I wrote an update on Moorestown last week over at MIDMoves.com but I want to expand on that here on UMPCPortal today because I really think that the new information we have now is extremely significant for the core audience here. Moorestown is the first computing platform that covers my definition of ultra mobile computing. From high-end smartphones, through targeted, Ultra Mobile ‘desktops’ , super-mobile laptops and the whole range of internet-connected opportunities that exist in the mobile internet space.

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I’ve been careful to point out in the past that Moorestown and Menlow will overlap and continue to be available as two separate platforms in the MID space. While a version of Moorestown will support XP, it won’t be the version that we’re seeing touted for smartphones. Even Intel were careful to point out that you won’t see the same power envelope with Microsoft products so clearly, Moorestown is initiall a cut-down or special ‘crafted’ platform that only works with Moblin.

Menlow is that platform that continues to be offered for use in UMPCs and note here that Intel appear to accept now that Moblin V1 isn’t going to be the primary OS for Menlow based systems. I think it’s fair to say that Menlow and Moblin V1 failed and even distracted the market for ultra mobile solutions until it got back on course recently with XP versions of the original MIDs. I’m even hearing and seeing Windows 7 being promoted for UMPCs and if OEMs can keep the licensing costs low and ssd speeds high, it will make a great solution.

So that brings us to the Compal KAX-15, the only Menlow-based device that was announced within the Intel meetings. It was shown in the Ultra Mobility keynote and JKK got straight over to the demo device and gave us the full details in a video. (below) Before that, the specs.

It has a sliding/tilting keyboard that is similar to the HTC Shift but on a smaller scale. It’s a bit bigger than the original Compal MID that Aigo and Gigabyte used but that is probably due to a bigger battery. Compal will be aware that the battery life on their JAX-10/KAX-10 is no longer competitive in the UMPC space.

• Screen size: 4.8”, 800×480
• CPU: Z515 with 800Mhz and 1.2Ghz bursting. (Which I think means that designers can build around the TDP of the 800Mhz part but i’m not 100% sure. Sounds just like speed stepping to me)
• No mouse controller
• Dual web cams

I think it’s fair to say that this is in the running to be the next Aigo MID. Personally I find it a better form factor than the UMID M1 but we’ll have to see about battery life.

This just in from a meeting I had with Intel this evening.

At the Ultra Mobility Event at Computex tomorrow, we’re going to see live demonstrations of 2 or 3 Moorestown devices.

Clearly this is going to affect Menlow but it sounds like Intel have accelerated the Moorestown program. I don’t have any info as to whether Microsoft products will run on the platform so that will be one of my questions tomorrow.

More information over at the MIDMoves project blog that I’m working on this week.

After many months of wondering if the S5 was going to be as good as we first imagined it to be, it’s time to review the final retail version and make some conclusions. The Viliv S5 is one of the smallest tablet PC’s in the world. It includes a full PC hardware architecture and Windows XP software. The manufacturer has used a mature design from it’s PMP range and the end result is a solid, well-built pocketable device aimed at media, web browsing and, due to the built-in GPS, navigation.

Vilis S5 specifications, discussion, links, videos and images in the community specifications page.

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With twice the battery life, half the weight and half the price of UMPCs of 2006, the advances in UMPC technology have been amazing. Here’s a video summary of what’s happened in the last 3 years.

Just imagine what’s possible with Intel’s Morestown platform and ARM-based platforms from Ti, Qualcom and Nvidia. In 2010 we’ll be seeing devices hit 250gm with slimmer designs and true, all-day on battery life.

The Palm Pre will probably be the most powerful smartphone ever when it launches and browsing is likely to be significantly faster than any other smartphone before it. The browser is built on Webkit so there’s likely to be a good degree of accuracy and the connectivity options look good too so in many respects, this is going to be a great mobile Internet device.

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Jenn spotted that T-swivel UMPC. It’s still doing the rounds. First hands-on was nearly 2 years ago now. Will someone just sell it, please?

T-swivel UMPC concept at Marvell booth.

OK, it’s the Compal design again but the important thing here is that Velocity Micro are a U.S. company and they’re talking about a sub $500 price, 3G, and availability through major retail channels in the U.S. making it only the second MID to become locally available in the U.S. (The ClarionMiND was the first.)

The press release is here. I assume it’s going to be similar in specs to one of the other Compal JAX-10 devices so check out the details on specs here.

Via MobilitySite. Source Geek.com

Not much to read on the linked article below but there are some nice pics from the Yukyung Viliv S5 launch party. Welcome to one of the first XP-based MIDs (or is it a UMPC!) I’m eager to get my hands on the Viliv S5 for a full test ASAP. Images via the Korean website below.

재승 님의 블로그 :: 네이버 블로그.

Thanks Keobuk2

This week it’s been my great pleasure to be testing another UMPC based on the Intel Menlow platform. It’s not my first as I’ve had the Gigabyte M528, Aigo MID and Kohjinsha SC3 but there’s a couple of things about this Wibrain i1 UMPC that are worth talking about and one of them is a real first in the mobile computing world and has got me all fired-up about UMPCs again. I’m not talking about the competitive pricing, hi-res touch screen, usable keyboard or built-in 3G. I’m talking about the battery life.

