Viliv S10 Blade Review

Talking about the Viliv S10 Blade, our friend Chippy from UMPCPortal has published a very complete review about this device.

The S10 is another high quality product from Viliv and a convertible netbook with features and options that very few other devices can match. Battery life is fantastic for a 1.2KG device and the style makes the S10 even more unique. We question the usefulness of multitouch for the average user and feel that 1.2KG is too heavy for long-duration tablet use but at the end of the day, there’s no significant disadvantage to having multitouch or a tablet-capable design.

One interesting point: when it's used in tablet mode the device does not have any hotkeys   or rotation button. That will degrade  the Tablet PC experience.

Mobile Reporting Kit

Blogging has became a way of life for many and when this happens you have to become creative and like in any other job arm yourself with a set of tools that will allow you to be the best. Because that’s what is it about. People pay you for blogging because you are the best or at least one of the best.

My fellow blogger Steve from UMPCPortal has posted a very good article about his experiences streaming live video for his blog. It’s really interesting to see how he has managed to create a fully portable/mobile solution using an UMPC.

I spent some time testing different webcams, microphones and configurations and have come up with a 2KG setup that will allow you to do live, mobile broadcasting over Ustream with reasonable quality. The total cost of the solution is under $1000 and the setup can not only be used for live streaming but can be used as a complete Ultra Mobile live blogging solution.

All about Ultramobile PCs

My friend Chippy has put together a fantastic PDF file with all you need to know about the most popular category of computers of the last 2 years: Ultramobile PCs.

If you are buying one or you just are curious to know about these devices this is a link that you can’t miss.

Viliv S7

Chippy from UMPCPortal has found at IDF a new UMPC that will be released in the first quarter of 2009. This one has a shape of a mini Tablet PC with a 7 inches display and will use an Atom processor. I hope that it uses the dual core Atom announced yesterday by Intel. That would be nice.

is a single use device a good option?

I have been reading today the news about the new Amazon eBook Reader. And when I saw this picture "photoshoped" by my friend Steve from UMPCPortal I was not surprised at all because I though the same thing. I agree that a single use device does what ever it was designed to do a lot better but if you have another device that can substitute that device and at least 3 or 4 more paying almost the same price you paid for the first one, I will go for that device. And that device is called UMPC. The only device where you can have a eBook Reader, a GPS Device, a DVD Player, a MP3 Player and a PC all in one small device. And all that with the flexibility of selecting the best software in each of this functions something that you won't be able to do if you buy any of those devices that we are replacing.  I guarantee you that you won't find a eBook reader capable of reading all the different eBooks formats currently available but we can read any of those eBooks in our UMPCs.

I know that current UMPCs do not have a long battery life and that the screen is not that good for reading eBooks, but come on, it's a new technology! Little by little we are getting there.

So, after all this analysis I ask myself, is a single use device a good option?

Reasons to love and avoid UMPCs according to UMPCPortal.

 My friend Steve took the pen today and wrote his own reasons to love or avoid a UMPC. And... here is a fragment of this masterpiece.

REASONS TO LOVE UMPCs

• They're very small. Most UMPCs come in at well under 1000gms and some are now under 500gms. That's, at least half the weight of a lightweight notebook PC and in most cases, much much less than half the size (volume)
• They are full PC's. UMPCs are not PDA's! They use miniaturized PC components and therefore are capable of running desktop operating systems like Windows XP, Vista or Linux.
• They are relatively powerful. In comparison with traditional mobile devices they have a lot of power. Graphics co-processors are standard and the base CPU is a far more complex calculating machine than that in any pocketPC or smartphone.
• Wireless connectivity. Through WiFi, Bluetooth and even cellular-data, UMPCs are able to connect to the Internet just as well as any notebook or laptop PC. With USB, audio and often, docking ports, further connectivity options are not restricted.
• Compared to traditional mobile devices, the storage options are better. Even the smallest 5mm-high hard drives are able to store 60GB now. SD, CF and even PCMCIA card slots are possible.
• They are more flexible than single-use devices like mobile phones, MP3 players and Video players.
• They enable new usage scenarios. Sofa, bed, bus, car, plane, train. Places that are often difficult to use a notebook suddenly become more enjoyable with a UMPC. Lie back and surf!
• Designs are more exciting. A notebook is a notebook. A UMPC comes in many styles and designs. 4,3" pocketable up to 7" with keyboard. Sliding keyboard, folding keyboard, thumbkeyboard and even touchscreen keyboard. A UMPC is arguably more stylish and exciting than the standard notebook form-factor.
• They are cheap! Yes, compared to Ultraportable notebook PCs, UMPCs are generally cheaper. $799 for a Q1B. $799 for an Everun. $799 for a Cathena. Compare this to the prices for Ultra Portable Notebooks!
• They are among the most energy efficient computers in the world and can provide far more battery life per watt/hour than a notebook PC.
• They generally include touchscreens which opens up new possibilities for operating software and entering data.
• They are often near-silent. Some UMPCs don't have any fans at all.
• They are modular. Through docking stations and accessories you can turn your UMPC into a notebook, desktop, TV/PVR, navigations device or carpc.
• For users that don't use productivity applications or don't input a lot of data, UMPCs can replace a notebook and allow a users to trade down from a larger smartphone to a stylish feature phone.

REASONS TO AVOID UMPCs

• Keyboard options are limited. UMPCs are not designed for inputting large amounts of text. 
• Despite UMPCs being very efficient, their size means that large notebook-PC sized batteries are too heavy and big. As a result of including small, lightweight batteries, their life can be under 2 hours. [The best UMPCs with extended batteries, however, can last well over 6 hours.]
• The screen is small: an 800x480 screen size is not optimal for productivity work. newer screens have 1024x600 resolution but still, this can be limiting.
• They don't fit in most pockets. If Ultra-Mobile to you means 'pocketable' then I'm sorry. UMPCs are not pocketable.
• They are not user friendly. The flexibility of a full operating system comes with the downside of a large learning curve and high possibility of bugs. The user interfaces for desktop operating systems where never written for touch or small screens and can cause problems.
• UMPC's are not consumer priced. UMPCs have not moved into the mass market yet and as a result, prices remain similar to high-end smartphones.
• They do not replace a notebook. For productivity users that input a lot of data and require the use of high-end productivity applications, UMPCs are not as good as a notebook.
• They do not replace a smartphone. A smartphone is a pocketable device that is optimized for voice activities and operation using one or two fingers. A UMPC, due to its larger size and over-complex operating system can not replace a smartphone.
• UMPCs aren't available. You can't find many examples of UMPCs in your local electronics shop. Despite there being over 50 different models to choose from, they remain in the hands of specialist online resellers.

Like I said before in my previous post, more than reasons why to avoid UMPCs I would call them reasons to consider before you buy a UMPC. Those reasons are the main cause of people buying and then returning a UMPC. If you consider these reasons and you can live with them, then you wont have any problem and you will enjoy your UMPC.

Technorati Tags: UMPC

In-Car UMPC and Digital TV

Chippy just added a short video to his Youtube channel.  

UMPC running a DVB-T USB stick in a car.
The UMPC is a Raon Digital Everun. The USB TV stick is the Terratec Cynergy Piranha.

 

Update: Chippy just informed me that he published an article here to compliment the information shown on this little video. Thanks Steve.

Technorati Tags: UMPC

Q1b vs Q1p

If you still asking yourself which one to buy between these two devices here is video that could help you a lot shot by Steve at UMPCPortal.com.

VIA processor could have a wonderful battery life but... video sucks on them. Period. I could not find any other way to say this.

Geotagging from a Q1

These are 3 really good videos!

2007 UMPC Buyers Guide

UMPCPortal has published the 2007 UMPC Buyers Guide. Bravo Chippy!

Since the launch of 'Origami' in March 2006, there have been many varying reports about what an Ultra Mobile PC is and why someone might buy one. This guide has been written to help those looking at ultra-mobile PC's with a view to buying one. Its a long report but we guess that if you're considering spending over $500 on a UMPC, you'll want to read and learn as much as you can.

I prepared a pdf file of this guide because I'm sure than more than one will like to have it saved to read it at anytime. The PDF file can be downloaded here.