UMPC or Crippled Notebook?
Microsoft defines a UMPC as a portable device, sporting a 7″ 800×600 resolution touch screen, that weighs approximately two pounds. In this article, I’d like to discuss why I think the UMPC classification needs more refined standards.
There needs to be a clear line between Notebook, Sub-Notebook and UMPC. Most of the ‘UMPCs’ that people talk about today should really be considered Sub-Notebooks. Why? There is a very important reason: Until you go small enough that you carry or use the device in a different manner, you are still stuck with the same limitations as its full sized counterpart, but you give up many important advantages (power, battery life etc.). What I mean to say is that if a ‘UMPC’ isn’t small enough that you use it in a different way, then you may as well not buy the UMPC, buy the much more powerful full featured product. Recently I’ve seen people cite the OQO 02 and UX’s small screens as a bad characteristic, and that really intrigues me.
Lets take for example the Sony VAIO TZ vs. what I would call a Sub-Notebook (though is considered a UMPC), the Kohjinsha SH6. Is the size difference of the SH6 vs. the TZ really enough that you handle the device in a different way? Both of these device will surely be easy to pick up and take with you as the TZ weighs in at just 2.7lbs (0.5lb more than the SH6). Both will easily fit in a backpack, or carrying bag, so where is the primary difference in the usability of these two machines? Are people buying devices like the SH6 so they can carry it in a smaller bag? I would really call the SH6 just a bad laptop. Its not small enough that you will use it much differently than a TZ, and it sacrifices so much to get it down to that size. The sad part is that smaller devices that are small enough to change the way that you use them already exist and are just as powerful as the SH6. Yet companies continue to manufacture sub-notebooks and brand them as UMPCs. I don’t think there is a single factor that the SH6 has over the TZ that would make it worth the purchase. Even taking into account its size, I think both devices are in the size range of a sub-notebook, you use them the same way, but make very big sacrifices to buy a device that is small, but what I would consider not small enough to make a difference. Now I’m not just bashing the SH6, what I want to say is that the SH6, and similarly sized devices just aren’t small enough to be UMPCs. Even devices like the Samsung Q1 are just small Slate PCs, sure its nice to have a small Slate PC, but you won’t be putting it in your pocket and taking it with you any time soon, just like you couldn’t put a full sized Slate PC in your pocket. The Q1 is small, but not small enough to be a UMPC in my opinion.
As I mentioned, I’ve seen people list the small screen size of devices like the UX, or OQO 02 as a bad characteristic. Whats funny to me is that the entire purpose of the OQO 02 and UX is true portability while at the same time being full fledged PCs. They are on right on the edge of what can be called a real UMPC, something that is small enough to change the way you use it. In the case of the OQO 02 and UX, both can easily fit in a pocket (without their cases, and no not super tight jean pockets). I regularly tote my UX around using it on the go with both hands, something you can’t do very effectively with a sub-notebook, and when I don’t need it, into my pocket it goes with no complaints. Its small enough that it doesn’t make an unsightly bulge that one would be embarrassed to walk around with. These devices go to show that we already have the technology to make our computers small enough to really be ‘Ultra Mobile’, and I think companies need to stop making sub-notebooks that they call UMPCs, and need to get to work on making full fledged computers small enough that we can carry them on our person without any extra bags. The OQO 02 and UX are just as powerful as (if not more so) some of the much larger “UMPCs” with 7″ screens, but their small size offers the portability and flexibility to make them more useful in certain applications than even a more powerful notebook.
I hope in the future we begin to see more UX and OQO 02 like UMPC products, because at the moment, those who don’t know much about the world of UMPCs just see poorly speced small laptops, and with that image, the UMPC industry will never really take off.
18 Responses to “UMPC or Crippled Notebook?”
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I used the Sony UX during a trip to China. The small screen-size, terrible keypad, and long boot-up times were major obstacles to usability. I bought a sentence translator computer for $200 USD which proved to be a much more practical solution than the UX.
It is a good little computer, but for my needs it provided to be dead weight.
