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Microsoft whispers Origami details
March 2, 2006 -
Microsoft dreams up low-cost minitablet
April 25, 2005
But as devices begin to come out a year later, reality still trails Microsoft's ambitions. The first generation of devices, being announced Thursday and
Microsoft acknowledges that instead of a mass-market hit riding a wave of prelaunch hype, these devices are likely to appeal only to the most hard-core gadget fans.
"This is definitely our first step in looking at the area of ultramobile PCs," said Mika Krammer, a Windows marketing director for Microsoft's mobile platforms.
"To really hit the mass market...in the hundreds of thousands and the millions of customers, we have to improve," Krammer said. The devices that begin shipping in April are likely to be more of a niche product, he said.
That's a far cry from the "dream" machines some envisioned when Gates
In some ways, Microsoft has been the victim of its own success and some wild speculation. Rumors circulated that the company might have a portable Xbox or iPod killer in the works. Although Microsoft had hoped a
"We had anticipated some interest in what we were doing, but this has received a lot more interest than we expected," Krammer said.
In search of a market
The initial devices run the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP, along with the "Touch Pack," which includes new software for playing back media, as well as a "program launcher" that makes it easier to find and run programs stored on the device. New settings so make scroll bars and icons bigger and more easily navigated by a fingertip. Text can also be input using two thumbs via an on-screen keyboard. The software includes the popular puzzle game, Sudoku.
During a joint presentation with Intel at the CeBit trade show in Germany, Microsoft will show its software running on a Samsung device. Other Intel-based products are expected from Taiwan's Asus and China's Founder, while some companies, including
NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker was skeptical of how much appeal the first round of devices will have. "It's a product in search of a market," he said. It's too expensive for the things it does, Baker said, and is "too under-featured to do some of the other things it needs to do."
One opportunity exists, Baker said, if hardware makers can bring down the price tag by convincing cellular carriers to subsidize the product for buyers that sign up for new wireless service.
The Origami specification doesn't require any kind of wireless connectivity, but many of the devices will have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both. There is also the possibility of a cellular data modem, which would provide an option for the devices to be sold--and partly underwritten--by wireless carriers. Of course, such wireless technology also adds to the cost of making the devices.
Intel, too, sees a bigger market if the industry can produce smaller devices with better battery life and a lower price tag. It
The first generation devices are "going to be great for early adopters," Intel Marketing Director Brad Graff said. But for the masses, "These are bigger than what we want."
As for the next generation, Microsoft is already working on how to equip future devices with Windows Vista, the operating system update coming later this year. Vista has built-in support for touch screens and power-management features that could be useful Origami devices. Krammer said Microsoft hopes to have ultramobile PCs running Vista available as soon as the new Windows version ships.
See more CNET content tagged:
minitablet PC,
Origami PC,
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ultramobile PC,
reality
The devices also seem to be Bluetooth compliant, so BT keyboards are an option, not to mention USB.
If these devices perform reasonably well, I want one badly. Much easier to carry around than a laptop.
records this could be a huge area of growth. I use a tablet for
computer charting and something like this might be useful, but the
current software I use works better with more pixels and a large
screen. I'm not sure how I'd like squinting at 1080 x 768 pixels on
a 7 inch screen
parked my Newtons a long time ago. I won't even bother buying
one of these.
This will go the same route as BOB.
These devices are not any better, lighter, don't have a longer battery life and lack the keyboard to use make it a convertible.
I also have not seen a docking station.
Sorry Microsoft, a day late and a dollar short.
Here's my review in a word:
Weaksauce.
Back to work you slackers!
I think they should cut their losses with this tablet stuff and spend some money debugging the mess they've already created.
anyone I know has a PDA. They're just too small, and notebooks
make better companions when you're studying.
As for papers, students are more likely to spend 500 on a Dell
desktop than a first generation tech toy.
The only portable device you'll really see on campus is a MP3
player. Even laptops are confined mostly to the desk/bed.
Especially since a lot of universities have limited WiFi coverage
areas that don't include classrooms or lecture halls.
After all, isn't just a $500 Mead notebook if you can't surf teh
interwebs while in class?
Too bad MS missed this boat, again...
Will wait for Apple's iPuter. They'll get it right the first time.
Point it at a storefront, it retrieves the latest coupon. Sit on a bench and watch the latest news/sports. Call your daughter in college and see her/she sees you. Take a picture with flash.
It'll fly! Just show the soccer moms and boomers!
Of course, the product is nothing great. But, hey, at least you got the hype part right!
"It's a product in search of a market," he said. It's too expensive for the things it does, Baker said, and is "too under-featured to do some of the other things it needs to do."
If it has a touch screen, then make the device as big as the screen, why do I want all this extra real estate on the sides of the screen. The pictures of people holding it look like they are about to play a giant gameboy. No thanks.
It can't really be that expensive to make a portable PC with a touchscreen. lower the price!
I like the idea of running windows xp(vista really) on a small device that i can play music/watch video/check email/do work with/whatever a pc does. If I could actually run any program that works on windows on it I'd love it. Itd be great for car rides/planes/subway or for lunch time, down time etc. I think it could have alot of uses. I find my PDA to be too one dimensional. I have an ultraportable laptop, and it's fine, but something even smaller would be great.
Someone other then MS make this please.
As for the size, I like it. The screen is easily readable, unlike my PDA half the time.
And why the 'someone other then MS make this please'? MS makes the software, which appears quite usable and friendly. The hardware makers need to get the price of the components down, as well as the battery life up (a lot).
- Who will use this?
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by manishe
March 9, 2006 10:46 AM PST
- I mean, its too big to carry around casually like an ipod or palm pilot. I can't just slip it in my bag. And it lacks the functionality of a laptop so why would I bring this over a laptop? And why would I hook this up to an external GPS unit for navigation when I can just buy a standalone GPS receiver for 1/10 the cost and takes up 1/2 the dashboard space. When will we see an iPod sized device with camera, phone and full PDA functionality? Now that will deserve some hype!
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- Who will use this?
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by Villages263
March 9, 2006 11:59 AM PST
- Granted it may not be used by the masses, but some of us, myself included, have been waiting for something like this for awhile!! I want something better than a collection of 8.5x11" paper pages held together by large binder rings, known to newspaper carriers as throw books! I have to keep track of over 900 addresses, with over 700 active addresses daily, before I can throw the daily newspapers in subcribers drive ways. I have to daily update my throw book to reflect what addresses have requested vacation stops or restarts, the throw books use Excel format. In my case, a PDA is too small and even a small laptop is too big, for use in my own pickup, along with several hundred rolled and bagged newspapers! Thank you very much!
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- GranTop or GrampsPC
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by JFDMit
March 9, 2006 4:28 PM PST
- I saw a post on another thread saying that the larger screen and bigger overall size of the UMPC compared with PDAs/Smartphones would be very attractive to senior citizens, who find small screens and tiny buttons hard to use.
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- I will!
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by Thunderbuck
March 11, 2006 3:28 PM PST
- This device offers a LOT of functionality that I can't find anywhere else. I'm a long-haul trucker, and I can use this device to store audio books and my complete music collection. "Get an iPod", you say, but I can also store and play recorded TV for my downtime on the road, and I like the larger screen for that.
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See all 75 Comments >>Given that seniors will comprise a increasingly large proportion of the population in years to come, this may well be a viable demographic for the UMPC.
I think I'll run off and trademark GranTop and GrampsPC, just in case.
It would also provide me Internet access in hotspots, and the potential for GPS is intriguing.
I had been looking at a Tablet PC, but this would honestly be easier to carry around and be generally more useful.