Ultra-Mobile PCs

I like what I'm seeing! The Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) is going to be the number one thing on everyones Christmas list in the near future, hopefully sooner that later! A joint development between the likes of Microsoft, Intel and Samsung to create a small form factor Tablet PC that runs any Windows XP software and easily fits into any small bag. UMPCs have a 7-inch touch sensitive screen at a minimum resolution of 800 × 480. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is used with slight tweaks to the interface to make it more suited for the small form factor. In addition, a software suite known as the Touch Pack Interface is included to make the interface more suitable for use of stylus as well as hand.

My favorite part about an UMPC is the keyboard. It is not a conventional hard plastic keyboard, but a virtual pad that is really easy to get used to! But do not worry, you can just as easily plug in a USB keyboard to the USB 2.0 slot. For all you hardcore hackers out there is some good news, and that is you can run Linux, FreeBSD and other Intel based OS.

UMPC devices will include a 900 MHz Intel Celeron M, Pentium M or VIA C7-M processor, 256 MB to 1 GB of RAM, and a 30 to 160 GB harddisk, depending on the manufacturer. They could also feature GPS devices, webcams, fingerprint readers, TV tuners, or memory card readers. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Ethernet are all supported as well.


There are already a few devices on the market which include Amtek's T700 and Samsung's Q1. Prices at the moment are anywhere from $800-1100 USD which so far seems to be the biggest downfall. There are however, more and different UMPCs on the way including The DualCor cPC, Mobits X17, ASUSTek R2, and Founder MiniNote/ECS H70 have all been announced and are scheduled to be on the market sometime this year. This means competition, and that means lower prices so hopefully you can all hold out and see where these devices take us next!