The keyboard is a weak point of the UMPC, but with practice it becomes much more practical. Also thats easily fixed with a BT keyboard, as for the boot times, you must not have done any optimization on the UX, as mine comes out of hibernate in 19 seconds, or out of standby in 7 seconds, it would be even faster if I was using the UX390, or any other SSD equipped UX. The small screen isn’t a problem as long as you don’t have bad eye sight, it’s size isn’t whats important, its the resolution, with the UXs 1024×600 resolution Xbrite display, the screen is great (better then most other UMPCs at 800×400), if your eyesight is decent, you can pick up all that detail with ease. Again there are also many features in place to fix problems like that if your eyes are bad, like increasing DPI, font size, and using the zoom features built into the UX. I just don’t see how people can complain about a small screen when the UXs is such high resolution/quality, especially when people have no problem with small and lower resolution cell phone screens. Just increase the font size if you are having problems.
The main difference between Vaio TZ and Kohjinsha SH6 the screen. Kohjinsha has touchscreen and it can be transformed into tablet, Vaio doesn’t have that capability. That’s a big difference.
But I agree with you about need to “reassess” the definition of UMPC. There is too much “noise” right now.
Its a good point you make benz but there are a few differences I could higlight with the SH6
Touchscreen and price. How much is a TZ?! Double the price of a Kohjinsha!
You can use the SH6 in tablet mode quite well and it really is a tiny tiny PC. Much smaller than the TZ. Take a look at this comparison.
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/3972-Toshiba-R400-vs-Toshiba-R500-vs-Sony-TZ-vs-Kohjinsha-SH6
In theory the SH6 should have better battery life too but it appears not to be the case due to some bad engineering.
I wanted to make a point about the ‘noise’ that Matta mentions too. The noise is simply manufacturers finding their way and bumping into things. Its doesn’t matter at all what Microsoft defined as the Origami UMPC, the marketeers will re-define it to what works best and its likely to be a wide-range of devices in different form factors. There’s no way we’re going to see a single definable form factor drop out as the definitive device in this sector becuase its all about personalisation. At last we’re getting exciting ranges of form factors that can be used for specific sets of jobs.
Ignore the Microsoft definition of UMPC because it will change (their UMPC 2007 definition already changed the original) and we need to just think about Ultra Mobile *Personal* computers in general.
Good discussion point though and I think it will go on forever!!
Steve / Chippy
I took a look at the prices (from Dynamism), and you can actually get an SH6 thats within 200$ of a TZ, granted I compared a very high end laptop to the SH6, but it was mostly for contrast purposes. In retrospect, I should have picked out a nice Tablet PC to compare it to so that there wouldn’t really be any differences in use, but the difference in power would still be present.
90% of the time these figured are incorrectly, but Sony says the TZ should get 4 to 7.5 hours of battery life on the standard battery, or 6 to 11.5 hours with the large capacity battery. How much is the Kohjinsha supposed to get vs. what it actually gets?
I’d compare the systems inside their target markets. Dynamism’s the great equalizer, in that EVERYTHING is absurdly expensive through them.
Now, going back in time, my first ultraportable was a Toshiba Libretto 110CT. The SH6 isn’t too far off from that. Both can run the appropriate OS of their respective era. Both can run all the Windows apps of their era, and have appropriate expansion options (The SH6 comes with all sorts of radios and USB ports, the Libby had a small port replicator and two CardBus slots.)
Neither was known for screaming fast performance or a phenomenally high RAM ceiling, and there were certainly better performers for much more.
What they both have going for them, however, is size. The Libretto lent itself to a phenomenon known as one-handed touch typing. Remarkably enough, I could get by on the Libretto keyboard with minimal difficulty, since it had normal-style keys, just shrunken down to the point that two hands wouldn’t work comfortably. The SA1 (and possibly, the SH6) have similar sized keyboards, but they don’t seem to be as usable.
So, why did I love my Libretto so much, if it was this giant, unpocketable system?
Ubiquity. Without adding additional volume, I got 4 hours of battery life out of a device roughly the size of any modern UMPC, with the same resolution and screen size. It would work whenever I’d need it, and took up so little space that I’d always take it with me. With a CDPD card, WiFi card, and an Ethernet card, I could pick and choose my connectivity options at will. I could hold this device in one hand, and type with the other. By comparison to the Sony UX, I could set up shop at a desk by flipping the lid and hitting the power button. If I wanted to work standing up, I’d just tilt the screen back and carry it.
