking the Willcom device though, and many are due to its tiny size and Windows OS, you’ll want to check out this unboxing from Wow-Pow. There’s no real hands-on yet and no word from them on battery life, a critical element on this device, but Wow-Pow have promised to bring a more hands-on focused video later.

Don’t forget to check out the opinions from Direct From Japan and keep an eye on Pocketables who are also expecting the device.

Details specs and up-to-date links are always available in the Willcom D4 info page.

iPaq 214. A great PocketPC that makes a poor MID.

This weekend I’ve had the chance to step back from UMPCs and test a top-end device from a mobile device category that started way back in the late 90’s. The iPaq 214, a Windows Mobile PocketPC.

Also known as the iPaq 200,210, 211 and 212, it’s a recent update by HP and and attempt to squeeze what I suspect is the last from the PocketPC market, in the Enterprise segment. The reason I’ve got it is to evaluate Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta, to see how the Windows Mobile software and hardware has moved on since I had my first PocketPC when they were launched in March 2002. Most importantly though I want to take into consideration some of the advances we’re hearing about in hardware and software and to see whether a Windows Mobile-based device really could make a suitable consumer-focused mobile Internet and entertainment device. More after the break…

Thanks to PDAShop.nl / PDAShop.be for the loan of this device.
The UK and NL versions are currently available to order.

Netbooks are everywhere!

I was just reading Kevin’s article about how big the netbook market has gotten in just a year. It’s really amazing to me how the category evolved and expanded. I have maybe once seen a UMPC in use in the wild. That was someone using a UX in a coffee shop. But that’s it. Now however, netbooks seem to be all over the place. In school I regularly see people typing away on Eees. Just last week when going through Airport security a woman behind me pulled an Eee 900 out of her handbag. What surprised me the most though, is my visit to the mall here in Italy. I went into a small electronics store and looked at the laptops on display. There were two Acer 15′ notebooks which looked pretty old and as if they were sitting in the store for a long time. In a big display cabinet however where 3 Olidata JumPCs proudly displaying their 299 Euro price. The JumPC is an Italian Eee-like device that runs on the 900mhz celeron and is marketed at children. I think it might actually be the Classmate design. Definitely not what I expected to find in such a small store! I might have bought if only it wasn’t slightly bulky and err… orange

What’s in your holiday gear bag?

Ahh life is great. I’m sitting out on the terrace overlooking Porto Rotondo in Italy with my laptop out and connected to the internet via speedy HSDPA. It doesn’t get much better than this.

I decided to travel light and not take many things with me on this trip. Here’s what I packed into my Crumpler messenger bag:
- Macbook Air
- Huawei E170 HSDPA modem
- iPod
- Canon SD950
- Blackberry Curve
- Power adapters

And that’s it. Im actually quite proud of myself for not taking any more junk as its been a pleasure running through Italian airports with a comparably lighter bag. I failed in my plan to get a netbook for the summer to take with me around town, mainly because I did not yet sell my HTC Shift (which is still up for sale or trade in the forums). All is good however and I am not finding the smaller amount of connectivity a problem. I’m on vacation after all.

I’m going to finish up this post and go for some pizza. Out of curiosity though, what’s in your sumer gadget bag?

Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta is live.

If you have a Windows Mobile device and have any interest in a better Internet browsing experience, you should check this out. If your device has flash lite support (v3 I think is needed here) then you shuld be able to watch in-line flash videos. If not, you wont get that support.

Phone Arena have a hands-on and video.

even with our old HTC Wizard with TI processor at 200 MHz and modified WM6.1 OS, browsing a page is a pleasure, compared to doing it with IE

I’m sure there’s be lots of hands-on reports over the next week. I’ll be doing mine as soon as the iPaq 214 turns up. Expected tomorrow. (Unless I can steal my wife’s WM device!)

Download via this link

Via GottabeMobile

Wibrain with Atom, HSDPA and makeover on the way.

I missed this one a few days ago. UMPCFever are reporting that NeoSolar, the new owners of the Wibrain brand, will market a new version of the Wibrain with Atom, HSDPA and a makeover. Apparently the info appears on a Wibrain website.

The styling on the rendering that appears on UMPCFever’s article looks a lot better than the old version. I hope the back and sides get the same treatment! It would probably have to be a Menlow platform to fit into the Wibrain casing and it would depend on the clockrate as to how powerful it would be. Lets hope for 1.33Ghz and above where hyperthreading and the 533Mhz FSB kicks in. The existing Wibrain has a big, 30wh battery so if they achieve some efficiencies over and above the existing device, it could be a 4hr in-use device. They might solve the heat problems too as it certainly isn’t the coolest and quietest on the block.

