Intel UMPC details begin to emerge -- products coming on 9th

So, today is March 9th March 7th, the day Intel will take the wraps off their UMPC platform at the IDF in San Francisco. That UMPC forum slug we saw yesterday is now officially active on Intel's site with more deets, including this nugget: "check back on March 9, 2006 to learn about products in action." Yeah, that's the day that Microsoft will announce Origami. And as astute reader Francesco points out, the source for Intel's page also reveals further hidden Origami linkage in the way of a yet-to-be-activated www.microsoft.com/umpc link. Now, even if those aesthetically challenged pictures of that supposed Origami device we saw yesterday are the real deal, keep in mind that if indeed Origami is just a UMPC device like we speculated before, then several manufacturers should be in line with product. After all, Intel's site says "products" not "product." So if what we heard before is true, then we'll first see devices running XP Tablet, then later in the year possibly running Vista on an ultra-lower-powered device capable of about 8-hours of continuous operation. Either way, we'll be in attendance for Intel and Samsung's CeBIT press conferences on the 9th just in case they are indeed the guts within Origami. Of course there are still some missing pieces to the puzzle, but the speculation is all kinda making sense, eh?

[Thanks, Francesco]

[Brian Kirk @ Mar 7th 2006 8:39AM]

Now I'm kinda sad that I signed away 2 years of my life for a Apache 6700.

[Brian Kirk @ Mar 7th 2006 8:39AM]

Now I'm kinda sad that I signed away 2 years of my life for an Apache 6700.

[banton @ Mar 7th 2006 8:40AM]

Could this be the platform Apple has been designing the touch UI for?

[matt @ Mar 7th 2006 8:47AM]

Can't wait till March 9th.. tis my birthday!!!

[Jcee @ Mar 7th 2006 9:08AM]

XP tablet operating system? That means iTunes will run...geez, it might be possible to sync a Nano to this, among many other uses.

[ct2000 @ Mar 7th 2006 9:12AM]

Yeah I agree - another "Fun" new product from Apple around the corner ... !?

[mmoroca @ Mar 7th 2006 9:14AM]

May Origami be the name of the ultramobile XP/Vista flavour? The other products will be the media player, etc... Remember that Microsoft is basically in software, not hardware, business...

[rotten_fruit_fan @ Mar 7th 2006 9:24AM]

I was kinda hoping not all products had intel chipsets in them. If they do than there's no chance for hardware T&L in any of them.

I mena I didn't expect to be able to play Halo, but some mobile medal of honor seemed very possible.

[pipilu @ Mar 7th 2006 9:36AM]

There is already on the market a product which looks somewhere similar to the "ultra mobile PC" named Mininote. It was released on January by Foundertech, a famous China PC maker. The official website is http://www.foundertech.com/product/NoteBookdetail.asp?id=893&root=13.

Not sure there is an English version of its website. The spec (http://www.foundertech.com/product/NoteBookdetail.asp?id=893&root=13) of the Mininote is as follows:
- