Windows Vista and the Ultra-Mobile PC

I came today across this article and it was really interesting to read how I'm not alone when I'm asking OEMs not to install Vista in machines that use the Intel A110 or A100 processor.  

The Q1 Ultra I'm testing uses a lowly 800 MHz ultra-low-voltage processor mated to just 1 GB of RAM, a combination that is woefully inadequate for Windows Vista. I've tried to dumb down the UI in various ways to see how performance is impacted, but I can't see a difference between the Classic and Windows Vista Basic UIs from a speed standpoint, so I leave it on the more attractive Vista Basic. Not that it matters: Try to do two or more things at once and the memory dries up immediately and system performance comes to a screeching halt.

Some tasks are simply too demanding for the UMPC regardless of what else you're doing. Playing back a 1500 Kbps H.264 file in QuickTime or iTunes is almost impossible, and even Windows Media Player stumbles through these files with the appropriate codecs installed, providing a miserable overall experience. The supplied Origami Experience won't play these files at all, even with the right codecs installed.

For general note-taking in Word 2007 and simple online tasks (email, Web browsing), the UMPC works just fine, assuming you don't try to do both at once. A RAM bump to at least 2 GB--my recommended minimum for Vista--would likely do wonders, but these machines are never going to be performance champs, not in this generation. If your needs are far less demanding than mine, the UMPC may earn a place in your carry-on. But I don't recommend using it as your only PC regardless. This is more of a PC companion than a true PC, despite the underlying operating system and its capabilities. It doesn't matter if the device is compatible with something if it's not fast enough to run it effectively. This may just be the slowest computer I've ever used.

Paul Thurrott wonderfully described the problems I have seen in this past few days in the Fujitsu U810 that I have been testing. Vista is heavy even in my Samsung Q1 that runs at 100 MHz more. According to Kevin from JKonTheRun, it's more or less OK in his Q1p at 1 GHz. But it's too much for a A110 even when in its new 945 graphic chip Aero looks good.

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The dream Slate UMPC

JKK  decided to help UMPC makers in the task of designing the perfect 3rd generation UMPC. Of course he knows that there is not such thing like a perfect design for everybody so he is designing different models starting with the slate UMPC.

Going towards 3rd generation of UMPCs a "one fits for all" device designs will need specially targeted sister models. That's why I'll be doing a series of targeted designs, starting with The Slate UMPC.

I hope that one of those UMPC makers checking our pages to see what we think and what are our dreams sees this design. To give you an idea, this picture inserted in this post is a UMPC with a 7 inches display. As you can see, all the space around the screen has been optimized to make it the smaller it can be. And not just that, check the specifications of this dream UMPC:

• 1.20GHz Intel® Core™ 2 Solo Processor U2200
• 2Gb RAM
• 120Gb Hd
• 7 inch 1024 x 600 LED screen with active digitizer and soft touch with auto switch
• Dual mode hardware buttons, user programmable, with application recognition
• Fingerprint reader
  

Options:

• 64Gb SSD
• WWAN, integrated EVDO or HSPA or Wimax
• Docking Station

There have been a lot of conversation going around in different pages about the slate models of tablets and UMPCs virtually disappearing from the market and I have to say that I love the slate tablet pcs and UMPCs. To me a keyboard is something optional that gives an extra weight to be carry around. If you have a detachable  keyboard you can choose when you want to carry that weight, an option that you lose when you integrate the keyboard as part of your tablet pc or UMPC. So to me it's a sad fact that currently we see less slate UMPCs and Tablet PCs hitting the market because the slate models are in my opinion the best ones.

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Vista Aero in a Fujitsu U810

Some of you have asked me to shoot some videos of applications running on the Fujitsu U810. So, what better sample than Aero!

 I did not optimize this UMPC at all and I found that it skips frames when playing video at high bibrates. This could be probably fixed with a few optimizing touches and upgrading some drivers.

[The device for this video was sent by ALLTP]

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Short video review about the Fujitsu U810

At todoUMPC.com I publish a short video every weekend talking about anything relative to UMPCs. This weekend the video was about the Fujitsu U810. All videos at todoUMPC are in Spanish but this weekend I did something special, I prepared a version of this weekend video with English Subtitles.

Link at Youtube.

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Record from your Slingbox

Just a brief note to say that Applian Technologies has just released an update for At-Large Recorder 2. Now we can record from any SlingMedia Box!

OQO Model e2 UMPC review

Reg Hardware has just reviewed the OQO e2 and here is their verdict:  

The Model e2 is a great example of how diverse the UMPC arena currently is, differing vastly from its rivals. The 5in screen is a reasonable compromise between size and portability, and the slide-down keyboard is the best we’ve seen on a UMPC.

Well, I'm not so convinced about it. So far I have tested two UMPCs with keyboards or wannabe keyboards. In the first one, the Everun I would say that it's good to have it there, in the Fujitsu U810 I would say that it's a shame to have it there. Now I'm waiting for a new "victim" to put under my magnifying glass: The Avox from Ruvo, also known as Gigabyte U60. Which looks very close to this OQO e2.

If you ask me, I will go with the Gigabyte just because it's cheaper and it uses a touch screen instead a wacom digitizer. And no, I'm not crazy, I really believe that for UMPCs the best thing is a touch screen or the combination of both. The other thing is the screen size, the Gigabyte use a 6.5 inches screen that it's a lot better for my eyes.

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How to listen Radio in a UMPC

The Fujitsu U810 in 21 pictures

I always try to capture a set of pictures of the device I'm reviewing, these pictures often says more than 1000 words and many users have sent me emails thanking me because they have found there details that they never saw in other pictures. So here is the Fujitsu U810 in 21 pictures.

The Fujitsu U810 on these pictures was sent to me by ALLTP. The only company with a 48 hours Demo Program.

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Who is holding the price up?

That's a good question asked by Loren Heiny at his blog:  

Evidently the trick to building a lowcost UMPC is to use a big case. That's what Everex is doing with its just released $199 system which is available at Wal-Mart. Of course, you'll want to toss in a "lowcost" Linux distribution for good measure and put a hold on the display. In terms of the display, though, what does a 7" display cost anyway? $50-$100? I can't imagine more. So that means a UMPC with a Via CV7 processor like the Everex system has should be down in the $300-$400 range. Who's kidding whom here?

Makes sense.  Why we still do not see that sweet spot mentioned by Microsoft of 500 dollars? I always have been asked myself from where that number came to Microsoft? Those guys working at Microsoft are far from being stupid, so if they mentioned that number is because it's realistic. We can have a UMPC for 500 dollars. So who is holding the price up?

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OPEN TELEGRAM TO UMPC MAKERS

TO UMPC MAKERS stop

URGENT stop

PLEASE comma PLEASE comma STOP INSTALLING VISTA IN UMPCS WITH INTEL A110 PROCESSORS stop THE PERFORMANCE ON THIS PROCESSORS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HANDLING VISTA stop PLEASE comma INSTALL XP!  stop DO NOT LISTEN TO INTEL comma THE A110 PROCESSOR REALLY DOES NOT GIVE YOU A LOT MORE OF BATTERY LIFE comma THE FEW MINUTES OF BATTERY LIFE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET FROM THE PROCESSOR WILL BE WASTED TRYING TO RUN VISTA stop.

PLEASE comma FOLLOW RAON DIGITAL EXAMPLE comma THEY USE XP IN THEIR UNITS USING THE WEAKER GEODE AMD AT 600 MHZ PROCESSOR GETTING A BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN WHAT YOU ARE GETTING BY USING THE A11O/VISTA COMBINATION stop

 

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