Interesting. Looks like the differences between black and white models of the Asus Eee PC aren’t just black and white. Apparently the keyboards and keys are also a little different.

Via Endgadget

Call them mini-notebooks, call them ULCPCs, call them ultra-portables, it doesn’t make much difference. The new wave, sparked by the introduction of the Asus Eee PC continues to breed more and more entrants. Case in point, the MSI Wind looks to be heading to the U.S. in June, although interestingly enough only the 10 inch screen version will be doing so.

Laptop Magazine has an interview with MSI Director of Sales Andy Tung that lays out some expectations and at least one interesting analogy of the Wind not being your first car, but more like your second or third.

Check out the interview here and a list of specs here.

Interesting reading from PC World / IDG News on Microsoft's ULCPC program, and their decision to exclude touch screens from the ULCPC effort. It is quite puzzling to me why Microsoft would exclude touch screens from the ULCPC area. JKKMobile offers up his own commentary.

Here is a snippet from PC World.

Microsoft is launching a program to promote the use of its Windows OS in ultra low-cost PCs, one effect of which will be to limit the hardware capabilities of this type of device, IDG News Service has learned.

Microsoft plans to offer PC makers steep discounts on Windows XP Home Edition to encourage them to use that OS instead of Linux on ultra low-cost PCs (ULPCs). To be eligible, however, the PC vendors that make ULPCs must limit screen sizes to 10.2 inches and hard drives to 80G bytes, and they cannot offer touch-screen PCs.

The program is outlined in confidential documents that Microsoft sent to PC makers last month, and which were obtained by IDG News Service. The goal apparently is to limit the hardware capabilities of ULPCs so that they don't eat into the market for mainstream PCs running Windows Vista, something both Microsoft and the PC vendors would want to avoid.

If you’ve been interested in the HP 2133 Mini-Note but have been waiting for pricing on a version with XP pre-installed, some pricing is now available, although some of what you’ll find in this post may change. Remember this is mini-notebook from HP can be had with a range of options depending on what you are looking for so there are a range of prices from $729 all the way up to $829 depending on how much RAM and hard drive size. That said, the post at HP 2133 Guide.com also contains info that these are stock prices without no user configurable options.

Yesterday, James Kendrick noted that drivers for XP were available, which is a nother sign that the XP versions might be available soon.

Word is that we’re looking at May 15^th for a release on this, so if there are any changes, I’m guessing we’ll see then.

via Engadget

DailyTech is reporting that Intel will face a shortage of the Atom chipset possibly extending into Q3 of 2008. Apparently demand from Asus with their Eee PC line and the “I want to be like Asus” club is quite heavy. Asus’ CEO is quoted in the article as saying,

“Unlike our competitors, we use both Intel Atom processors and Intel Celeron M processors, so this will give us a stronger advantage in guaranteeing shipments"

 

Of course the article mentions that this could be an opening for VIA and their Isiah chipset. The article also links to this info about Dell’s entry into the ULCPC market.

jkkmobile has turned the camera on the Asus Eee PC 900 and given it a once over. He says he has lots more to say coming up.

In other Asus Eee PC news it looks like Asus is going to spin off the Eee PC line turning it into its own brand. That only makes sense given the phenomenal growth in sales and in terms of the number of variants they’ve introduced and plan on introducing.

jkkmobile has his hands on the Asus Eee PC 900 and has put together an unboxing video of Asus’ newest. (Well at least it is the newest this week.)

Later today the pre-production evaluation HP 2133 Mini-Note gets packed up and returned to HP, thus ending my evaluation of this intriguing little entry into the ultra-portable or ultra-low cost PC market. Here are some final thoughts I’ve gathered. Keep in mind, I’m evaluating a pre-production model, so some of my experiences may be different from what you might experience with a shipping model.

