I suspect that this is more of a move to catch up with HTC and smartphones in general rather than anything else but it is an example of what I expect to happen more and more over the next 2 years. RIM want to add media capabilities to their devices. In doing so, they are migrating up the chain towards smartphone land.

PDA, PocketPC and Smartphone manufacturers will be doing the same soon (keep your eyes on HTC!) They only need to re-package their high-end devices with bigger screens and keyboards and they’ve got themselves a low-end ultra mobile PC for minimal cost. They won’t run windows XP (yet!) but they will offer almost all of the functionality that ‘average users’ will need.

I’m wondering more and more that if ultra mobile PC marketing doesnt get off the ground soon (It appears that there has been no marketing funding from Microsoft since the Origami project finished), the market will split in two. There will be low-end UMPC’s sold in big numbers under discounts and subsidies by HTC, RIM and Nokia through mobile carriers, and high-end UMPC’s that will be full desktops, probably running Vista and staying above the $1000 mark. The low-end will capture the mass-market and the high-end will capture business users, verticals and those looking at a dual-purpose mobile desktop replacement.

If you were offered a feature phone and a UMPC-format PC-phone in one package with two SIM cards for half the price of a ultra mobile PC when you go to renew your phone, would you take it?

Regards
Steve / Chippy.

Slowly but surely, ultra mobile PC owners are trying Linux on their devices. First we saw John Tokash succesfuly boot Damn Small Linux on the eo/easybook/t700 and we even had some success ourselves with it on the Easybook P7.

Then we saw Mozy.org report success with Linux on the Sony UX series and now, Linux on the Samsung Q1. But there are problems. In our report, we discuss some of the issues and put questions to Sascha Pallenberg, founder and MD of the VIA-focused Linux distribution epiOS.

Linux-based UMPCs. Update and epiOS interview.

Steve / Chippy.

According to Akihabaranews, New Launches.com and a lot of other sites, there’s new info about the Lucoms Solo M1 ultra mobile PC available. I’m struggling to find the new news myself as most of this has been reported before. It looks like Daewoo just announced ‘availbility’ and Telekoms Korea picked up on it.

As a refresh, the Daewoo Lucoms device is also sold under the Founder Mininote and ECS H70 brands which were shown back in March.
The specifications are standard ultra mobile PC fayre apart from the S-Video out on its useful looking docking cradle (enables use as a PVR), a 1.3Mp camera (enables use as a videophone), SD card reader (good for photographers) and a DMB TV receiver (good for selling the device with a TV contract where coverage exists.) The new pictures on some of the reports also show the docking solution (at last) and a sleek design. I like the look of it.

The price in South Korea is reported to be just over $1000.

The news we’re really waiting for is that this device will be marketed in the U.S. and Europe. As yet, we’re not aware of anyone carrying it or importing it. Not even Dynamism.com who seem to be able to get their hands on most asia-only devices.

Hopefuly, by the time is reaches the U.S. and Europe, it will have a better processor than the Celeron 900 and longer battery life.

Founder/ECS/Lucoms Data sheet.
Founder/ECS/Lucoms livelinks.

Regards
Steve / Chippy.

Slowly but surely, ultra mobile PC owners are trying Linux on their devices. First we saw John Tokash succesfuly boot Damn Small Linux on the eo/easybook/t700 and we even had some success ourselves with it on the Easybook P7. Then we saw Mozy.org report success with Linux on the Sony UX series and now, Linux on the Samsung Q1. But there are problems. Here we discuss some of the issues and put some questions to Sascha Pallenberg, founder and MD of the VIA-focused Linux distribution epiOS . Read the full story

Sling Media just released a new skin for the SlingPlayer [url=http://www.slingmedia.com/slingcentral/skins.php]specifically for ultra mobile PC systems.[/url]

As you can see from the picture above the system has the same look as the default background on the Program Launcher.

The skin is a bit more ultra mobile PC friendly with bigger buttons that can easily be controlled with your finger or stylus somewhat along the lines of the Windows Media Player ultra mobile PC skin.

So, if you have a ultra mobile PC and SlingBox this is a definite download.
Source: [url=http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2006Jul/bpd20060714037377.htm]Geek.com[/url] Read the full story

A couple days ago Microsoft announced another ultra mobile PC contest and now the prize is $600 or a Slingbox.

This time the contest is a picture contest. Take a picture that depicts the potential power of a UMPC.

According to their website they are “looking for entries that creatively demonstrate the potential of the ultra mobile PC to break the boundaries of PC capabilities in more mobile situations. The picture should illustrate how your life or lifestyle is or could be enhanced by a UMPC. ”

Check out the full rules and more details at
[url=http://origamiproject.com/contest/contest.aspx]http://origamiproject.com/contest/contest.aspx[/url] Read the full story

[update, a comment has been left (from ‘DualCor’. See comments below.) saying that the cPc is not shipping yet.]
We had a tip-off yesterday that the DualCor cPc devices are actually starting to ship to resellers in the U.S. There’s no way to order the DualCor cPc on the website so we guess there will be a networks of resellers popping out from behind trees very soon. Keep your eyes open for this.

In the meantime, we’ve done our best to try and write a preview of the DualCor cPc, what it is and who its for. Its an amazing device in terms of technology but its tough to understand where this device is being targeted. You thought the ultra mobile PC would be difficult to market? Well the cPc is going to be even tougher!

Take a look at the DualCor cPc preview here.
DualCor cPc data sheet.
DualCor cPc news links.

Steve / Chippy.

[url=http://mozy.org/vaio/]mozy.org[/url] has just posted instructions on how they got the Auditor Live Linux Distro running on a Sony UX180P.

Running the distro was successful however after booting it up the touchscreen, “VAIO Button”, Fingerprint scanner, Intel WiFi card, and zoom buttons didn’t work but if there are drivers supplied for linux they could get up and running.

Our [url=https://www.umpcportal.com/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=9]ultra mobile PC Linux Forum[/url] has been off to a slow start but this adds one more succesful Linux Distro being run on a UMPC. (or micro PC or whatever the Sony UX is officially called)

From [url=http://www.handtops.com/blog/47/0/Linux_on_Sony_UX180P.html]HandTops.com[/url] Read the full story