We’ve been in contact with Wibrain but haven’t had any response yet. One of our reseller contacts might have some more info for us next week though. Stay tuned.

In other WIbrain news, apparently the 32GB SSD versions of the existing version are arriving in stock in Europe (and we assume in other territories) this week.

Oh by the way, if you’re wondering what the big black lollypop stick is all about, it is probably a 3G antenna for use in fringe areas. A great idea.

In-cloud sync. SugarSync review

It used to rare that we had more than one computer. Or so I have been told anyways. Today we have a lot more devices – I myself have a desktop, a laptop, a phone and a UMPC. I sometimes also use public computers. Now how do I keep my data in sync and access it wherever I am? Here’s where SugarSync comes in. What is it? Essentially it is a data syncing solution that relies on a central online server instead of syncing straight from device to device. So basically it takes your data and uploads it to SugarSync’s server where you can access it from a web interface and from where it gets downloaded to your other devices running the client software.
(Full post after the break…)

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I have tried and it really was awesome to use. After signing up, you download the client software for your choice of operating system. I chose the OSX version but there is also a version for Windows (both XP and Vista) as well as mobile versions for Blackberry and Windows Mobile.

The software asked me for my login and password, and after that I could choose which files to sync. I created a folder with a couple of pictures and documents, and after about a minute it was all up in the cloud. After logging in to the web interface, I could immediately download all the files that uploaded. I then setup the client on another computer and all the files were there a minute later. I edited the file on one computer, and the changes were immediately synced to the other one.

The fact that everything is stored in the cloud is SugarSync’s biggest feature, yet also its biggest disadvantage. First of all, if you have a slow Internet connection, its going to take ages to upload all of your data, and the real-time updating wont work so well either. Second of all, syncing is basically downloading from SugarSync, so if you have a limited bandwidth you might want to watch out. Aside from that however everything works perfectly as both an online backup and a syncing solution.

While this is a good solution for people who keep their data on their harddrives if you have your files up in the cloud already using services like Google Docs and Calendar, it doesn’t make much sense. Sugarsync doesn’t synchronize your documents down from other servers than their own. This means no integration with services that you might already use. I for one would like to see my photos be uploaded directly to Flickr and my documents to Google Docs, but thats against the idea of a central place to have all your data that SugarSync promotes. There is a part of the interface designed specifically to view your photos online that will satisfy most people.

I would recommend SugarSync without hesitation to anyone who has problems keeping their data in sync by using old-fashioned methods. The service is fast, the interface is beautiful, the pricing is good. However if you are limited by your Internet connection and would rather have data be backed up straight from one device to the other over the network, I would recommend FolderShare instead.

Pricing starts at $2.49 per month for 10GB of storage and a free 45 day trial is available.

Update: We’ve just heard from SugarSync about a new file sharing/sending service:

Send any file from SugarSync’s desktop, web or mobile applications, regardless of the size of the file or number of recipients. Recipients receive a link in an email they can use to access the file for 21 days. Anyone can receive a file, but recipients who use SugarSync can choose to have the files synced across all their computers automatically, stored only their web archive to preserve local disk space, or download it only to the machine they’re on.

It’s an easy way to share home videos with friends, family, and share large presentations or graphic-intensive documents with co-workers. Any number of files can be shared at once. The functionality is free as part of any SugarSync subscription.

kohijnsha SC3 review over at Pocketables. Looks like we’ve got another good UMPC Choice. Even Vista works!

Jenn and I have been having a private race to see who was first to get the SC3. She won! On the upside, it’s made me even more excited to get mine. It’s looking like a real peach of a device. My worry about Vista is fading away too. Here’s what she says about that:

"Keeping in mind that my review unit has 2GB of memory installed, Vista Home Premium SP1 runs extremely well on the 1.33GHz Atom processor. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s downright zippy and on par with what I’m used to (which isn’t much). I’ve experienced no disk thrashing, lagging, or slow-loading menu items and icons. Anyone expecting Vista to perform on the Atom the way it did on the A110 will be pleasantly surprised."

This is in line with what JKK is experiencing with Vista on the Atom-based 901 and very good news indeed. Tablet lovers are going to get very excited as Vista brings significant advantages over XP where a touchscreen is concerned.

I’m looking through Jenns review and thinking…why would anyone by an HTC Shift, Q1 Ultra or Fujitsu U1010/820 now? It’s tiny!

Efficiency is in-line with what I extrapolated from the marketing figures. 2.5hrs battery life on a 20wh battery. Bear in mind though that the battery is smaller than one you’ll find on an Acer Aspire. The 4-cell version, still small, will give you 5 hours of work time.

