If you remember back as far as 2006, you might remember the Haiku tablet which was part of Microsoft’s Origami project. It was a prototype and it never reached a production line.
Origami was all about mobility, connectivity and style but the PC technology and operating systems of the time just couldn’t deliver the dream. The Origami project and team were eventually closed down.
Look to 2010 and you have this:
It’s a 7 inch tablet PC by ICT called the Ultra and is aimed and mobility, connectivity scenarios with a good pinch of style. The technology IS ready now and this product should be getting a lot of airtime at CES in just a few weeks. Engadget have already had hands-on.
The operating system is Android 2.0 which doesn’t have the productivity focus that Microsoft might have wanted but that’s probably a good thing. Squeezing Excel cells into a 7 inch screen was always a challenge.
Ironically neither Microsoft or Intel are involved in this device. The ICT Ultra is based on an Nvidia platform running an ARM core.
Information on the ICD Ultra appeared via Engadget and NBC (Via Ebooktest) over the over the weekend and we’ve just spotted that the information is also available on a new webpage and hidden PDF (currently available here) on the ICD website. The information reveals a ton of exciting specifications including Android V2 and built-in 3G.
Engadget’s hands on says:
“The version we had a chance to play with — a prototype running Android 2.0 — was blazingly fast when it came to 1080p playback and web browsing inch
Looking at the specs it appears that we’re seeing the first device on the new Nvisia Tegra Platform. Details aren’t available but we suspect it to be a multi-core Cortex A5 design. If it’s running at 1Ghz and if Android can take advantages of a multi-core OS then yes, this is going to be fast and multi-tasking capable.
As for size, we’re a little dissapointed. The target weight is 600gm which is too big for e-reading. Based on whave we’ve seen with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, we’re sure that something thinner and lighter is possible. The 16-bit screen isn’t going to impress video fans either.
However, if ICD can sell entry-level versions of this for under 300 as is suggested on the Engadget article, it makes it a very very interesting home tablet indeed. 7 inch works well in the hands and looks great on a coffee-table.
You won’t see that lot appear for under $500 but even if it’s $600, it would make a very interesting home-to-office device. 10.1-inches is a little too large for our liking and the 1.7lb weight means it’s a two-handed device but this is definitely an interesting product. It reminds us of the ‘Haiku’ Microsoft ‘Origami’ concept of 2006.
The Tegra T20 is unknown to us at the moment so this could also be something that will be announced at CES. Information available at the moment leads us to believe this could be the next-generation Tegra platform. We’re wondering whether this could be a multi-core Cortex A5 implementation; a natural progression path from the multi-core ARM11 that Tegra currently uses.
I will be analyzing this a bit more over the next few days because it’s an interesting product that runs along the lines of the Open Pandora project we showed you yesterday. The gaming device is built around a Samsung ARM platform with a Cortex A8 core running at over 800Mhz so it’s going to be a very fast device. There’s also a huge 512MB RAM to play with. It’s available now for $349.00. If Android gaming takes off, this looks like a fun device to have to take advantage of it!
As with many of these non-standard Android devices, there’s no Google seal of approval so it means you don’t get Marketplace or any of the nice Google applications but the source and a ton of schematics and documentation are available on the ODroid developer website. More videos and information available on the main odroid site.
Let’s be clear; the Archos 5 is neither a pro or mobile internet device. There’s no 3G, the web experience isn’t complete and the stability of the device means you probably shouldn’t be doing anything important on it.
Having said that, the Archos 5 is quite an amazing multi-faceted handheld web device that sets a new standard for an ARM-based web experience and pushes the entry level pricing down to consumer levels. Battery life is great and the video performance beats anything you’ll get on a UMPC.
If you could cherry-pick for the perfect UMPC, I’m sure you’d be picking a lot of features from the Archos 5.
News about the Camangi Webstation has been around for a while and it’s been interesting to watch the company ramp up their marketing from a fuzzy introduction in October to a smart-looking website today. The product looks quite slick too but is it going to work? I have a few reservations and am suspicious that this the Webstations is more marketing than product.
We’ve seen 7 inch resistive touchscreen devices many times before. The Samsung Q1 Ultra was a good example. The current Viliv X70 too but these were using (by necessity) a Windows desktop environment. They work well for people wanting a full mobile desktop experience with full driver support, high-end browser and desktop application capability but for the casual consumer of web and media, they are a bit OTT. The user interface isn’t fun and battery life issues mean you have to keep them turned off if you want to preserve battery life. They just aren’t set-up for the average internet snacker. The Camangi Webstation appears to offer a much more consumer-focused solution. The weight, price, style and operating system are all tuned towards coffee-table, sofa and casual, mainly home or holiday-based, internet activities.
