Kohjinsha-What's a UMPC

What Is the Ultra-Mobile PC?

The UMPC is first and foremost a computer. It runs a full version of Windows XP and Vista operating systems software. It might come equipped with full versions of popular Microsoft software applications such as Office, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

An Ultra Mobile PC is a new category of mobile devices in between a large Tablet PC and a small PDA.

With the full ability of running any Windows XP based software; it has the distinct advantage over the smaller Windows Mobile PDA devices, which requires software developers to construct software for the smaller screen sizes and simple windows mobile system.

The UMPC is not a sit-on-your-desk computer, nor is it even a sit-on-your-lap computer; rather, it is a hold-in-your-hands computer. It is so small and lightweight that you can hold it in your hands, much like you would hold a book. It also sports a touch screen, making it super-easy to do tasks both simple and complex.

Internet access is easy, of course. Running Internet Explorer or other Web browsers, you can access Wi-Fi hotspots, 3G data cards or even use a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to surf the Net. Email, downloading and uploading of audio and video files, instant messaging — it's all possible with the UMPC, which promises a fast connection wherever you go.

Another helpful piece of functionality is GPS technology. Whether you use the Microsoft version or software from another provider, you can use the UMPC to give you directions from place to place, tracking your progress on the computer in your hand as you go. Such navigation can take place via satellite, 3G devices or Wi-Fi protocols.

Like other portable computing devices, the UMPC can also be your "office on the go." You can sync up the UMPC with your home or work computer and take your documents, spreadsheets, audio and video files, email, calendar, and contacts with you while you're on the move. You can also take your games with you, offering a new way to enjoy video entertainment.

As far as technical specs, the UMPC has a 7-inch (about 18 cm) LCD screen with a minimum resolution of 800x480. Access is via the touch screen, which includes an onscreen keyboard. The aforementioned OS is Windows XP, which will enable you to run all your favourite applications and accessories and the whole thing weighs just two pounds, or just under a kilogram.

UMPCs with Windows XP feature TFT colour screens that you can write, doodle, and draw on using a special stylus included with the UMPC. These tablets are touch sensitive, which means you can use the pen rather or your finger or any other handy object to write on or point at something on the screen. They work much the same way as Wacom digitizer (graphics) pads work, only you get to interact directly with the screen rather than using an intermediary accessory tablet. You can also use the stylus as a mouse, pointing at items on screen, clicking buttons, highlighting text and so on. If you've never gotten along with the trackpads and eraser sticks built into notebooks, you'll probably love the accompanying stylus provided with the UMPC.

Another thing that makes tablets more attractive now is applications that support digital inking. Microsoft Office 2003 & 2007 and OneNote 2003 & 2007 all allow you to write when entering data. So you can write in Excel cells, handwrite and annotate documents in Word, circle and highlight items when giving PowerPoint presentations and more. Office 2003 & 2007 also supports dictation and reading documents out loud to you, which is perfect for tablets which come with built-in mics and speakers for voice command.

OneNote is a wonderful app that uses a familiar tabbed file folder metaphor. It allows you to keep several folders full of handwritten notes for each project you're working on. It's a killer app for the XP OS machines. The Ultra-Mobile PC gives you the power of Windows XP wherever you go.

Swivel that Screen: the Convertible Design

While these UMPCs may look like a standard notebook, the screen swivels and rotates so that you can use the UMPC as if it were a landscape style notepad. The display simply swivels so that it faces outward and then folds down on top of the keyboard side of the UMPC (you will not have access to the keyboard in this position).

The screen orientation automatically changes to portrait view so that you can hold it as you would a pad of paper. These units have keyboards just as a normal notebook does, and most have trackpads. Of course you can use the pen instead of or in conjunction with the keyboard and trackpad. These designs are the most versatile, allowing you to use the unit as a standard UMPC and as a tablet or eBook reader.

Tablet Design: the Digital Notepad

They look like undocked LCD displays, and typically weigh 3 to 4 pounds. You can use these as the digital replacement for an paper notepad, though they obviously carry more weight and functionality than your normal paper pad!.