The UX, on the other hand, is a better handheld PC, but a worse mobile office PC. I can work in standing room only, sure, but when I sit down, I need to pop open the stand, pull out a BT keyboard and mouse, and set up a massively oversized sea of accessories.
One lets you work while standing. One lets you work *quickly* at any desk. On the other hand, no true laptop, which includes anything with a 10″ screen, lets you work on the go as well. You NEED a lap, at the very least.
In the end, there’s a bunch of different markets at play here.
1) Subnotebooks. When you can wait to work from a Starbucks, this is the way to go. Sure you need a table, but it’s the most power you’ll get without looking at a desktop-replacement laptop.
2) Origami-style UMPCs. When you don’t have enough room for an ultraportable, and need something that may have to cut corners, but still does the job.
3) MIDs. When you need baseline functionality at ALL costs. These have to be pocketable above all else, and as such, may run Linux, Symbian, or Windows Mobile just to keep the size down.
4) Micro PCs. When the call of the day is MORE MORE MORE, in the smallest packaging possible. It doesn’t matter what compromises you have to make in the UI, so long as you have gobs of RAM, a blistering fast CPU, and a decent chunk of disk space. Performance and portability come first, with peripherals a close third, and price as a distant fourth.
I can see a valid point for most of these. Many days, an ultraportable would be the most comfortable system to work on. When I’ve got a lot of work to do at multiple offices, but no room for gear, I’d step down to a convertible Origami device. When I’m on my feet most of the time, it’s time for the micro PC. Finally, when I need to get by for a couple of hours on receiving information, but not sending very much (or running any oddball corporate apps,) I can live on a MID.
The problem is, as always, one of data. I can justify all of these AND a home workstation, but it would be exceedingly difficult to keep all of my information accessible to all of these without keeping them running all the time with a synchronization process.
As a result, I picked the most obvious middle ground, and went for the micro PC. It’s not much bigger than a MID, and with the right peripherals, can just about match an Origami device or a subnote for ergonomics. I can carry as little or as much as I think I need, and generally get through the day accordingly.
Good in depth comment Raptor, though I think the TZ could be taken and carried with you in one hand with no problem, I don’t know about holding it in one hand and typing with the other, but is that type of use common enough that you’d rather have a somewhat smaller ‘UMPC’ as opposed to a much more powerful but somewhat larger full fledged laptop? Ask that question without thinking about price as a factor. And I didn’t really want to directly compare a TZ to the SH6 style UMPC, I just used it as an example of a very powerful laptop that is really pretty small.
Is it common enough for *me*? Oh my, yes. Forgetting price in either direction, I used the Libretto in that manner all the time. An open Libretto, you see, is pretty much like a Tablet PC slate in portrait mode, in terms of use patterns. You cradle it like a clipboard, and type with your free hand. It’s AWESOME like that.
Of course, I spend a lot of time in datacenters and server rooms, so a handheld computer with a decent keyboard makes SSH, RDP, and serial console access a cinch. It’s much harder to save the day with anything larger than a UMPC.
You have to remember, I made that sacrifice when UMPCs weren’t even in Microsoft’s mind, and some Toshiba-authorized Repair Depots turned me away because they “didn’t cover Windows CE devices.” I do fully accept, mind you, that I do not represent any sort of “typical use case,” but really, what’s typical in this niche market?
I like the definition of UMPC as “a computer that is small enough to change the way you use it.” This is certainly important in vocational use, but it also extends to personal use.