390grams is a good one-handed weight (anything over 500gm can feel awkward after 20 minutes) and the price, which is rumored to be $399, is far more palatable than the $600-$800 that you pay for a Windows-based ultra mobile PC but it’s the Android operating system that really tilts the device towards the consumer. It’s touchscreen-friendly, tailored towards the casual user rather than the productive professional and is infinitely customizable with icons, widgets and applications.
So how is this baby going to perform? The speed of the browser, quality of media playback, ability for applications to run concurrently and the battery life are going to be critical.
Taking a look at the battery specifications and using a lot of experience I’ve had with testing devices (and interpreting marketing figures) tells me that we’re looking at a device that will allow you to browse the web for under 4 hours over Wifi. The large screen backlight will be taking a lot of juice and web-sites can be very heavy-weight CPU consumers. The nice thing about using a low-power ARM platform is that if you close all the apps, the device will sit around for a day or two and be ready to jump into action within seconds. Screen-off activities like music playback will also run into the 10+ hours range making it a nice addition for the home hifi.
As far as performance goes, this is where I have my reservations. The CPU in this device is not exactly leading-edge and with about 1/2 the processing power of top-end smartphones (estimated 1/5th of the processing power of a netbook) , browsing speeds could be somewhat laggy. Media playback performance could be limited too. Granted, the need for speed isn’t as great when you’re lying back in a comfy chair but in my opinion, the performance isn’t going to match the marketing that we’re seeing and there could be disappointment. I’ve tested a very similar device, the SmartQ7, and I can’t honestly say that it was a thrilling experience. Regardless of operating system if YouTube doesn’t work or programs hang for too long, it’s frustrating.
Full specifications.
You can find more information and marketing materials on the Camangi website.
Standby time: up to 4 days(without GPS & Wi-Fi connection); Internet and media use: up to 4-5 hours
Power charging: 5V 3A DC in
Communication
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
USB dongle to 3G connectivity*
GPS module
*Note: Only applicable for some type of 3G dongle devices
Connectors and input/ output
Built-in speaker (80hm 2x 1W)
3.5mm stereo headphone jack
AC Adaptor, 4mm DC in
Built-in omni-directional microphone
Micro SD card slot, supports 1G~16G
Type A & mini-B USB port
Summary.
Camangi are moving in the right direction. The style, choice of operating system and pricing are positive points but I’m a little worried that the limited CPU, RAM and the resistive touchscreen will disappoint customers. Upgrade to the latest CPU platform and drop 256MB of RAM in there and it would stand a better chance. Camangi also need to watch their competitors too. A 5 inch Archos 5 with Android with an 800Mhz ARM Cortex CPU (the latest and greatest) already provides a smooth experience at a lower price and if you’re looking for a 7 inch device, the Wirelession W1060 offers a similar high-end performance at just $250.
We’re going to hold off from putting this into the database until we can confirm that it’s not just a pretty face.
Available in the Asian market is this slim and cheap clamshell device that looks a lot like the UMID M1 UMPC. This one is definitely aimed at the consumer though because it’s running Android, dictionary software and a relatively low power Marvell ARM-based CPU at 624Mhz.
Screenshot from Netbooknews.com video. (Click to view)
The specs:
4.8 inch 800×480 touchscreen
128MB RAM
1GB storage
624Mhz Marvell CPU
OS: Android (We suspect this is not a Google Android Build)
SD Card Slot
USB port
Local price: Around $300 (US equivalent)
Wifi/Bluetooth: Unknown
3G: Version coming late 2010
It looks like this one is built exclusively for the Asian market and with what looks like a relatively weak CPU, I wouldn’t expect this one to set the western world on fire. It shows what can be done though. Taking this design to it’s technology limits with the latest ARM-based platforms like OMAP 3 or Snapdragon means we could see similar designs bring a fast and fluid web and media experience to a small, good value handheld ‘pad’ device during 2010.
The definition of a MID, a mobile internet device, changes with every person you ask but one thing remains constant. It’s aimed at the consumer and not the productive professional. That’s ultra mobile PC territory! Consumer devices require careful attention to ease-of-use and fun, dynamic software so the choice of operating system becomes just as important as the hardware it’s built on. Shanzai have a nice article up today that covers most of the options. I’d add Maemo to the list and remove any reference to Windows desktop operating systems but it makes interesting reading. At the moment it looks like the ARM/Android combination might take the lead in the 2010 market but as Moorestown and Moblin for handhelds feeds in, the choice might get tougher. One thing is certain in our mind though, if you can’t tailor and personalise your device with applications and widgets, it’s going to be a boring experience.
