I’m looking back on UMPCPortal to see how long it’s been since we’ve had hands-on with a 1KG, 10 inch  PC…..In Sept 2011 we covered the MSI Windpad 120W which didn’t make it to market. There was also the Fujitsu TH40/D which also doesn’t seem to have made it to the market. I also had some hands-on with the new Gigabyte S1081 Windows tablet at CES (which I forgot to post here, sorry here’s the video.)  I know I’ve missed a few in between (for example the Viewsonic Viewpad 10 Pro) but you can’t deny that times are tough for the Windows road-warrior.

How stimulating it is to have the Kupa X11 [details] here for testing!

In terms of specs the Kupa X11 looks good. Yes, there’s a 1.5Ghz Atom inside which won’t impress anyone looking for CPU specifications but it’s turning in 1800ms on Sunspider and has been coupled with a PowerVR SGX 535, 64GB SSD and 2GB of RAM so it’s not exactly lagging in the current tablet space.

There’s a dual-mode screen (capacitive and digitiser) and a huge battery which I’ll mention again below. The screen is a good, 1366×768 resolution which is enough for Windows 8 Metro usage. You won’t find many Tablet PC’s with a 10 inch screen and this resolution today although in 6 months, it could be a different story. In this ‘Pro’ version, there’s a 3G module too. You don’t get a VGA port, USB3 port, docking port or stand though.

Obviously the Kupa X11, at 1KG in weight, is focused towards the pro-mobile user but the packaging is very much consumer-oriented. The build quality matches the packaging too with good plastics and metal and a solid feel. It’s a little dense for a 10 inch tablet but that’s mainly because the ARM-based tablets I’ve used recently are around 30% lighter. For a Windows tablet, it’s not bad; especially when you see the battery size. 52Wh is huge, and it shows in battery life. In a 2hr browsing test this evening (low light) I was seeing a consistent 10hr battery life. I’m confident of 8hrs productivity at this stage.

4.6W average drain for a 10 inch device is excellent. It’s class-leading and showing that the screen and WiFi components are well matched. This test was done with Windows 7 though, I’m expecting an improvement on that with Windows 8 and I’ll be testing that later this week.

Notes:

• It appears to be fan-less. At least during my 2hr test in a silent room I didn’t hear any noise. There was minimal heat too which is a really good sign.
• Pressure sensitive digitiser not tested yet.
• Matt screen cover was included. (I believe this is an optional extra.)
• 720p YouTube works OK. 720p local H.264 playback tested OK. 1080p not tested yet although I’m expecting it to work OK through the GMA600 GPU.
• The Windows 7 build was pre-optimized for touch. (Scroll-bars enlarged etc.)
• Application startup time seems reasonable for a 1.5Ghz Atom-based device.
• Resume from standby is about 5 seconds. (I will be testing to see how long standby works Kupa are quoting 30 days standby although this could be in hibernation mode.)
• Frame buttons help with navigation and include a secondary brightness function although the buttons are hard to press.
• In the video below I mention a micro-SD slot. It isn’t a micro-SD slot, it’s a SIM card slot. There’s no removable SD storage on the Kupa X11
• I haven’t found a way to lock the auto-rotation yet.
• Capacitive touch is 2-point multi-touch.
• 2.0Mp front and 3.0MP rear cam not tested yet.
• Fingerprint reader not tested yet.
• SSD speed not tested yet.

Here’s the unboxing and overview video. As it’s effectively a first boot on this video (I had booted it briefly once before but for no more than 5 minutes) Windows 7 was doing a lot of work in the background during this demo so the applications don’t look that good but subsequent tests were much quicker.

Check back for more information coming later this week. If Windows 8 testing goes well I’ll arrange a live session for you too.

It was last August that I wrote about the Kupa X11 tablet. I highlighted the battery capacity as the key feature because it’s not often you see such a high capacity battery in  an X86-based device under 1KG. What I didn’t know then was that Windows 8 would require 1366×768 to run the full range of Metro apps and features so the Kupa is now one of only a handful of tablets you can buy today that are Windows 8 ready. At the top-end you have the Samsung XE700 based on Core i5 technology. Fighting it out in the lower-end are the ExoPC (and variants) and the Kupa X11. There’s the Motion Computing CL900 to consider too. What’s interesting about the Kupa though is that it runs Oaktrail, which is going to give it a a very long runtime, coupled with a fast SSD, 2GB of RAM and 3G, this could be just what some people have been looking for.

Thanks to Kupa I now have the Kupa X11 Pro here for testing. Full Kupa X11 specifications, gallery and links are available on our information page. Here’s a selection of the important specs.

