Origami runs on Intel and Samsung hardware?

According to the IDG News Service, Microsoft has not designed any new hardware for the Origami project. Instead, as stated by Microsoft's CeBIT trade show spokesperson, MS will discuss Origami for oh, about "30 seconds" come March 9th, with the thunder to be unleashed instead by Intel and Samsung. Remember, Intel is set to unveil their UMPC platform on the 7th at the start of the Intel Developer Forum, presumably setting the stage for actual product announcement on the 9th. So for all the teasers, Origami is unfolding into an XP Tablet PC edition UMPC handtop computer manufactured by Samsung -- looking something like that pic to the right. But 'round and 'round the hype machine goes and where she stops only Intel Samsung Microsoft knows.

[Jason @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:28AM]

Battery life should be 20 seconds of that 30 second talk.

[Heishiro @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:29AM]

Ugh... just what we need more overpriced silly hardware. I would love and easy to use tablet PC (Preferably Mac... cmon Steve!!!) but pervious windows tablet iterations just havent been up to snuff...
In addition what is this product supposed to replace?
IMO a laptop is alot easier to use when you need to do standard office work (Word, Powerpoint etc...) on the go, until these devices can recognize anyones handwriting PERFECTLY, what I mean is you can use it as if you were writing on a pad and paper and MS Word would perfectly transcribe it into a document, these devices will be relegated to the enthusiast crowd.

[jwer @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:49AM]

I would actually be really excited for a wireless touchscreen thin-client that could connect to my existing network, but the only company that seems to think that's important is Panasonic, and theirs is tethered to a single computer just like MS' just-discontinued one. This could be that, but it ain't.

[Juice @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:51AM]

Yeah is this even touch sensetive? Cuz I can't afford no stylist.

[Topmounter @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:53AM]

It is just another "Tablet PC", of course it will dissapoint.

[David Croteau @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:10AM]

"3. I'm actually excited about this, I just hope it doesnt dissapoint.

Posted at 8:34AM on Mar 3rd 2006 by 25 cents movies for the ipod"

It will, just so long as Microsoft puts it out, just lookat the ridiculousness with Windows Vista.

[Coffee Johnny @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:15AM]

Hm say hello to the new ipod video from Microsoft .... seems like Bill is breaking apples newest patent

[XiozTzu @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:19AM]

It seems as though MS wanted to announce this at about the same time as the Apple press event. I wonder� Are we watching a game of corporate poker? Where MS expected to trump an announcement by Apple but Apple called their bluff?

Did MS expect a similar device from Apple?

[Jcee @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:22AM]

So, wifi, email, web, gps, audio and video and.....iTunes. If it comes in at $500-$800 and is marketed in big box stores, this will be a huge, huge hit.
Just stick a invisible shield on it for scratch resistance, just like smart people do with the iPod.

[KFD @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:37AM]

Too small to be useable (regardless if what it can do). Too big to fit in a pocket. Too expensive for mass-adoption. Anyone remember "Audrey"? Exactly...

[MrWolf710 @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:47AM]

I think the most important thing would be if it can play World of Warcraft. All else would be unimportant. Even a really bad 3d chip could pull it off I think. The lack of a keyboard would be kinda tough though.

[Steve @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:52AM]

#9 - good analysis. I thought this past weekend MS was planning something for the 2nd. Then, I read somewhere they were doing something the evening of the 28th (same day as Apple). Now, it's the 9th? Something's fishy.

BTW, I don't know why everyone is excited about this. Tablets have been out there for a few years now.

[TZK @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:08AM]

This gets more and more dissapointing everyday.

[Ladderless @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:08AM]

OK... I'm a bit excited. My laptop broke a few years back, and I never replaced it - My PPC worked well enough for me. As WIFI becomes standard at all hotels, I'm beginning to wish I had an actual computer again. If this comes in at target price ($500), I would definitely buy one instead of upgrading my PPC to a VGA model. I already have a BT keyboard for my PPC, so I imagine I could use it with this device.

I use my PPC to show sales demo videos... This would be a nicer, bigger screen.

There is definitely a market for this product.