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Update: Lots of testing notes in the comments below.

A big thanks to Mobilx. Within 24 hours of them receiving a sample (not a retail version) Wibrain i1, they’ve shipped it out to us. It’s just arrived. I’ve taken it out of it’s wrapping to have a quick look and I think we’re luckier than expected. The HSDPA switch, antenna and SIM slot are there which indicates it’s an HSDPA version. I can’t turn it on yet to confirm 3G or processor type as it’s still cold from overnight transport and I don’t want to risk any condensation problems. I’ll give it an hour and go for it.  [Will post anything significant via Twitter]

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Ben reported on the new MSI netbooks recently [Not your standard cookie-cutter specs] and highlighted that MSI will use the Z530 and Poulsbo chipset, the Menlow platform, originally designed for MIDs, and not the existing netbook platform. They aren’t the first netbook devices we’ve heard about that will use this platform as the Dell Mini 12 is already out there using it but it could be that we see a lot more of these as it offers an interesting marketing possibility at a time when netbook manufacturers are trying to make their products stand out from the crowd.

LaptopMag recently interviewed MSI and asked about their decision to use the Menlow platform. The answer gives us some clues.

Why would MSI use Menlow? Part of the answer comes from MSI in the LaptopMag interview:

“Now we are going to come out with the U110 and the U115. These are similar to the past systems in size and will look like the original Wind but they utilize the Intel Atom “Menlow” processor – the Atom Z530.

The U110 and the U115 will be out in late January.  The biggest difference between these two models is their battery life. With the U110, we will deliver 8 hours of computing time; and 10 hours with the U115. Both will use a 6-cell battery.”

So it looks like the 1.6Ghz Menlow platform is attractive because of battery life. Not surprising as it offers a lower idle power and lower in-use power. Battery life is a very important differentiator. Menlow’s hardware video decoding (1080p using H.264) can be used to differentiate too but here’s something that is more interesting and you probably won’t hear any product manager talk about it in these terms. The Menlow platform goes up to 1.8Ghz and CPU speed is about the best differentiator a marketing group could hope for. In netbook quantities, I wouldn’t expect any noticeable difference in the price either. $20 at the till maybe. When your average netbook customer is standing with a Saturday sales rep. in the local electronics store and has a choice between a a Samsung NC10 at 1.6Ghz and an MSI Wind at 1.8ghz, for the same price, which one is the customer more likely to go for?

If this process works, if sales figures indicate a preference for 1.8Ghz, expect either a clock boost on the N270 CPU (which is likely of course) or, for the higher-end of the netbook market and the ultra portable notebook market, a lot more action with Menlow in 2009. From where we are sitting, it looks like Menlow could eat into even more of the traditional laptop market but if it’s a net gain for Intel, they won’t complain!

Check out the interesting interview and watch out for comments about Linux, touchscreens and a temporary HDD set-up.

Where would netbooks be without Windows XP? Probably nowhere, so why have Dell decided to combine the low-power Atom Z-series with Windows Vista on their new 12" laptop? There’s two reasons.

1 - To save a few watts/degrees/mm

2 - To enable a high-end video experience

APCMag and LaptopMag have both done some reviewing and its hard to see any reasoning behind Dells move because neither of the reviews shine. 3hrs battery life and sluggish performance are nothing to write home about, even if the device uses a smaller battery.

The one thing that hasn’t been tested yet is video. The Poulsbo chipset offers hardware decoding for a number of video encoding formats and maybe Dell want to use this as the main feature but from what I can see, there’s no HDMI or composite output so they are obviously not aiming the device at media fans, especially with that relatively slow and small 60GB, 1.8" 4200 RPM drive they’ve put inside. No, it looks like they wanted to go for the smallest, quietest and lowest power build and Menlow/Vista was probably the only choice. Many people are aware that XP drivers just don’t seem to be materialising for the Menlow platform so it looks like Dell made the choice to push out a Vista version rather than wait.

The problem they have now is that the first reviews will stick in the Internet search results and poison any future release of the same model. They also poison the Menlow platform. To me, the Dell Mini 12 is a big mistake. They really should have waited until Windows 7 was available.

…assuming they all reach the market of course!

By my research and calculations I see 33 design wins for the Intel Menlow MID platform. We’ve seen a lot from the likes of Benq, Willcom and Gigabyte in the last 6 months but there are a number of MIDs out there that have been very quiet and aren’t in the database yet. Here’s a list with as much detail as I know at this stage. Information comes from various sources. They are all based on Silverthorne and Poulsbo. (Menlow platform)

