done that.

was called a Newton a whole generation ago. Glad to see Microsoft has discovered Stylus technology.

Definitely NOT an iPod competitor as we were all lead to believe. Who could use this at a gym on the treadmill????

Sorry MS, I'm totally underwhelmed... It might make a nice universal remote control though.

I look at this as a super-charged PDA. In fact, it probably would be much better than the Palm I currently cart around on business travel. I might even be able to use my current bluetooth keyboard.

This certainly isn't enough of a product to get me to go to the dark side, but for the business traveler, it will be tempting.

"and the fact that it runs Windows means that it can do a variety of tasks"

Great news!

Sounds like it might be okay for storing video and audio, but to use it for tasks a PDA may be just as convenient. Using a stylus for more than simple thing is clumsy, by the time you add a keyboard and mouse you may as well just carry a laptop.

Time will tell, but I predict Origami will fold after a few months.

To me, this just looks like an oversized PDA running Windows, with a more powerful processor and a HD.

Does most of the things that the PDA was meant to do, just better.

I think that the whole concept would work better if Microsoft manufactured the device, like Apple does, rather than licensing the technology to other makers. Microsoft would then have more control vaer the quality and design of the device.

This new Ultra Mobile PC seems to aim at the PDA market, possibly seeking to rule it.

naturally, there are some things about the device that are dissapointing, like the battery life (3 hours just isn't enough) and the starting price ($600 to $1000?! At that price, I'd just get one of those ultra portable laptops like the 12" PowerBook or iBook. $499 would be a much more attractive price.)

in terms of looks, the displayed Samsung model is deceiving, being heavy and dark. A nice silver or white case with rounded corners would be so much better.

This is only a relaunch of MS's Tablet PC. Since it takes MS three times to get it right, I will be looking at their next relaunch of this product line.

I've always wanted a hand held computer. This is too big though obviously nice.Semms apple wants to celebrate their anniversary in style.... looking forward to that

I differ from you guys, this device isn't a enhanced PDA. It is more like a reduced TablePC instead. In fact it use Windows TablePC OS.

Said that, It looks cool, but it completly fail to meet what people want from a portable device in term of size, weight and price. 7", 2 Pound, <$600-$1000>

It's like a TabletPC/Ultraportable Laptop/PDA blend...

Well, I wouldn't mind having one of these if they fixed the major flaw.

It'd have to run Mac OS X insted of windows to fix that flaw, of course.


Of course, since Mac OS X is running on Intel now, I have to wonder how much work it would be to get OS X running on one of these. Apple could always contract one of the hardware makers to make a Mac version.

Assuming they don't already have a better version in the works themselves.

interested.

Replace XP with Tiger, the 60GB HD with a solid-state RAID of similar capacity, add FW400, and charge $399-$499.

It sucks.

except for that ugly-ass OS... some people will never learn.

Actually, I think I'd like one. When I travel, I have to carry a laptop with Excel and some interface tools. (USB mostly). I hate carring a full laptop and this would do the trick. My Palm is OK, but I can't do the full on Excel stuff, nor really surf at the hotel to find out how to get to the next stop.

So yes, I'd prefer Mac OS and all that, but it's too niche for Apple (can that be true? So I'd take one. I'll look at 'em when they're available and see....

but what about text-input without a keyboard?

Which distro would be best for such a device? I'm a fan of Window Maker, I wonder if I could depend on it full time?

LOL. Linux. You gonna write all the drivers for the specialized hardware?

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Anonymous wrote:
but what about text-input without a keyboard?

Which distro would be best for such a device? I'm a fan of Window Maker, I wonder if I could depend on it full time?

I'm not even sure if the tactile screen would be compatible with Linux. You'd end up with a USB mouse and keyboard with the origami.

