Graphics processors (GPU)
UMPC’s are generally not built to support graphics intensive applications such as games and video post-processing and if you need a device that will run the latest windows games, you will need to look for a high-end notebook PC. Mid-market UMPCs do generally include 2D/3D graphics acceleration support and are powerful enough to run most types of video playback and even some low-end games. Windows Vista has some specific graphics requirements which are used to determine whether a PC can run certain elements of Vista. Aero Glass, the 3D window effects are only possible on device using the Intel GMA950 GPU or higher. This benchmark is also used to by Windows Movie and DVD Maker software. If you don’t have a high-end graphics processor, these parts of Windows Vista will not run. VIA have recently released a new graphics co-processor for the VIA C7-M ultra low power process (VN896 with Chrome9 capability.) This is expected in future VIA-based UMPCs in late 2007.
Memory.
Memory required is largely dependant on the operating system you want to run. Devices based on Windows CE use very little memory. Windows XP-based devices generally require 512Mb to be efficient. Vista devices require 1GB and Linux-based devices can run in as little as 256MB. Be aware that memory is not often a user-upgradeable item so an extra $100 to double the memory at purchase-time could be a wise move. Extra memory can positively affect the speed and battery life of a device and is highly recommended in a UMPC.
Docking stations.
One feature that UMPCPortal considers very important is the inclusion of a docking station. Some of the higher-end UMPCs are capable enough to be used as desktop PCs and having used a ultra mobile PC for 3 months in this setup we are convinced its a valid usage scenario for UMPCs of the future. The problem is that most UMPCs are manufactured by people that also make desktop PC’s. You will rarely see this usage model promoted!
The docking station should support docking through a dedicated docking connector or through a PCI-Express connector so as to support direct connectivity and control of a monitor (for dual monitor operation.) Avoid cheaper USB docking solutions if you want to use a ultra mobile PC in this kind of setup.
Currently very few UMPCs come with docking stations. Hopefully this will change in the future.
Battery.
We would all like to have 8 hour battery life on our mobile PC’s. Unfortunately, this is not available in 2007. The balance that the manufacturers have made between hardware design, weight and battery life results in 2-3hrs run-time for devices that were designed in 2006. We expect the battery life to increase by about 20% per year assuming that manufacturers don’t increase the hardware requirements too much.
We’ve written specific reports on battery life in our journal here .
Our predictions on battery life over the next 5 years is as follows.
Real-term battery life predictions.
- 2006 – Average ultra mobile PC life 2.5 hours
- 2007 – Average ultra mobile PC life 3 hours
- 2008 – Average ultra mobile PC life 3.6 hours
- 2009 – Average ultra mobile PC life 4.3 hours
- 2010 – Average ultra mobile PC life 5 hours.
Maximum battery predictions (idle device)
- 2006 – Average ultra mobile PC life 4 hours
- 2007 – Average ultra mobile PC life 4.8 hours
- 2008 – Average ultra mobile PC life 5.75 hours
- 2009 – Average ultra mobile PC life 6.9 hours
- 2010 – Average ultra mobile PC life 8.3 hours.
There are exception of course. Devices based on the AMD LX800, a low-end x86 processor often bring extra battery life at the expense of processing power and graphics support. The maximum that one can reasonably expect in 2007 is 4 hours average use.
I am looking for a UMPC with a dial up modem or PCMCIA slot. Can you help me? Thanks.
Mistake on page 4: “The recommendation today is that XP is generally better than XP on currently available hardware due to the maturity of the driver software.”
Great article.