Microsoft tries again with ultramobile PCs
Published: 22 Dec 2006 09:00 GMT
…a more rugged version of its Windows XP-based minitablet. While many of the initial Origami designs were aimed at consumers, TabletKiosk focuses on business uses.
"For our vertical markets, it's what they are looking for... because of the wear and tear these machines get," said TabletKiosk marketing director Gail Levy. The new model will still weigh in at less than two pounds and is smaller, but slightly thicker, than the company's existing mini-tablets. The new model, which will be shown off at CES, uses a Via processor and also boasts the addition of a PC card slot, which customers have been wanting as a way to add a cellular connection.
As for Vista, "a lot of our business is in the enterprise market", Levy said. "They are not asking for it just yet."
One question is whether the Origami really needs to morph into something different to be successful.
Intel is considering whether it should be looking beyond the PC when it comes to these devices. According to a source, the chipmaker is toying with the notion of an ultramobile device, rather than the ultramobile PC, a move that would put more focus on devices that can pull off specific tasks rather than be fully fledged computers.
Krammer said Microsoft does expect that devices will come to market that run something other than Windows.
"It's all about choice," Krammer said, adding that she thinks there's a wide appeal to having a small device that can run the full Windows operating system. "It will be nice to have that option where you can have all the applications that run on full Windows run on your ultramobile PC."
Intel would not comment on its plans to move beyond the PC, but a representative did say that the company still believes it will take time for such devices to take off.
"It's one of these things that is going to be evolutionary," said an Intel representative. "It's baby steps."
Intel likened the evolution to that which took place in mobile phones, which started out bulky and expensive, but evolved to be slim, cheap and highly personal.
Via's Brown said the relation to the phone market may be more than just a case of similar evolution. He projected that within a year there will be smart phones that use the same x86 chip architecture used in ultramobile and standard PCs. Using those chips would offer more power and open up phones to the wide range of software development that takes place with Windows. At the same time, that would demand even greater improvements in power consumption in order to get the battery life phone users are accustomed to.
Though big on the idea of the little devices, Intel has been cautious in its forecasts, its representative said. "I don't know that everyone in the industry has been as realistic with their promises."
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