DualCor cPC merges XP PC with smartphone

Can you merge a fully loaded Windows XP PC with a Windows Mobile-powered smartphone without coming up with something so bulky, cumbersome and power-hungry that it doesn't work well as either? The folks at startup DualCor Technologies seem to think so, and they aim to prove it with their cPC, a $1,500 hybrid handheld that the company will show off next month at CES. According to reports, the cPC will be just 6.5 x 3.3 x 1.2 inches, and will sport a 5-inch LCD display. The PC side will run XP Tablet Edition, on a 1.5GHz Via C7-M processor, while the smartphone will run Windows Mobile 5.0. A 40GB hard drive will serve both the PC and the smartphone, and the two sides will apparently be able to share at least some data. "When you pull up an application you can decide whether to run it in x86 mode or on the smart phone," DualCor CEO Steven Hanley told CNet. The device will run for about three hours in XP mode and 8-12 hours as a smartphone, and is targeted at execs and salespeople who want to travel light.

[Deluxe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Is it me or do they just look like DSL routers with screens? Note to DualCor: Don't let software engineers design the products physical side.

[John Williams @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

NICE COMPS!

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Hopefully it will include HSDPA. That would be nice.

[christopher @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Filing this under "Retarded Idea"

-C

[JattDhillon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Like it

[Windows Update Advisor @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Three hours in XP mode? Hmm.. a little too short for me.. What is the point?

[Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Impressive...but no QWERTY?

[hydrogen_wv @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

A lot of laptops only get 3 hours... You have to realize though that these are still running PC processors. They aren't running the same chip as your DAP, so you can't expect it to get 10 hours of play-time on a charge. It seems like people have this idea that the smaller somethging is, the better it's battery life... which isn't the case.

If the price was a little lower, and I could afford it, i'd be all over this. My only concerns are no QWERTY, and windows XP on a screen that small? Seems a little impractical. But, i'd have to see it to make a decision.

[NICE CHAN! @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

VIA CPU? OTL....
XP Processing--->Hot..Hot...
But, Good Idea

[Roopesh Sheth @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

#6 (Hydrogen_wv): I don't think you'd need QWERTY since it's running XP Tablet Edition. You'd use a stylus instead of a keyboard.

[jpmullet @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Im going with #1 on this... It looks like someone copy'd a screen shot of gmail and pasted it on a wireless router. I've never seen a rounded screen like that??

[Greg3d @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Too bulky a design. The OQO's form factor (4.9"x3.4"x0.9") is about right...a nice pocketable XP system with a Querty. It however also suffers from the 3 hour battery time however.

[John Stracke @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Zoom in: it's not a rounded screen; it's a rounded decoration *around* the screen.

[Prometheus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

The screen isn't rounded it's just a faceplate thingy around the screen.

[hydrogen_wv @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

A lot of laptops only get 3 hours... You have to realize though that these are still running PC processors. They aren't running the same chip as your DAP, so you can't expect it to get 10 hours of play-time on a charge. It seems like people have this idea that the smaller somethging is, the better it's battery life... which isn't the case.

If the price was a little lower, and I could afford it, i'd be all over this. My only concerns are no QWERTY, and windows XP on a screen that small? Seems a little impractical. But, i'd have to see it to make a decision.

[Mozman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This looks like it might be worth it, as long as the price point remains the same. I think that OQO's failing was that the specs dropped but the price climbed from when it was first announced.

[Roger Sperberg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

$1500 is a good price point?

Call me again when it hits half that (and the Nokia 770 already comes in at $360, albeit sans phone).

[Noah @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Now, its called DualCor, but does it have a dual-core processor? Other than that, very nice. However, I'd rather wait until they have the flexible screens developed. Then you could have a compact unit, with a large roll-out screen.

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Sure it's big and fugly, but at least it's expensive with no obvious market potential.

[Zorg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Luckily, we can tell whether it's any good before it exists. Back in 2004, we had to wait for the OQO to actually ship to find out that it ran hot, took too long to load apps, suffered from poor wifi reception, and had a finicky active touchscreen that didn't work near the edges. By 2007, I will no longer require even photoshopped concepts to predict whether the Amazotron 8000 will meet my needs. Developers will just emit powerful thought rays to validate their ideas.

[ultrapc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This is a pretty cool PC and not as expensive as an OQO. Besides it has a phone.

http://www.MiniPCs.com

[richard roundtree @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

well its about time and as far as nay sayers. if you think big business doesnt read blogs then your wrong. besides theres going to be a few foulups untill theres a great handtop phone on the market and its inevitable so get used to it and be happy that thers companys out there who are willing to go extreme.

[Wayne Giroux @ Jan 8th 2006 3:06PM]

It's all about applications, and this fills a need: Full XP capability, tablet PC capability, Mobile PC capability, smart phone. It has a foldable keyboard & docking station. Replace the broadband phone with PC Mobile (oops .. not there yet) and lap top PC. Works for me and should for many businesses.