Keep in mind that this is based upon an Intel chipset that is made specifically for this ype of device. Apple has been exploring input patents for touch sensitive displays and the patents have diagrams showing what looks like a "tablet Mac". Since apple doesn't have to do a whole lot of R&D on the chipset or probably the motherboard, this frees up resources to focus on the design of the unit, software, and user interface. It would do my heart good to see all the hype of Origami, a lukewarm public reception once the devices hit the store, and then have Apple come in and as someone else said earlier, "do it right."

I'd rather run OS X, of course, but if that's not possible, I sure don't want to run XP!

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Guest wrote:
Actually, I think I'd like one. When I travel, I have to carry a laptop with Excel and some interface tools. (USB mostly). I hate carring a full laptop and this would do the trick. My Palm is OK, but I can't do the full on Excel stuff, nor really surf at the hotel to find out how to get to the next stop.

Have you ever tried using a spreadsheet on a PDA without a keyboard? It could take you several minutes to input a formula. You can use Excel spreadsheets on a Palm PDA with Documents to Go. The fastest/easiest input would be a thumb-keyboard like the Palm Tungsten C. (The other is to get an add-on keyboard that folds up, though most of those are larger than the PDA.) Most PDAs are designed for referring to data, rather than entering it, other than simple notes.

Surfing on a PDA is almost an exercise in futility. Even the Life Drive and TX can show only 320 x 480 pixels. That's smaller than any Mac ever made. It's two 5G iPod screens stacked one above the other. It's half the screen size of a cheap TV set. Trying to read a web page that's not been specifically designed for a PDA is danged near impossible--you will have to scroll around a lot.

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CeBIT wrote:
“it won't be called Origami -- that was apparently a code name. Microsoft's official name is Ultra-Mobile PC”

Too bad. Origami is a far better name then “Ultra-Mobile PC”… which sounds like something from Gerry Anderson’s U.F.O. series.

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Michael Gartenberg wrote:
“ the fact that it runs Windows means that it can do a variety of tasks”

What? Like crash every ten minutes, and pick-up a new virus or STD every five?

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acdc1174 wrote:
Apple has been exploring input patents for touch sensitive displays and the patents have diagrams showing what looks like a "tablet Mac". … It would do my heart good to see all the hype of Origami, a lukewarm public reception once the devices hit the store, and then have Apple come in and as someone else said earlier, "do it right."

Methinks your heart will be in great shape, then!

Apple is almost certainly going to come out with a tablet Mac this year and do for the tablet PC concept what they did for the MP3 player market, and are now doing for the video player market.

The patent office just revealed Apple’s eighth touch screen patent filed this year.

The Joy of Tech has addressed this topic. It is hilarious! A must see.

This Ultra-Mobile PC is another reason to consider switching BACK to Windows.

Speaking of Newtons, I still have my Newton 2000 and use it from time to time. Unfortunately, the ONLY computer that can communicate with it is my Windows PC! My PowerBook can communicate with my Handspring Visor but not an Apple Newton! That's thinking different.

So what if Apple has already done the tablet PC. Where is it NOW? Good for Microsoft. I hope the Ultra-Mobile PC (really dumb name, though—where's the creativity?) is a HUGE success!

mjkphoto - Surely, you jest! Have fun with the Ultra-Mobile Blue Screen of Death.

"This Ultra-Mobile PC is another reason to consider switching BACK to Windows. "

Why, because laptops are too functional for you and their grossly bastardized tablet PC cousins are still too usable?

You want the ultimate in ackwardness and compromised design? You want maximum impracticality? You want a product that'll be dead in the water before the year's over?

Then I guess the Origami was tailor made for you.

What a waste of R & D funds...Who the hell is really going to use this piece of junk other than the R & D scientist dorks who designed the thing? The problem with current portable technology is that there is no practicality, or logic. You need a degree in computer programming just to be able to use a pocket PC, pda, or palm; constantly freezing up and with the many bugs. Slow and inefficient and lots of headaches. I'll save my money until the my keyboard is a holographic projection and the screen too. Until they finally produce the truly one in all amazing device, I will keep my neo-luddite postion.