• If you’re looking for a small device to do light desktop or web work the Mini-Note can fill the bill very well. The VIA processor can handle most of those chores without a hiccup. At least it did for me. Keep in mind the unit I was evaluating was running Vista.
• I was able to pack the Mini-Note in a small over the shoulder bag and carry it with me without any difficulty. It is heavier than the Asus Eee PC and after awhile I noticed the weight a bit, but nothing that would keep me from thinking of this device as very portable.
• Although the extended battery adds some weight and size to the device, I’d definitely add that to the cost of your purchase if you’re going to be mobile for any length of time. With the standard battery I was able to eek out just over 2 hours and 20 minutes of use. With the extended battery I was able to push things to just under 5 hours on average depending on what I was doing.
• I’m disappointed with media playback. I had ripped some movies for my travel time to and from the MVP Summit in order to check out media playback. Playback in Windows Media Player had frequent and random slow downs without anything else of note running. I experienced the same thing with a movie I had previously purchased in iTunes. This is a shame, really, as this size of device would be the perfect travel companion for media playback.
• The optional webcam works, but just like with media playback, I experienced some choppiness when attempting video calls.
• Although it took some getting used to, I really enjoyed using the keyboard and became quite proficient with it. That said, I detest the trackpad. The length that mirrors the widescreen display takes far too long and is too cumbersome to traverse. The wide distance between the buttons is also problematic. If I was going to use this device I’d have to opt for a portable mouse, which I do use on occasion, but prefer not to.

Those are some final thoughts from my limited perspective. Your reactions may be entirely different. Keep in mind that the HP 2133 Mini-Note is highly configurable (or soon will be). You’ll be able to choose operating systems, hard drive size, speed, and type, and other options. HP has created a device that will appeal to many because of its size and price point. That appeal will depend a great deal on the usage model and expectations. While HP’s first market is the education sector, I think we’ll see quite a few of these in the hands of mobile professionals (their declared secondary market) as well. If you’re not looking for good, solid media playback, it could serve very well as a companion device.

Does my wife, Thomasin, want to buy one? I’ve been asked that question quite a bit since she did the InkShow. When I last checked with her, she said she wouldn’t mind it at all, but she’s content to stick with the Asus Eee PC for now. That “for now” part has me thinking we’ll be picking one up for her at some point in the future.

Make sure you check out the GBM InkShows on the HP 2133 Mini-Note.

Thomasin Takes on the HP 2133 Mini-Note

The HP 2133 Mini-Note

UMPCPortal is linking to a Linux Wizard article and offers up info on a marriage between Airis and Telefonica in Spain that offers users a subsidized price of 99 Euro price point on the 299 Euro VIA-based Airis Kira. That initial price point will cost you 40 Euro a month for connectivity charges. It will be interesting to see if we see this kind of subsidized marketing here in the US?

So, I’m curious. Would you be interested in looking at a contract plus purchase option for an ultra-portable?

Gail Levy of TabletKiosk has blogged some thoughts on the new Ultra-Low-Cost PC platform from a UMPC OEMs perspective and it is quite a good read. She lays out TablketKiosk’s UMPC goals and options and says she finds it disappointing that Microsoft is “embracing these new devices by extending the life of XP without considering some of the obsacles that the original UMPC manufacturers have faced all along.”

Gail’s article points up some of the turmoil that the ULCPC platform is going to cause, and in some ways strengthen’s my suspcions that this new price-based platform is the last nail in the UMPC coffin.

Another video for everyone this morning.  This time it's of the new Asus' EeePC 900.  There have been a quite a few pictures and other news of this new (and larger screen) EeePC, but this is the first one that I have seen that demonstrates the 'multitouch' trackpad.  If you want to skip over everything else just to see the trackpad and how it operates, go to about 3:50 in the video.

I bet Warner's wife will be wanting one of these really soon...

Rob and I are doing some comparisons and look-sees at the various Tablet PCs and mobile devices we brought along to the Microsoft MVP Summit. See if you can tell us what we have displayed in this picture. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Steve “Chippy” Paine and jkkmobile continue to do some podcasting about UMPCs and other mobile devices and there stuff is always a good listen, with more than a nuggest or two surfacing each time they hit the microphones. If you haven’t checked them out yet, you should. The recent edition features a chat on Atom, VIA’s Isaiah, netbooks, and the HP 2133 Mini-note. Here’s the link.