For the past three days, I’ve been on vacation with the family. My wife brought her laptop and PDA with her to get some work done and to take advantage of the PDA’s built-in GPS hardware and software. I brought along my UX and my “mobile desk” case. Both of us used our computers in the hotel room, connected to the Internet via WiFi. The UX mobile desktop was identical in size to my wife’s laptop case. The screens and keyboards were about the same size and their performance was nearly identical. Naturally, my wife’s laptop stayed in the hotel room, as did my portable desk, but my UX and my wife’s PDA traveled along with us to the day’s points of interest. From a dead start, the PDA took at least three minutes (and often as much as seven) to link up with the GPS satellites. My UX (with a Bluetooth GPS unit) consistently took less than one. That’s hardware related. When it comes to software, Streets & Trips and iGuidance were consistently able to pull out points of interest, restaurants, gas stations, etc. faster than the PDA’s TomTom software. (The PC software had more depth, speed, and ease of use.) To further differentiate, while waiting at the zoo for my wife and daughter, I also located several geocaches in the immediate area and searched a few of them out. That involved a cellular connection to the Internet and the use of a fully functional browser.
This is a rather long-winded way of showing that my UX qualifies “small enough to change the way I use it.” There’s just no way I would have taken a laptop along for the day trips (due to size and weight), but the things I was able to do would have taken much, much more time if they were even possible on a PDA.
I got into handtops for this very reason. I wanted the power, flexibility, and depth of desktop/laptop software and hardware, but I wanted to have it with me almost all of the time.
Very interesting article, read and responded to on my UX90P.
I am also a very portable user, and agree that the keyboard on the UX is a little tough, especially for someone with small hands and who can give enough room for the vent on the left side. With the folding keyboard/mouse etc, it’s kind of tricky.
What I found while using it exclusively on a week business trip was that with it tethered to the keyboard and mouse setup in the hotel room, I had to lean over quite a bit to read the screen, and that’s with very good vision. After a week of that, my back and neck were very sore. However, this could be due to expectation of the work environment; I’m used to sitting at the computer for hours working on specific things, and on travel, perhaps that isn’t the model I should be expecting. The UX works very well for everything but hours and hours before it. Typing a lot of text, though, seems alright, as I can type long documents without very many errors.
The real kicker for the unit is at airports. Now that airlines have become rabid about how many carryon bags one can tote on board, choosing between my emergency set of clothing, my purse and a laptop bag was a worrying thing. However, now the UX just slips into my purse, eliminating the one-carryon-sized laptop bag. Voila, it’s a real hassle saver in that way.
I was tempted to get the SH6, but am staying with my UX. It was encouraging to hear another commenter say that the keyboard built into the unit improves with practice, so I’ll be patient with that and probably be a very happy camper. Thanks for the enlightening articl and comments!
Meansquare, what exactly is your mobile desktop consist of? I am very curious.
That is the problem with their non jacket pocket size they are crippled notebooks that will not sell.
OQO proved that the technology can be small enough to be pocket size. What is needed is the first ever jacket pocket touch type keyboard UMPC. This is the first time technology has the ability to enable full windows in that small form factor. There millions of laptop users that would sacrafice if they could a pocket touch type keyboard over their bulky notebook.
Remember the Psion 5mx? They proved that a touch type keyboard can be easy to input if designed correctly. Pocket size does not mean pocket pc size but rather as large as you can given the limitations of typical jacket pockets so the keyboard can be easy to use and the screen maximized yet truely mobile. Most jackets can handle something up to 4.25″ wide and about 7.5″ long.
In 1998/1999 devices similar to the Psion totalled more than 2.3 million each year in sales with good growth before MS dropped the OS and changed it to Pocket PC. You combine that form factor yet now enable it to run full windows and you have a viable mainstream device. The ability to load any desktop application opens up huge markets for business users wanting a simple laptop in their pocket.
That’s why I like fujitsu’s u1010. its probably a cross between the sh6 and UX. Its only slightly larger than the UX (fits in my pocket, abeit slightly buldgy. Since its a comvertable, I dont think the case is neccessary since the screen is pretty protected) but uses a keyboard instead of a thumboard. Its slightly slower to type on than a desktop keyboard but its much better than a thumboard (tried the UX at the sony building in japan whilsts on holiday). Its pretty usefull. It works well as a slate pc whilst standing, or as mentioned above, holding it in one hand and typing on the other. Its also great on the table where it can be used as a laptop.
Still, I wish it had the UX’s core solo instead of this old 800Mhz intel A1010
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