• KJS/Inventec - X5 MID. Linux, 4.8″ 800×480, 512Mb, 30/60GB, HSDPA, GPS - (This is possibly the Yukyung/Viliv S5, AKA X5 Atom.)
• KJS/Inventec - S32 - Linux, 4.8″ 1024×600, 1GB, 2GB/4GB flash,  GPS
• abit (USI) MID-100 - Slider - previewed at CeBIT
• abit (USI) MID-150. 8GB Flash, 4.8″ 800×480, GPS [Spec sheet here]
• abit (USI) MID-200 - Slider, 4.8″ [news here]
• Arbor Gladius G0710. Rugged tablet. 7″ screen. [news]
• TriGem Averatec (TriGem is the new parent company) MID - 512MB, 30GB, 4.8″ 1026×600. DMB, Wibro. Looks like its Asia-focused but Averatec are a global brand so maybe we’ll see this outside Asia.
• Nexcom - MTC2100. (Industrial tablet)
• OQO - No real news at this stage. [IDF news]
• Clevo TN70M, TN71M - Notebook style, 7″ 1024×600. [More news]
• LG Xnote B831 slider, 4.8″. [details]
• Samsung [listed at CeBIT]
• Hitachi [listed at CeBIT] Likely to be automotive device. [news]
• Toshiba [news] mini tablet.
• TabletKiosk i7300 [news]
• NEC [from this list]

Note the new KJS/Inventec ones (although they could be variants of these Inventec devices) and the Averatec MID. We’ll keep them on the watchlist and let you know if we hear anything.

In addition to the quiet ones, we have Panasonic CF-U1, EB MIMD, Gigabyte, BenQ S6, Aigo MID, Viliv S5, ASUS R70a, ASUS R50A, Sharp Willcom D4, Lenovo Ideapad U8, Fujistsu U2010, Kohjinsha SX3, Viliv S7, Digifriends MID, Wibrain i1, Kohjinsha SC3, Clarion.

33 design wins is amazing for a CPU that launched only a few months ago and I’m not even including the 10-15 development and industrial boards that are out there based on Menlow!

Sources: UMPCPortal archives, an IDF photo and this anonymous list on iii.

If I remember rightly, the Aigo MID is going to available in some Asian shops tomorrow. UMPCFever, however, have already had it for a few days and although it’s not coming to Europe or America, the Gigabyte version will so we can get some good ideas about performance of hardware, browser and multimedia functions from this.

UMPCFever have made some notes in English mentioning that the software build is much better than in previous versions they’ve seen. (Phew!) The UI appears to be very good (see video below)  and I’m pleased to see Bluesoleil in there. I hope it makes it through to the Gigabyte version.

In the notes, the browser and multimedia features are said to be "well organized and pretty good performance" although there’s no detail yet. We’ll have to wait and see as UMPCfever will be putting out more details test notes in the days to come. Lets hope those video drivers and codecs are all present! I’ve been testing H.264 on the SCH (chipset) today and it’s impressive when you get it working with the right software. More about that later. Video below.

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The important element of this little report is that, for the first time, I’ve been able to play with a Menlow-based UMPC (Atom 1.33Ghz Z520, Poulsbo) running Windows XP although I have to say, the Panasonic CF-U1 is an awesome device that needs to be talked about first. Lets get my excitement about the CF-U1 out of the way…

• Dual, hot-swappable 20Wh batteries. Now that’s a feature I want, with an external charger.
• Dual high-brightness LEDs around the camera. For that night-time report or just to scare young boys!
• Fingerprint reader for security and speed benefits.
• Modules all over the place! This one had a laser barcode scanner and RFID reader.
• Hand strap options.
• Amazing Wifi and Bluetooth reception. I didn’t get a chance to test it out but apparently a lot of time was spent getting it right. The person showing me the U1 [Hi Jason. Thanks for breakfast!] had done some tests to confirm this.
• Peace-of-mind ruggedness.
• High efficiency build.

More after the images below…

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As you might have read, I have been very disappointed with the battery life figures on the Kohjinsha SC3. I was expecting a lot lot more from an Ultra Mobile PC built on Intel’s latest battery-optimised Menlow platform but it turns out that under normal use, this device is just as bad as many devices based on the previous platform. Over the last 24 hours I’ve spent a lot of time trying to analyse why and have finally come up with the reason. Invetec, the OED for this device, have cut corners. While the background drain (on the motherboard and power board) is better than on previous Kohjinsha’s, it’s no better than the HTC Shift, Q1 Ultra. All these devices can match the SC3 for background efficiency. About 4W minimum or 5-hours, is what you can expect with everything turned off but the processor.

OK, 4W is good but once the screen is on, boom! Up goes the battery drain by between 80 and 150%. This is exceptionally high drain for what appears to be a LED-backlit screen. Thank goodness that using the screen in a bright room requires only 3/8th brightness but it’s still about 3W of drain which is much higher than it should be.

The second shock comes when you turn the VIA, yes VIA!,  USB Wifi module on. Connecting to a hotspot will push the drain up by over 3W. It will settle back to 2W after connection but this is, quite frankly, pathetic. A wifi module that takes more power than the processor is a joke. There are far more efficient Wifi modules out there. Did Inventec think they were designing a cheap netbook?

So from a background drain of 5W, if you want to surf the net in a bright room over Wifi, the battery life drops to a depressing 2hrs. This is an average drain of 10W which is no better than the devices mentioned above.

Breakdown, tips and summary follow…

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