Crave is running an interesting piece that offers some insight (some clear, some that raises more questions) on HP’s decision to use the VIA C7–M chipset for the new HP 2133 Mini-Note. The quote from notebook product marketing manager Robert Baker is this:

Via gave us that right mix of performance and price for the type of environment that this product is going into--content consumption. Their power (efficiency) is where we needed it to be for this platform. Web surfing, creating Power Points

In my testing the VIA chipset performed ok, not great. But for what this device is intended to do, I think it will suffice for most uers needs. Other reviewers have disagreed on this point and found it woefully lacking in benchmark tests. But running traditional benchmark tests on these new smaller devices with different chipsets is not going to yield any real results in my opinion. The usage scenarios and chipset differences are just too dissimilar compared to the day when things moved along in a somewhat more orderly fashion.

HP also says they will be looking at other chip solutions in the future, notably Intel’s Atom and VIA’s Isaiah when it is time for a refresh. They are saying the next refresh will be about six months from now and they’ll consider their options at that time.

This brings up the issue of timing, and it makes me suspect that things are moving so fast and furiously that it is almost impossible for an OEM to make a decision today, when you know everything will change tomorrow. I can’t imagine it is easy.

Check out the GBM InkShow reviews (here and here) on the HP 2133 Mini-Note.

When my wife, Thomasin, got her hands on the Asus Eee PC back in December, she had some reservations about the tiny little ultra-portable that shook the mobile space. But she seems to have overcome those as it is now difficult to pry the Eee PC out of her hands. So, I was very anxious and eager to hear her reactions to the new HP 2133 Mini-Note. Last night I had her check it out and that's what you'll find in this GBM InkShow: her unvarnished and first reactions to the Mini-Note versus the Eee PC.

Thomasin is decidedly not a geek, as you can tell by her names for certain things, but I think her first blush look at devices offer OEMs a more than interesting look at what they have in their devices.

• Download the high res version of this GBM InkShow.
• Check out the GBM InkShow review of the HP 2133 Mini-Note.
• Check out the GBM InkShow of Thomasin and the Asus Eee PC.

All GBM InkShows and Podcasts are sponsored by TechSmith.

James Kendrick raises an interesting discussion topic in his post this morning about the premium Tablet PC users pay for Tablet functionality, especially now as the move to Ultra-Low-Cost PCs (ULCPC) is in full swing. JK describes himself as an unusual Tablet PC owner in that he is dependent on taking notes all day. I ride in that same boat using my stylus as an oar. Inking on a Tablet PC is crucial part of my work flow, and like JK, I’ve been reasonably content to pay a premium to take advantage of what Tablet PCs offer me.

The reality is that the perception of that premium is about to change in an unfavorable way for the future of Tablet PCs. The difference in price will look much larger to many. The rush to capitalize on the ULCPC market is on in a big way (see Rob’s earlier post about Dell) and while we might see touch screens on the ULCPC we won’t see active digitizers, much less capacitive or dual mode screens on these new low costs (low margin?) contenders.

JK’s point is a simple one and it is has echoes my pleas for OEMs to pay attention to the Inkers out there for the UMPC platform, which is now headed to the dead pool. If you don’t need the Inking capability of an active digitizer Tablet PC, or at least a touch screen with good Inking capability, then why spend the extra dough if what you are after is a mobile solution? While those of us who have been bitten by the Tablet PC bug, know that Inking is a big part of the picture, mobility is just as big a factor, if not more so. I can certainly attest to the fact that the new HP 2133 Mini-Note could serve many a mobile warrior’s need, if they don’t need an Inking solution.

Face it folks, the Tablet PC niche is getting smaller as mobile computing possibilities grow, and it will continue to shrink. Price point, and to some extent touch (without Inking capability), will be the decision factors for mobile devices in the future. Asus rocked the market and everyone is now in follow the leader mode. Asus grabbed the attention and focus in ways that Microsoft could have only dreamed about for the Tablet PC on its release, and later the UMPC. Let’s just hope the incredible shrinking Tablet PC niche doesn’t shrink completely away.

