MS UMPC "Origami"

[Kitsune]

So, I was actually interested in this little secret device that MS was hyping up. The rumor mill went nuts: Not a laptop, not a PDA, all-day battery life, wireless, and the ability to use a stylus on the screen of a device for around $500? Origami sounded pretty cool and there was even a video circulating around that showed how thin and versatile it would be.

...then the reality hit and it is released that chunky, 2.5lb device will run around $1000, initially, and have a battery life of "up to" three hours. It will run another, specialized version of Windows. Samsung's version of this thing isn't the most visually appealing, either.

A screen smaller than a laptop on a device too large to carry in your pocket. Would you carry one of these around?

[mbpark]

Sony had something that looks exactly like this you can get from www.dynamism.com.

I got a look at the tech specs of the product. 256-512MB RAM, 900Mhz Celeron M to 1.2Ghz Pentium M processor, and up to a 60GB HD (1.8" iPod size).

Compared to a Windows CE PDA, which has anywhere from a 200Mhz to 624Mhz ARM CPU and 64 to 128MB RAM, it's pretty good.

However, it's big and clunky compared to a PalmPilot or Windows Mobile handheld, runs Windows XP (and apparently not Vista or some cut-down version of it). It also has WiFi, and apparently no phone support.

With the advent of smartphones like the Cingular 8125, which a customer of mine has (200Mhz CPU, PDF Viewer, Mini-SD support, slide-out keyboard, and Windows Mobile 5.0 Messaging and Feature Pack, meaning that it can wirelessly sync with Exchange Server 2003), esp. ones with Windows Mobile 5.0 which already have support for Citrix, VPN Clients, and have a Remote Desktop client, what's the point?

It's got a CPU, which with Windows XP Service Pack 2, will run small apps acceptably. If you give it Outlook 2003 SP2, it will choke. If you give it a large Office 2003 document with lots of formatting, it will choke.

If it's going to have issues running Office 2007 due to CPU, what's the point?

If you get a Smartphone with a VGA screen running on the Verizon network with Windows Mobile and a slide-out keyboard, that would be better than Origami because it's easily totable, has the phone built in, and can run your corporate applications over Tarantella, Citrix, FreeNX, Terminal Server, or the web using a VPN client from Cisco, Microsoft, or other sources. I could see companies buying this en masse to support their remote users. I don't see Origami doing the same.

Big PDAs failed because people didn't want to tote around something that was underpowered, had a small screen, and couldn't run the latest and greatest. I believe Origami meets all three criteria, unless you count the design Microsoft "acquired" from Sony Japan.

Little PDAs failed because your average cell phone does everything a PDA does these days.

Smartphones are where it's at. As soon as they get VGA or better screens in them (which is a battery issue), you'll be able to just run corporate apps over a VPN connection. Citrix Metaframe, for example, is extremely efficient over a 2.5G connection.

Microsoft's trying too hard. The third generation of this, which should be a smartphone, will work . The first generation isn't there.