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Wednesday, January 02, 2008

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Define The Ultra-Mobile PC

- Rob Bushway

How times quickly change. When the Origami / Ultra-Mobile PC platform was rolled out in 2006, Microsoft and Intel defined the platform as having a touch screen that was seven inches or smaller. They then modified that to include devices with active digitizer screens like the OQO Model 02.

Now, we are seeing devices like the Asus Eee PC get labeled as a Ultra-Mobile PC, and for good reason. It is ultra, mobile, and a pc. But it lacks a touch screen, at least coming pre-installed from the OEM that way. In a large measure, though, Asus has changed the name of the game by coming out with a low price, ultra-portable solution.

So, really, what is a Ultra-Mobile PC? Do the old rules apply or should we treat any computer less than 10 inches as a Ultra-Mobile PC? What is the difference really between an Ultra-Mobile PC and a Ultra-Portable PC? What about devices like the Sony TZ series with its 11 screen? Isn’t it ultra, mobile, and a pc? What is the optimal screen size to be considered ultra and mobile. Is touch or an active digitizer even a pre-req anymore?

These are questions that we struggle with daily at GBM, as they drive the areas in which we should cover, but not branch out too far. When developing the guidelines for the UMPC Of The Year, we chose to stick fairly close to Microsoft’s original guidelines by insisting it either had a touch screen or an active digitizer, but be less than 10 inches. I don’t think we can realistically do that in 2008, though.

So – help us out here: define the Ultra-Mobile PC.

Tags: ultra-mobile+pc, ultra-portable+pc, Asus+Eee+PC, Intel, Origami, Sony

Origami | Ultra Mobile PC

1/2/2008 9:54 AM MST

Define The Ultra-Mobile PC Comments [13] | Digg This | del.icio.us | Citations

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:47:58 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

touchscreen/active digitizer + onscreen keyboard/thumboard + less than 10" = UMPC

no touchscreen + qwerty keyboard + less than 10" = ultra-portable laptop/sub-notebook

touchscreen/active digitizer + qwerty keyboard + more than 10" = tablet

Aaron

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:52:02 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

a)Something you can throw in your coat pocket,
without having to have a special bag to carry it in on the outside of your coat
...10" or smaller(?)
b) Digitizer, active or passive....hopefully a dual type for your particular situation.
c) Keyboard/clamshell/slider

SAM

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:42:13 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I don't think a touchscreen should dictate what a device is labled. It's small and a computer, that's enough for me.

ouzome

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:14:02 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I think a device with a screen >7" should be labeled a subnotebook. Isn't that what we used to call them?

I don't think a UMPC should require a touch screen because at those screen sizes it can often be difficult to use a finger on them and having to pull out a stylus, especially if holding a device with both hands, is a real nuisance. I also have to say that even though my Fujitsu U810 has XP Tablet, the screen is too small to write much on easily. I only flip the screen around when I'm using it for reading or surfing.

Another differentiator should be the OS the device can run. If it can run Windows (not WinMo), Linux, or OS X, then it should qualify. WinMo devices are a category of their own, I think. Then again, maybe not. That could be an interesting discussion.

Geoffrey

GeoffreyM

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:32:00 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

At the very least, it should have a x86 processor. It would be too much of a stretch to include, let's say, ARM processor based devices.
Other than that, it's almost impossible to define.
If we were going with Microsoft's original description, I wouldn't even include the OQO2 since it doesn't have a touchscreen.
Then you couldn't include the original Kohjinsha SA1 since that didn't have a touchscreen either.

Would it have to have Origami Experience installed too to qualify?

These days, I'm very liberal in the use of the term UMPC... so I'll include almost all devices with <10" screen.

But then, I consider all almost all devices with at least a touchscreen running Windows Tablet Edition a Tablet PC.

Rodfather

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 1:03:32 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Here we go again ;)

I define my umpcs for their use, not by their specs.
If it's capable for my computing needs while i'm mobile it is ultramobile.. and pc.

And if someone calls my Eee a minilaptop or subnote, i'm ok with that too.. ( just don't call it just a gadget, it's much more :) )

.. but if you call Eee and Flipstart as minilaptop you should call Q1 a minitablet ;)

I really don't care what MS or Intel say about the specs.. I think i will call MIDs as UMPCs too if they are capable enaugh... Intel has allready showed same devices as umpcs and mids..

... i wouldn't call n810 a umpc but it's ok if someone else feels it's a "pc"

Should GBM cover Eee PC? Hell yes! It is very mobile so if u gotta be mobile it's one good device to think!

jkkmobile

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 1:07:08 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Some of us who urged Microsoft to create what became the UMPC standard were also urging Motion Computing to create what became the LS800 (of blessed memory). The essence of the use case was mobility, and the LS800 fit the specific vision pitched for a doctor's white coat pocket.

I'd include anything as a UMPC that fits in a pocket, regardless of whether there is a tiny keyboard, stylus or touchscreen. Microsoft standardized on the UMPC screen size based on screens readily available for car navigation systems. If a screen is a little bigger and it still fits in some pocket, fine. Apple's iPhone has the right idea of having the device be only slightly bigger in area than the screen. If a device is small enough to fit into a purse or a sport jacket it is a UMPC if it is a full computer. The iPhone would qualify if it were a bit less stripped down.

To compete well with iPhone-like devices, UMPCs need the ability to act as a telephone.

Mickey Segal

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 1:29:30 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Personally, UMPC really gets defined as something that can be carried around without a case. Granted any laptop can be carried around caseless, but pretty much all those 10"+ have a case. This gives the benefit of not limiting just to a screen size, but also a weight, another determining factor in mobility.

This definition of a UMPC doesn't separate the ones with touch capability from those without. Personally I'd call a UMPC with touch capability a Compact Tablet. Short, easily abbreviated, and really demonstrates what it is - a compacted version of a tablet PC.

Tim

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 1:31:13 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I generally agree with jkk in terms of use.

'UMPC' is basically a marketing term though so it's whatever we want it to be.

Do I consider a Asus Eee PC a UMPC? Sorta.. I mean, if I were running a UMPC site, I would.
You can call it a subnotebook or OLPC-clone too.

When showing my original Q1 to people, I don't refer it as a UMPC. I call it a mini-tablet because, well, that makes most sense to people who don't know the term 'UMPC'.
Same with the U810. I call it a mini-convertible.

Who's to say my iPhone isn't a UMPC either. If I could get telnet running, what's the difference?

As for this site, I would include the OLPC-clones as UMPC's.

Rodfather

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 1:44:46 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Heres the definition i use on umpcportal:
A highly portable computing device with 5-10" screen, wired and wireless connectivity that is able to load and run common Internet, office, media and PIM applications operated through a graphical user interface.

However, its not a term that users or bloggers control. Its all in the hands of the marketing people and the popular media.

Steve

Steve Paine

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 3:06:50 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Rob

Have you picked up on this yet? http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/02/asus_preps_2nd_eee_pc/

Now THAT should be THE UMPC!

Gavin Miller

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 3:37:00 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Just my twopence :)

http://jedstechblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/2008-end-of-umpc.html

Mike

Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:16:36 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I just ran across an old manual for the TC1000 and noticed Compaq described the model as "ultramobile". Found a bunch of others repeating this message on Google.

Sumocat

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