A backlit keyboard, built-in 3G and on-frame mouse control would be the only things that would make this device any better for the pro-mobile user. The 3G requirement is arguable as you’ve got an ExpressCard/34 slot to play with on the SC3. Note also that the keyboard is relatively small. Smaller than the old Kohjinsha keyboards and the ones on the Asus 701/900/901. This may not suit those that need to input data over a long period of time. There’s also a heat-build on charging.

I’ll stop there as you need to go straight over to Pocketables to see it in all its UMPC glory. Well done for winning the race Jenn. See you on the next starting line

Specification and more links available in the UMPCPortal product database.

ASUS 901. Vista works…well! Has Some Ultra mobility issues.

JKK’s recent video showing an ASUS 901 running Vista makes you wonder why manufacturers aren’t actually releasing their netbook devices with Vista. So far, all the netbooks except the Gigabyte M912 are sold with just Linux or XP. There must be some customers out there that are interested in Vista, surely?

I had a long chat with JKK about the 901 last night. We both agree that as a mobile notebook it’s looking very nice. Possibly the best. Upgradeable, relatively small, good battery life useful UI control features through the multi-touch pad. In terms of platform power of course, it doesn’t have anything over the other Diamondville-based devices but its these little features that make the difference.

We did some battery drain tests with ‘perfmon’ and managed to get the battery drain down to an impressive 5.1W. That’s a figure I’ve only ever seen beaten by my modified Samsung Q1 Ultra (with SSD that can get down to 4.7W) and of course the Silverthorne-based Gigabyte M528 which can get down below 3W drain. If you push the 901 it will drain the battery quickly. 15W drain is possible if you push the device with gaming and Wifi usage on full brightness but even that would return three hours with the standard 6-cell battery. Its very impressive in the big market of ‘efficient’ notebooks.

Article continues…

ASUS 901. Vista works…well! Has Some Ultra mobility issues.

Update: This is a double-post error. Please see the original here for comments and discussion.

JKK’s recent video showing an ASUS 901 running Vista makes you wonder why manufacturers aren’t actually releasing their netbook devices with Vista. So far, all the netbooks except the Gigabyte M912 are sold with just Linux or XP. There must be some customers out there that are interested in Vista, surely?

I had a long chat with JKK about the 901 last night. We both agree that as a mobile notebook it’s looking very nice. Possibly the best. Upgradeable, relatively small, good battery life useful UI control features through the multi-touch pad. In terms of platform power of course, it doesn’t have anything over the other Diamondville-based devices but its these little features that make the difference.

We did some battery drain tests with ‘perfmon’ and managed to get the battery drain down to an impressive 5.1W. That’s a figure I’ve only ever seen beaten by my modified Samsung Q1 Ultra (with SSD that can get down to 4.7W) and of course the Silverthorne-based Gigabyte M528 which can get down below 3W drain. If you push the 901 it will drain the battery quickly. 15W drain is possible if you push the device with gaming and Wifi usage on full brightness but even that would return three hours with the standard 6-cell battery. Its very impressive in the big market of ‘efficient’ notebooks.

Article continues…

Jog And Blog.

One problem with pro-blogging is that can be unhealthy, especially when you do it from home. I rarely get enough sleep. My breakfast is sometimes lunch. I don’t move around as much as I should and I’m surprised that I don’t have back and eyesight problems! I’ve tried a bit of Live Photo-blogging before and that’s been fun. My Wife is doing a good job of getting me out of the house too but I need to do more. My latest mad idea is to combine work, sport and UMPCs in a new activity called Jog and Blog. I’m sure this will be an Olympic sport in London 2012!

Today, over at Chippys UMPC Moblog, I’m running an experiment. Read all about Jog and Blog here!

Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta Delayed 48hrs.

The software that could resurrect Windows Mobile devices as acceptable Internet browsing tools is delayed. Or at least the beta is delayed.

Apparently there’s a few bugs they want to iron out before they release the s/w so you won’t be able to download it until Thursday. Its OK by me as the 624Mhz, 4" VGA iPaq 214 that I was going to borrow to test it out hasn’t turned up yet.

Via The Unwired.

Solar Company in UMPC Fuel-Cell tie-up.

NeoSolar, manufacture of solar tech, has formed an Alliance with WiBrain. They will now be responsible for the operation, manufacturing and marketing with WiBrain continuing with research. This could be a strategic move for NeoSolar but I doubt it. It sounds like some form of investment to me. I’m hoping it will speed up the development of new products from WiBrain. The new 32GB SSD-based products (aff.) are out of the door now and should be shipping to customers in the next few days but I’d really like to see a new design coming from Wibrain.

More exciting but somewhat against the solar-tech grain, is the announcement that they will co-develop fuel-cell portable digital devices with MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc.  There’s no word on availability of course. It could still be years until we see devices small enough to drop inside UMPCs.

Thanks to everyone who sent tips on this.