[Mattso @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:21AM]

The thing is... ipods are so wildly popular, and everyone is constantly looking out for new portable devices nowadays. Portable is really the big thing now, and companies are really trying to include all the right features in their devices to put a dent in the ipod market. Whether it's a smartphone, mp3 player, portable media center, or whatever... they want to stuff everything they can into a little, attractive package. Convergence is the way to go, right? Well, a super-small PC would really be a great way to get the converging done, but it needs to be done the right way, and here's a list of things that are important if something like this were to succeed:

1. It needs to be SMALL enough... people need to be able to carry it with them easily

2. It needs to have good battery life

3. It needs run with some quickness and stability... devices that are meant for one thing usually don't suffer from much lag and usually don't crash because their UI's are pretty simple and basic

4. It needs to be attractive... people need to want to be seen with it (sort of unfortunate, but true)

5. It needs to be easy to use... I have a tablet PC and it's not bad, but it's just not the same without a keyboard... I could imagine using this thing for simple tasks though... and it seems to me that it would be a mistake not to release some sort of special software, specifically to make managing media easier on these

6. It needs to be reasonably priced... people aren't going to be using these things for all of their computing tasks, so it needs to be marketed as more of an "electronic device" than as a "computer" and it needs to be priced as such

*7. It won't, but it should be a cellphone too... if they had bluetooth in there I would carry it with me everywhere (even if I needed a special pouch or case)along with a bluetooth earpiece/headset. *I know this wouldn't be easy, and probably isn't practical, but if it was done right... this would be THE ONLY device a large amount of people would carry around with them. Also, I know one benefit to it being a PC is that you could use it to make calls over the internet, but that's not practical to replace a cellphone for everyday use

I would absolutely consider owning one of these things, because there is not one single portable device out right now that does everything I want it to do, the way I want it to be done. I do want to own some sort of portable device though, and this would be the solution... IF it was done right. If it was done right, you could download and play music and videos on it, use office applications on it, make phone calls on it, play (limited) games on it, and a lot more... and you could take it with you everywhere. I am sure it won't be done right, but I think it could be the impetus to this thing I dream of.

[Lardass @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:23AM]

What I find most interesting about this is that it's a small PDA-like device and runs XP. It's not much bigger than my Toshiba Pocket PC with its 4" screen. If that guy's hand is the about the same size as mine, that screen cannot be bigger than 6-7"'s

Why not Windows CE? (I know why, because it's not very good)

[Slartibartfast @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:24AM]

I don't give a rats ass about "platforms, ideas, developer circle-jerking" and so on and so forth. What I do care about is a solid working product with a set street date with a set retail price. Until then, MS needs to invest in a large butt-plug to seal up the hot air.

[Mike Street @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:30AM]

THat looks like the perfect device for me. We access and wifi access on the go all in a nice compact device. I'm interested to hear more about it.

[Ladderless @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:32AM]

One other thing just hit me... With the grand shift from Palms to smart phones, there is a performance gap opening up. The phones are great, but they aren't as powerful as a Palm or PPC. Those who have a Palm and are switching to a smart phone are losing functionality, but probably won't want to fill the gap with a large, $1K+ notebook.

I think this will fill that new gap very well. It will pair up VERY well with smart phone.

Are they looking for testers? --I'll accept a sample!

[Gabriel ^^ @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:43AM]

I need a simple device to read PDF files for studying and e magazines, do some browsing and some chatting. If MS can give me that for less than 500 USD, along with a decent battery life, i get it in a blink,

[Bobby Chapman @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:52AM]

If you watch the promo video for the origami, you'll notice that the screen is approximatly the same size as the screen shown in the "newer version" shown above. You'll also notice that the screen border and the buttons set around it are two different colors. The colors I've seen are beige, an ugly green, grey, and black. It's interesting that nobody has suggested that the keys to the sides may be a gaming accessory that you set the screen into... hmm.

[hobgoblin @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:03AM]

i think ill make do with a nokia 770 and a bluetooth keyboard :P

[Colin @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:23AM]

Didn't the video show the device using media center 2005? Correct me if i'm wrong, but I didn't think you could have mce 2005 installed on XP tablet edition? I'm guessing there is a variation O/S on this device...

