Ultra Mobile PC photo gallery - 2400 images.

A lot of you already browse the gallery of UMPC images but most visitors don’t even know it’s there so here’s a little plug as we reach 2378 images!

You’ll find most, if not all 140+ ultra mobile products represented with some press images, guest images and a stack that we’ve done ourselves over the last 2 years. There’s pictures of UMPC’s in-use, out-and-about and even some of me in the bath!

Feel free to use any for your own use but don’t forget a friendly link-back!

Aigo MID: unboxing. Testing. Hacked to Windows XP!!!

The lucky lucky lucky guys over at UMPCFever got an Aigo MID [specifications] test device and have started to publish their hands-on reviews and video. This is the first time anyone has ever really had extended private time with a Silverthorne/Menlow-based device so pay attention as the guys have already got Windows XP up and running on the device although judging by their feedback on the Midlinux2.0 OS build, it’s looking like things are already pretty sweet out-of-the-box. [Commentary after the pic…]

Wikipedia UMPC page and Microsoft’s UMPC/ULCPC definition

I suppose as someone who is somewhat well versed in the UMPC area, I should have taken a look at the Wikipedia page for UMPCs, but I’ll be honest I hadn’t until a few days ago. I found something rather surprising when I took a look at the page and it made me chuckle a bit.

As you can see in the image above, there are several warnings about the article placed at the top of the page. The first one states:

This article or section appears to contradict itself. Please help fix this problem.

I’ve never seen this warning on a Wikipedia article before and feel like this really says something important about the current state of UMPCs and the UMPC definition. Back in the early days, Microsoft created their own definition of a new class of PC which went by the name ‘Origami’. This is rather confusing because Origami turned into the touch screen software developed by Microsoft, and stopped being used as a term to define the group of devices. UMPC became the de facto term, partly because OEMs were not creating machines that fit Microsoft’s definition of an ‘Origami’ device. For example, the VAIO UX line which featured a 1024×600 resolution screen, was not considered by Microsoft to be a UMPC because it’s screen resolution was higher than the 800×480 that Microsoft had specified, even though it was smaller than many of the other UMPCs. For this reason, the Origami touchscreen software did not come included on the VAIO UX series of UMPCs.

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Glowing MSI Wind hands-on report.

CHW, a Chilean website presents a brief but glowing hands-on report for the MSI Wind mentioning good keyboard, a cool temperature, and what can be interpreted as a responsive feel to Windows XP.  It also mentions battery life figures of 3+hours for the 3-cell battery and 7 hours for the 6-cell which, given the slightly more efficient CPU and, hopefully, a more efficient motherboard design combined with the LED-backlit screen, seem reasonable claims. [More after the pic…]

Fujitsu U2010 Atom-based UMPC announced

Focusing on the ‘high-end’ of the market, the Fujitsu U2010 that was announced in Korean today will be an Atom-based (we assume Silverthorne/Poulsbo) UMPC running Windows Vista and including GPS and 3G. One of the problems of the previous U1010, the multi-function keys, might have been solved in this model as there’s a 6th row of keys on the device. Weight is an impressive 610g. Screen is 5.6" at, we assume, 1024×600. I also see a fingerprint reader and SD card reader.  There’s no word on processor speed but we can assume that this will be running 1.6 or even 1.8Ghz and a few quick calculations based on a small 20wh 2-cell battery as seen on the U1010 returns a potential in-use battery life of around 3hr which would extend to 6hrs with the commonly used 4-cell battery pack.  A local Taiwanese price of $1300 puts it into the middle of the UMPC pricing along with other 3G-enabled devices like the Q1 Ultra HSDPA and a July launch ties-in with the expected availability of the Intel Menlow platform.

Its good too see some more pro-mobile devices appearing but the success of this little baby will largely depend on how Vista performs so keep any eye out for reports from Computex.