According to this story at RegHardware, Dell is preparing to go head to head with Asus and HP by releasing an Ultra Low-Cost PC in the June timeframe, which raises the possibility of Intel Atom chipset. Other specs are unknown

RegHardware's source, an executive at Compal, which is Dell's manufacturing partner in Taiwan, says Compal is aiming to produce upwards of 300,000 of these low cost machines per month for Dell.

I asked Dell for a comment on this story, and as expected, they said they couldn't. At least they didn't deny it or say it was totally out of left field.

Treat this with a grain of rumor salt until we actually see some specs or a product. Thanks for the link, Gavin.

UPDATE: Apparently, Michael Dell is confirming this report via an article in Mercury News, saying, "We will introduce a similar laptop." 

"We do see opportunities for very interesting products that are smaller and lighter and address the more mobile users in a very cost-effective way," he said, adding the laptops would "fit into the category" of targeting a market for children.

and

"Stay tuned," Dell said. "We will have some interesting products coming in that space over the next two quarters."

We upated the HP 2133 Mini-Note review and Inkshow post mid-morning when we found a link to the product page for the HP Mini-Note 2133 and at the time there were a variety of prices (all the way up to $849–which was new news) and starting at $499. I was going to make this post a new reference to that link, but as of the moment only the $599 version is listed as available to be added to your cart. All the other configurations are listed with ‘Buying Options.’ (click on the image below.)

But if you follow this link to HP’s Small & Medium Business Online Store you’ll find that prices starting at $499 and heading up to $749 based on configuration with estimated shipping on April 15 and that shipping is free through April 30. I’m not sure what the instant savings are, because if you add a ‘Smart Buy’ to your cart it is still the same price as listed previously.

I’m thinking HP is shaking out a few bugs here and there and things will straighten out soon.

Microsoft announced today that June 30 is indeed the final cut-off for manufacturers to make Windows XP a pre-load option on PCs, with an exception being made for those now popular low cost portables, like the Asus Eee, Intel Classmate, and others. Those low cost portables will still be allowed to ship with Windows XP Home Edition through June 30, 2010 or one year after the general availability of the next version of Windows.

In familiar Microsoft fashion, they've also come up with a name for those low cost, XP Home Edition sporting portables: the Ultra Low-Cost PC. Now, don't get those confused with their more powerful brethen, the Ultra-Mobile PC, ok?

Here is Michael Dix, General Manager of Windows Client Group Product Management explaining what a Ultra Low-Cost PC is:

PressPass: What are ultra-low-cost personal computers (ULCPCs)?

Dix: ULCPCs are a new and growing class of mobile computers designed for first-time PC buyers and customers interested in complementing their primary Windows-based PCs with companion devices with limited hardware capabilities.  These machines vary, but they typically have smaller screen sizes and lower-powered processors than more expensive mobile PCs. While originally intended for students and other first-time PC customers in emerging markets, we’re now seeing interest in these affordable devices in developed countries as well.

One thing we’ve heard loud and clear, from both our customers and our partners, is the desire for Windows on this new class of devices. We are enthusiastic about this category because it enables us to bring the benefits of Windows to more customers. ( emphasis mine )

If memory serves me right, wasn't one of the major goals of the Ultra-Mobile PC / Origami initiative to be in the $500 range, which is where these Ultra Low-Cost PCs are currently priced? Wasn't it also designed to be a companion device that also had limited hardware capabilities?

That Q & A reads just like what the Ultra-Mobile PC / Origami space was after and targeting several years ago, but apparently lost its way. Now, the industry and consumer has let Microsoft know what it wants and the type of low impact software it wants to run, and Microsoft is wisely listening. This little tidbit bodes well for mobile devices - running Windows on devices with less than 4 GB of flash-based storage:

We are also taking a number of steps to enable our partners to support this growing class of computers, such as publishing formal design guidelines to the Web to enable manufacturers to build Windows-based flash-based machines with even greater hardware limitations (e.g., under 4GB flash-based storage).  We believe these guidelines will enable PC makers to build more reliable, low-cost and easy-to-maintain ULCPCs for customers. 

This makes me wonder, though - where does this all leave the Ultra-Mobile PC? Could we start to see a shift in to the ULCPC area? By the way, thanks for muddying up an already muddied up space with the new name.

via Mary Jo Foley