The allows you to handwrite sticky notes, record short audio notes and hand write in any application using the tablet input panel even if the application isn't handwriting-aware.

If you're a graphic artist, you'll love drawing directly on the screen using Corel Painter (a fantastic natural media paint program) and Photoshop. The pen technology used in tablets was developed by Wacom, the big name in digitizer tablets, and the 2nd generation XP Tablet pens work the same, offering pressure sensitivity and even having an eraser.

Handwriting

Why would you want to use it in the "pad of paper" mode? Because you'll use the stylus as your mouse and to write (or draw) on the screen. These units have handwriting recognition that works reasonably well and you can write in either print or cursive.

You don't need an application that supports handwriting recognition because the Windows XP OS handles this. If you want to write ink notes, you will need a pen-friendly app, such as Windows Journal, which comes with these UMPCs. Windows Journal is a killer app, allowing you to take meeting notes, write outlines, doodle, or even write music. It comes with more than ten templates including lined paper, outline, music paper, graph paper and more.

You can rapidly take digital ink notes in Journal, and later have the UMPC transcribe your writing into text. The display is durable and slightly tacky to the touch. The tacky feel creates resistance so that the pen doesn't slip uncontrollably across the screen.

Want to chat with your notebook?

Voice Recognition

Guess what-- it supports both voice commands and dictation. How well does this work? The voice commands work well, and should be useful for users who have special needs.

Since handwriting recognition, digital ink technology, voice dictation and voice command are built into the operating system, don't expect much variation between competing brands and models.

DVB-T / Internet TV

Video search

· Watch featured and most popular searched video content from Yahoo! on the big screen.
· Find videos using Yahoo!’s industry-leading video search technology.

Movies

· Watch the latest movie trailers.
· Get movie info and Yahoo! recommendations and ratings.
· Find listings for local theaters and show times.
· Play DVD movies or video stored on your hard drive.

Who should use it

Who and what is the UMPC for, then? It's for all users who don't want to carry a 3 kilogram notebook to do web surfing, email, work with MS Office documents and some light (we mean light) gaming. It's great for those who don't love touchpads or eraser stick pointers: with the UMPC you'll use your finger or the included stylus to navigate on screen.

If you need extreme portability but find that PDAs does not meet all of your needs, and want to have your music library with you or a selection of movies to watch on the road, you want to do digital sketches or artwork by drawing on the screen, then the UMPC could be the solution for you.

If you need to power of Windows XP but prefer the 990 grams which is no larger than a softbound paperback book, then consider the UMPC.

Who is the device for?

UMPC is at the center of your Ultra Mobile Lifestyle.

Ultra Mobile Lifestyle refers to the kind of things people could do or accomplish if they could take their full PC functionality and Internet access in their pocket or purse everywhere they go. So no matter where you are – at home, at school, in the office, or on vacation; no matter how you are traveling – by train, bus, MRT, car, plane or just by walking; and no matter what you are doing – working, traveling, exercising, studying, partying, relaxing, shopping, eating…you would always be connected, informed, entertained and productive, anytime, anywhere in the world. UMPC is the kind of technology that gives you the freedom to enjoy a true “Ultra Mobile” life style.

Summary

The Ultra Mobile PC (code named Origami) is the result of Microsoft and Intel's collaboration to create a new kind of computing platform. It's not a notebook, though it can do anything a notebook can do, it's not a PDA since it's considerably larger and doesn't run a special mobile device operating system such as Windows Mobile or Palm OS, and it's not just a portable media player though it can do nearly everything that a basic PMP can.

So what is it? It's a Windows XP Tablet with a 7" display in a slate form factor. The screen size is recommended by Microsoft as is the 800 x 480 resolution. Basically the UMPC is a well-connected Windows XP machine with a touch screen that can easily fit in a large purse and any brief case. If you're familiar with Windows XP Tablet Edition computers, think of this as the much smaller and more affordable version.