Source: Digitimes. Via JKKMobile

Gigabyte M700 overview and video

The M700 I previewed earlier looks like a normal 7″ slate UMPC but it’s got quite a few unique features that set it apart  from the average UMPC.  It’s aimed at mobile media usage and includes the VIA 1.2Ghz processor with the new VX800 chipset which has Chrome 9 graphics and video decoding hardware in it. The main feature though is the docking station which is ‘IPTV’ capable. That is, it has a digital TV decoder in it (the type will obviously depend on  the territory that the device is being sold in) and is said to be able to convert and relay video back out via an IP connection. The outstanding question is, does the dock act as a standalone ‘head-end’ streaming device or does it require the M700 to be in the dock. It would be a bit silly to have to leave the M700 ‘Mobile’ PC in the dock when you go mobile but maybe Gigabyte are counting on you buying two M700’s! Methinks not. There’s an IR receiver on the dock as well as an optical drive slot and an SD card slot. On the back you’ll find TV signal inputs (the device I saw at CeBIT had digital cable inputs) and a plethora of audio and video connectors. I wish I had an image of the back of the dock but I’m afraid that’s a photo that I didn’t take.

The UMPC itself looks quite slick. Its very light and has an optical mouse, capacitive scrollbar, GPS and a 1024×600 screen. Gigabyte has included an on-screen keyboard and there appears to be some TV control software included too. Details of this aren’t clear at the moment. The other thing that isn’t clear is the price and the sales package. Is the dock included or do you have to buy it separately. Gigabyte are aiming to get this one out in Q3 so expect more details and a full review towards the end of summer.

In the video below I’ve put together some clips that JKK and myself took at CeBIT and an interview session we had Gigabyte. You can also find  some images detailing the ports and features of the device in the M700 gallery.

Eee PC 901 images

The 901 is ussemed to be the Atom-based version of the 900 which makes sense but isn’t 100% confirmed yet. There aren’t any more details to accompany the images either but I feel sure we’ll see more of this and many other Atom-based devices at Computex in a few weeks. It looks nice apart from the shiny plastic buttons up by the battery. I’m sure it’s going to look even better in black though.

Blogeee.net have a whole load of images so check out their site.

Gigabyte M704. Confirmed Euro-pricing.

Last week I highlighted some reseller pricing that was appearing for variants of the Gigabyte M704, the UMPC with the 1.2Ghz CPU and 7" 1024×600 screen in a casing that’s smaller than even the HTC Shift.

The M704 is now expected to be in stock at the beginning of July and the confirmed Euro-price, based on real Gigabyte retailer prices is just Euro 745. If you’re looking for a slider or 7" 1024×600 UMPC, this is very competitive compared to the 1200 Euro Shift and 1100 Euro Samsung Q1, especially as you can get a real docking station for just 60 Euros. DVB-T and GPS snap-on modules also exist as the M704 is built on almost the same hardware as the U60/Medion UMPC that I tested out last year.

It’s currently showing as a Windows XP-based device which is strange considering it falls into a device category that Microsoft won’t sell XP licenses for after June 30th. If it gets forced to run Vista, it won’t be a pleasant user experience and will kill the device in review scenarios so I hope Gigabyte have bought up a stack of licenses they can use in the future. As it is, with its nice accessory range and useable processing power, its quite the Euro-deal for a UMPC.

M704 details and specifications

Pricing Via Mobilx. (aff.)

Gigabyte M700 media center uMPC specifications

Gigabyte are getting a good slice of the news cake this week! Tucked inside a marketing PDF received the other day were more details about the new Gigabyte M700.

This one is going to take a little explaining because the M700 isn’t just a slate UMPC, it’s part of a mobile media system that Gigabyte have created by building a special IPTV-capable docking station. Think of it as a souped-up Slingbox with client player included.

I have a presentation video from CeBIT that I’ll put together with a more detailed article later today. In the meantime, take a look at the specs. It’s expected to launch at end of Q3. Pricing unknown but Mobilx are taking pre-orders so if you want to queue up, I’ve added an affiliate link to Mobilx in the product page.

Q1 Ultra at Buy.com for $660.

While we fuss about MID pricing, the cost of UMPCs is dropping quickly around us. The Q1 Ultra EL which comes with the 800Mhz processor, 1GB RAM and 40GB drive but leaves out the Bluetooth and cameras is available for $659 at Buy.com right now. With the lowest pricing in Europe at around 1500 dollars I’d recommend everyone in Europe who wants a Q1 Ultra to make friends with someone in the U.S. and get them to ship it over. Even after paying the tax, you’re going to save over $600.