• 10.1 inch 1366×768 hi-resolution screen
• 2GB RAM
• Dual-layer touch (finger / digitizer pen)
• 2GB RAM
• 64GB SSD
• 3G (HSDPA including telephony)
• 52Wh battery (equivalent to a 6-cell netbook battery)
• Fingerprint Reader
• Dual cameras (2.0 / 3.0MP)
• Mini HDMI
• Windows 7 Pro

The Kupa X11 was available in Q4 2011 so there may be some of you out there that own it already but as Windows 8 gets nearer, it’s an imprtant device to be testing. Expect an unboxing and first impressions video very soon.

Full details of the Kupa X11 in our database.

As I tool a look at the MSI booth at CeBIT yesterday I couldn’t stop myself from getting a little hands-on with the WindPad 110W. AMD Fusion-based and equiped with a nice optical mouse pointer and full SD card slot it’s a tablet design that could rally benefit from the next-gen OS and platforms.

The MSI rep nods and smiles and I talk about 1366×768 and Windows 8, as we discuss the reason for having a mouse pointer in a 1KG tablet and how Windows 8 + Clover Trail W with a fast SSD could really bring usable low-cost productive tablets to end-users.

MSI won’t say anything about new products but they’re clearly thinking about this. In tact, I got the impression that they’re more interested in Windows tablets than in Ultrabooks which they tell me are not going to be broguth to the market until they have taken a longer term look at the Ultrabook market.

It’s a blast from 2011 to play with the WindPad again but I think that we’re going to see more of this later this year. Tablets, convertibles and, my favorite, the detachable Atom-powered Win8/Android screen and Intel Core-driven keyboard base station, all in under 1.5KG!

Many of us have downloaded the Windows 8 Developer Preview to give it a test run and I think it’s fair to say that the most exciting feature to test is the Windows 8 Metro UI. Focused on touch, app-snacking, consumption and entertainment it has been an interesting product to think about in terms of mobile computing; real mobile computing. Getting the balance of UI right for both on-the-go and bum-on-seat activities hasn’t been achieved by anyone yet. Windows 8 is the big hope for that in the future.

Not only does Windows 8 introduce this interesting Metro UI and apps layer, it also approaches quick-startup and efficiency. In testing it over the last few weeks on four mobile devices, I’m not as positive as a was a month ago about the Metro UI although it’s way better than anything I’ve experienced as an overlay on Windows before and ultimately, I’m enjoying its responsiveness, sharing sub-system, full-screen Explore browser and dynamic nature. There are some serious issues to talk about though.

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The first is that while Metro works on low-resolution devices, the apps won’t because they require a minimum of 768 pixels vertically. For the side-by-side snap feature, you need 1366 pixels minimum width. There are also major issues when working in portrait mode something that isn’t really supported at all. The resolution restriction seems crazy when you consider the cost and size of 1366×768 screens. I don’t see anyone producing that at 7″ and as it’s not compatible with 1024×600, 100 million netbooks users are going to be left out.

[Ref – Screen size recommendations for Windows 8]

You might argue that we just need much higher resolution screens. I’ve tried Windows 8 on a 1280×800 screen at 5.8″ and yes, Metro apps work. Text might need a little enlargement here and there but it works. Some issues remain though. Touchscreens can’t be recessed otherwise it’s not easy to find the magic swipe that expose the hidden menus on the right and bottom left corner. Forget resistive screens. That’s not such a big deal considering the level of capacitive and digitiser deployment and it’s also not much of an issue for the classic Windows UI either as that’s the one you’ll be using who you’re docked at your desk. The other issue comes with cost and battery drain. High resolution screens are expensive to produce, especially if you want one that’s readable outdoors. There’s also the power cost in terms of the display electronics and the graphics power needed to control it. Given that most people are more than happy with 200ppi, a higher density in a 7″ frame is counter-productive, at least for large-font Metro. People with perfect eyesight may disagree with 200ppi but I regard it as a good trade-off point for screen design.

Windows 8 Metro UI in Portrait Mode

It’s unfortunate that the developer preview is indicating that portrait mode isn’t encouraged. All the apps in the preview fail to work efficiently in portrait mode despite that fact that in portrait mode you get the best split-screen keyboard experience and preservation of screen real estate.

I agree with those that say portrait is useless on a top-heavy device of 2lb or more but what about 2013, 2014 when 10 inch Windows 8 tablets could be under 1lb and when even the 7 inch form factor could be possible with a hi-res screen?

To demonstrate what I mean here, I’ve made a video showing the Windows 8 developer preview on an ExoPC in portrait and landcsape modes.

