[mobilesalesman]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The UMPC spec was a collaboration between MS and Intel, based on MS's "Origami" project.

MS and Intel both had problems. MS was facing slowing growth. The market for Windows and Office was largely saturated, with just about everything that could run them doing so. Vista wasn't out, MS hadn't had much luck on cracking the Indian and Chinese markets, and efforts in gaming (the X-Box) and online services (MSN) hadn't been home runs either. Intel was also facing challenges, losing market share to AMD.

What to do? A whole new platform that would run a flavor of Windows and use Intel processors.

Note who makes them: VIA, ASUS, Samsung, Future. Note who doesn't make them: Dell, Toshiba -- anyone with an existing laptop line.

And the UMPCs were rather carefully speced so that they would be poor candidates to replace a laptop.

What MS and Intel haven't been able to do is provide a compelling use case. Just what are we supposed to do with these UMPCs?

My use would be to replace a laptop, with a smaller, lighter, easier to carry device, but that's the last thing MS and Intel want.

The UMPC has problems because it's based on the needs of MS and Intel for new revenue sources, and not on the needs of the market.
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Dennis

UMPC's were a failure becuase they lack a keyboard, and they were not small enough to be jacket size. Additionally those flaws put them into a category which included other computers where they could not compete against them in other areas such as power, speed, and price.

Most UMPC's along with any sub or laptop running full windows has 2-4 hours battery life and that is not the best but usable. There are many people whom use other devices from blackberries, pda's, etc. that would buy a pocket jacket size laptop handheld yet still own a large laptop. I see hanhelds that could run full windows being a device to expand sales for companies like Toshiba and others whom sell laptops not reduce sales.

That zero sum thinking is enabling Linux and Apple a chance to get into the market for mobile computing and dig into future MS OS laptops. If you look at many of the new MIDS or UMPC type devices using Intels new chips some are now running Linux. I think MS and laptop companies should get their act together to create the next evolution to widen laptop sales via a handheld jacket version before they loose future sales to more competitors such as Apple and Linux devices.

The only good form factors seem to come from Korea but they are often WIMAX focused and we are not close to getting that advanced in wireless.