Comments on: Intel tells Engadget what a UMPC/MID is http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/ An enthusiast site for the Sony Vaio Micro PC. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:53:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Rich http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-47027 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:07:34 +0000 http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-47027 UMPC have been a flop as they only sold 350,000 in 2007. Thus I see a reason to not brand your equipment to a looser for Intel. What the market needs is not what MS invision, a 7" pen input device that is too large to fit in a jacket pocket, and has no touch type keyboard. What is needed is a basic computer that can run full windows but it does not need to be the fastest cpu etc. just a basic laptop specification. Then the device needs to be built around true mobility thus built more like a clamshell device about 3.5 to 4" in depth and 7-7.25 inches in length and as thin as possible. That would enable a good touch type keyboard like the old Psion 5mx had and enable a 1/2 VGA screen so programs would display like normal. If Intel can get some hardware companies to build a form factor like that; it would be a hit. On a marketing point of view it would be definately better to label it a MID even though it would run a "heavy OS like Vista". UMPC have been a flop as they only sold 350,000 in 2007. Thus I see a reason to not brand your equipment to a looser for Intel.

What the market needs is not what MS invision, a 7″ pen input device that is too large to fit in a jacket pocket, and has no touch type keyboard.

What is needed is a basic computer that can run full windows but it does not need to be the fastest cpu etc. just a basic laptop specification. Then the device needs to be built around true mobility thus built more like a clamshell device about 3.5 to 4″ in depth and 7-7.25 inches in length and as thin as possible. That would enable a good touch type keyboard like the old Psion 5mx had and enable a 1/2 VGA screen so programs would display like normal.

If Intel can get some hardware companies to build a form factor like that; it would be a hit. On a marketing point of view it would be definately better to label it a MID even though it would run a “heavy OS like Vista”.

]]> by: MeanSquare http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-44974 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:12:59 +0000 http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-44974 I'm not the first person to coin the phrase "words mean things", but I say it quite a bit. I'm glad to see someone with the chops that Intel has trying to clarify the confusion surrounding handtops in their various forms. The taxonomy helps the consumer (if they actually learn what it means) to know what they're getting and to avoid nasty surprises. There are still some vaguerities though. A Windows Mobile device is fully capable of running Linux (Indeed a recent demo even showed a Linuxed hx4700 running full-fledged FireFox.) as well as it's own "lightweight OS." I has (and can get more with a simple addition of software) media playing capabilities. Is a WM device a MID? I still call it a PDA to be sure because if functionality is PIM-centric, not media-centric. "What marketing obfuscates, tech-support eventually has to make clear again." :) I’m not the first person to coin the phrase “words mean things”, but I say it quite a bit. I’m glad to see someone with the chops that Intel has trying to clarify the confusion surrounding handtops in their various forms. The taxonomy helps the consumer (if they actually learn what it means) to know what they’re getting and to avoid nasty surprises.

There are still some vaguerities though. A Windows Mobile device is fully capable of running Linux (Indeed a recent demo even showed a Linuxed hx4700 running full-fledged FireFox.) as well as it’s own “lightweight OS.” I has (and can get more with a simple addition of software) media playing capabilities. Is a WM device a MID? I still call it a PDA to be sure because if functionality is PIM-centric, not media-centric.

“What marketing obfuscates, tech-support eventually has to make clear again.” :)

]]> by: Simon http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-44945 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:56:23 +0000 http://www.micropctalk.com/2008/01/10/intel-tells-engadget-what-a-umpcmid-is/#comment-44945 Oh, ok, so a UMPC is a Sony UX and a MID is an iPhone Oh, ok, so a UMPC is a Sony UX and a MID is an iPhone

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