Continued…

Prediction: 9 out of 10 commenters around the web will accuse the Samsung Series 7 Slate as being ridiculously over-priced. Personally I think its the best Tablet PC I’ve ever had my hands on and in my opinion it’s well worth the money that is being asked. Liliputing have details.

In 2012 the Series 7 will mature with Windows 8 into one of the most multi-scenario high dynamic range computers there is. Clearly I’m not disguising the fact that I want one!

I probably don’t need to explain to you all why it’s so good but ill try and summarize anyway. First though I have to raise my hands and say that this isn’t a UMPC, by a long shot, although it’s lighter than many device we’ve covered here on Umpcportal.

5-20x the CPU processing power of an ARM based tablet. (depending on Turbo state)
Around 5x the CPU performance of a single-core netbook.
Dual touch/pen input layers
Hardware video co/dec (it’s bloody fast at file conversion too!)
Dock, Keyboard included
Under 900gm

Most people would have no problem using this as a desktop PC. With Windows 8 I suspect that many will enjoy this as a tablet. Can you imagine how devices like this will mature in 2013. I estimate 700gm for even more processing power than this. We’re getting there, and interestingly, Atom is nowhere to be seen.

I’ll be testing the Series 7 later in the month and am really looking forward to the live review session. I hope you will join me.

http://liliputing.com/2011/10/samsung-series-7-slate-now-available-for-pre-order-for-1349.html

You’ve seen the hands-on video and the blinding speeds of the CPU and disk of the Samsung Slate PC but you still might be hungry for more. I am!  The Samsung Series 7 Slate PC is a seriously impressive bit of engineering and proof that Core i5 can be designed into a chassis of under 900gm. The Slate PC will come with dock and keyboard for an estimated 1100 Euro entry-level price. It’s basically an Ultrabook without a keyboard but for many, this modular approach with attention to pen and finger touch details could be exactly what they’ve been looking for. I’m certainly taking a closer look at this one myself and hope to have a review device as soon as it’s available.

In 5.5 years of testing, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a sub-1kg device break 100,000 in the CrystalMark test. The Series 7 Tablet is a serious bit of kit and really showcase just what Windows 7 tablet features can do.

It boots in under 20 seconds, plays 720p without pushing the CPU above 5% and due to the very very fast ssd, starts programs in the blink of an eye

To put these figures into perspective, just remember that the average netbook turns in a score of about 20k. A high end netbook, just 30k. The CPU alone in this Sandy-Bridge-based device is about 5x as powerful as a netbook CPU and these CrystalMark scores don’t even test advanced graphics features and the Intel Quick Sync video hardware.

As for battery life, I’m estimating a 36-40Wh battery in this. Due to the heat and the software and testing that has been done on the device here I can’t get it to idle properly but I an tell you that Samsungs Series 9 ultralight which uses the same platform, can idle down to under 5w. That would allow this slate to run for 9 hours. I’m estimating basic WiFi usage scenarios to be around 4hrs with video editing pushing it down to under 3. Its a high-dynamic range device, that’s for sure.

One USB 3, BT3+HS, a Trusted Platform module, 6-axis accelerometer micro SD, micro hdmi and headphones output are included. Screen viewing angles are good on the 1366×768 display. The fan is on in this 25+ degree room but its not too noisy. I have to get within 10cm to hear it above the ambient noise (relatively quiet demo area.)

If you’re looking for a serious tablet, don’t buy until you’ve tested the Series 7.

The Windows Tablet PC reputation never really earned anything through the cheap netbook-based versions that hit the market over the last few years. Low power processors, lack of docking stations and capacitive touch layers that prevent anyone from taking advantage of the natural input features. The Samsung Series 7 slate should fix that!

It’s the first Sandy Bridge (2nd generation Core i5) tablet PC I’ve ever tried and wow, she flies. The digitiser works well and the slate will be delivered with a dock and keyboard as part of the package. It weighs less than a kilo and Samsung tell me it will return up to 7hrs battery life. Ok, lets take the 30% ‘marketing markup’ off that and call it 5hrs. That’s usable although I know from my work with Ultrabooks that you can easily get carried away and kill the battery in half that time.

I like it a lot, just like I like Ultrabooks a lot. They fit in nicely above consumer tablet and smartphone usage scenarios that are eating into the reasons you might buy a netbook and they truly negate the need for a desktop. This mobile/desktop usage scenario certainly helps to justify the price which, as can be expected, is going to around the same 1000-1100 € or $ level as Ultrabooks.

There’s another Series 7 slate article over at Ultrabooknews.

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]