[doyouflip @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:38AM]

lame

[James @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:08PM]

#2
you complain about overpriced hardware yet you want apple to come out with a tablet? come on, i'm sure it won't be cheap since apple overcharges for everything they make except the ipod.

[jeff @ Mar 3rd 2006 12:19PM]

BORING!

really, does anyone care? stop wasting my RSS space. :

[no3rdw @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:51PM]

I'm still just as excited about Origami as I was before we knew exactly what it was.

A ultra-portable slate tablet with wireless (bluetooth) keyboard would be great if the price is reasonable. If the specs are decent and it costs something like... $799 or less, I'm all over it.

[daydatemonth @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:53PM]

Why does it say on the origami website that more news will be coming on the 3rd September 2006? What's all the fuss about? It's stillover 6 months away.

[Ben @ Mar 3rd 2006 1:59PM]

for some reason , this story is getting less and less exciting by the day.

[chris @ Mar 3rd 2006 2:21PM]

If this thing has two screens will we be able to play electronic battleship on it!

[mike @ Mar 3rd 2006 4:27PM]

for some reason , this story is getting less and less exciting by the day.

---

what do you expect? With each passing day MS pulls a new feature from Vista. Why should this be any different.

I still haven't heard one good use for this device. Something geeks don't really care about, I guess.

Convergence nightmare

[meridian506 @ Mar 3rd 2006 4:28PM]

#9 said "Hm say hello to the new ipod video from Microsoft .... seems like Bill is breaking apples newest patent"

Just like the pre-cognition MS had of Apple's "patent" to release the Portable Media Center from Creative/Samsung/iRiver in Fall *2004* (which was shown at CES nearly a year earlier) ???

(Video iPod is just a copy of an existing MS product)

[Lars @ Mar 3rd 2006 4:53PM]

This is part of the press anouncement from ECS Elitegroup Computers for Cebit (from www.nforcershq.com) which sounds pretty much like one of those Origami devices:

Another exciting new product that ECS will be showcasing is an amazing computing productivity and entertainment solution. Based on the Intel Centrino mobile platform, the ECS H70 tablet PC features a 7-inch WVGA TFT LCD touch screen display and combines connectivity with state-of-the-art power saving technology.

[David Gurney @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:12PM]

No keyboard = shit.

Pen computing has failed again and again. Blackberries and Treos are half the size of this thing and still have keyboards. Writing with a stylus is slow, error-prone, and plain annoying.

[jae @ Mar 3rd 2006 6:35PM]

this origami thing, was designed by a fall 2005 artcenter college of design graduate

[PunchPudding @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:51PM]

reasons i'm not interested in a PDA-like device:
- too small screen for regular reading, sharing with other people
- too small to write on or take notes
- can't use many programs i want; ms office, photoshop, graphing tools, games, etc.

reasons i'm not interested in a laptop:
- high prices
- relatively low battery life
- large size; clumsy to use in crowded areas, can't store in pockets
- lack of convenient-use functions; mp3 player, address book, organizer, etc.

i'm not *excited* about the Origami but i'll be keeping my eye on it.

[o rly @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:20PM]

@ 2/Heishiro : "Ugh... just what we need more overpriced silly hardware. I would love and easy to use tablet PC (Preferably Mac... cmon Steve!!!)"

Right, because Steve never makes "overpriced silly hardware" ... *ahem* http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/apple-intros-99-leather-ipod-case/ http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/apple-ipod-hi-fi-hands-on/ no wait, the case isn't hardware...just an overpriced silly product.

[DavidR @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:01PM]

It amazes me how shortsighted most posters have been.

This is the ideal instant-use (!) portable device for web, email, calendar, video, ebook, etc. The size of a paperback book (~6x9), its small enough to be light and truly portable, yet large enough to actually be useful for things like minimal word processing (read: email) and calendaring. More importantly its *both* useable in its portable form with just a pen or nothing at all (casually reading web pages or other documents [incl e-books], watching a vid, or you can whip it out quickly to do little things like briefly checking to see if you've received an important email or check your schedule) as well as being able to be used as a more mid-range computing device where you sit down to a table somewhere and use the BT keyboard built in to the removable lid to use slightly more involved apps (to compose email, or take notes, etc). On top of this as a full-fledged OS (versus some proprietary portable one) its easily developed for and a great host to a wide variety of proprietary apps including inventory in warehouses, doctor clipboards, etc, etc, etc, etc....

Its the ideal middle-ground between a cell phone (which is and *should be* too tiny for anything except voice) and a laptop (which is generally too large and cumbersome to be used as an instant-on device).

Walk around any modern airport and you'll see two equally laughable phenomenon -- businessmen who set up camp (!) in order to be able to achieve something on their laptop, or else huddled over a rediclously tiny device such as a blackberry trying to do some of the same kind of work. Even just from the brute visual standpoint both solutions are obviously the wrong size.

If done correctly this device could replace every blackberry and other smartphone in America. (And while it wouldn't replace laptops which have a valid role for full semi-portable workstations [like for taking a single device between work or school and home], it would replace what a large number of people use laptops for -- web, email & calendaring on the go.) This could be huge.

[Eric Cumbee @ Mar 4th 2006 1:41AM]

if MS can get the textbook makers to embrace ebooks, keep this device in the 500 dollar range. this will be killer among college students. espically those that carry 4 large textbooks, a laptop, a mp3 player and a pda in their bookbag everyday. this would be big for the student that wants to read, and study on the bus while listening to mp3s.

[AlphaMale @ Mar 4th 2006 2:17AM]

"9. Hm say hello to the new ipod video from Microsoft .... seems like Bill is breaking apples newest patent"

Isnt Apple's patent is for a touch screen scroll wheel.

[starlightmica @ Mar 4th 2006 5:53PM]

This might make for a decent portable carputer, with just about everything save GPS already built-in. Just need to buy a car mount, DC power adapter, GPS antenna and software, rip some DVD's, and you're ready for the road. The small battery wouldn't be as much of an issue if it's plugged in all the time.

[PDAGuy @ Mar 9th 2006 11:18AM]

I think this is hilarious. Apple about 10+ years ago came out with a product about this size with (at that time) a black and white screen. I could, and still does, work with spreadsheets, databases, does wireless internet, email, MP3s, presentations (in color), and had decent handwriting recognition in a unit that could be powered on for 8+ hours and worked with 32MB of memory...it was called a Newton. (I can feel the backlash now). Apple couldn't do the marketing so it got quickly killed. The previous iterations and bad to moderate handwriting recognition so that hurt it some more, but the last version (before it was killed) was quite a remarkable unit. The main argument and problem with it was that it was TOO LARGE and look what we have now. I know that the HWR on these M$ units is average at best so it will be interesting to see how useable these units are. I have been looking for a PC based unit to replace my little green friend, maybe it's here...we'll see, but it is interesting how it has taken so long to get to this point.

[Ituriel Mar @ Mar 9th 2006 11:28AM]

is this innovation? What about the OQO or Sony U70 that have been in the market (Japanese in the later case) for
some time now.

why they use the word "mobile" if they only have wifi/bluetooth, and no EDGE/3G data connection trough wireless networks? IMO they should change the whole thing to Ultra "Portable" PC.

3 hours battery time, either you take a belt full of charged batteries or you're glued to the wall.

[Barclay Brown @ Mar 11th 2006 1:05PM]

#38 is right. Most other comments are looking at this device from the perspective of today's usages and comparing it to today's devices. Gee golly, it's too small to be a laptop and it's too big to be a phone. Therefore, it's no good. We'd never have innovation with this kind of thinking. Me--I've been "inventing" this device in my head for years. I want to be able to whip it out anywhere and get stuff done. EVDO, or even better a full PC card slot for an EVDO radio I can share with my laptop (CF slot won't supply enough power) is crucial. There are not enough hot spots for all the places I go, and I live on EVDO now. Bluetooth for a keyboard so you don't have to build one in. Could it be my phone? Maybe, but not my only one--and it would have to multitask so I can talk, web surf, write, etc. at the same time--a tall order.

Ebook capability is also important. And while we're at it, what about video recording, the like Archos AV500 type devices?