Features
Project Origami defines a specification for computers with a 20 cm (8-inch) or smaller touch sensitive screen at a minimum resolution of 800 × 480. To make it more suited for the small form factor, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was originally used with slight tweaks to the interface and a software add-on known as the Touch Pack Interface to make the interface more suitable for use of a stylus as well as hands. When the UMPC was disclosed at CeBIT 2006, Samsung, ASUS, and Founder had near-complete devices on display. Recently, the UMPC initiative has included later Windows versions.
UMPCs with Windows XP installed are able to run any software that has been written for the Windows XP platform, though the small form factor often mandates some changes to the interface. The standard Windows XP interface is the default, though a choice of having an interface more suited for the small form factor is available with the Touch Pack Interface. As the units are so small, many UMPCs do not feature a physical keyboard, but an on-screen virtual keyboard provided in the Touch Pack Interface (such as the DialKeys, below). Also, since the device has standard USB 2.0 connectivity, external keyboards and mice can be attached.
UMPC devices include either Intel or VIA processors, 256 MB to 2 GB of RAM, and a 30 to 160 GB hard disk, depending on the manufacturer. Other ultra mobile devices feature AMD or Transmeta Crusoe CPUs. Ultra-mobile PCs can also feature Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, webcams, fingerprint readers, stereo speakers, TV tuners, and memory card readers. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and WWAN connections are sometimes included as well.
UMPCs have enough processing power to support audio, video, and gaming, in addition to having rich support for browsing the internet as well as for other communication and networking applications. Windows Media Player is included, with a special skin designed to provide a better experience on the small screen. The devices also feature DirectX 9–class graphics, and all applications available for standard Tablet PCs are expected to be compatible.
Prices of UMPCs are gradually coming down to the US$500 range. Battery life is expected to increase from the initial 2½ hours to 8 hours. Most UMPCs are now available with Windows 7 although many new UMPCs come with the option to have XP or Linux installed, as some devices are too sluggish to run the Vista kernel on which 7 is based. One example of this is the Samsung Q1 Ultra which originally launched with only Vista versions, but has subsequently launched Windows XP versions. This is largely because current UMPC hardware may be too close to the minimum Vista requirements to be comfortably used.
Read more about this topic: Ultra-mobile PC
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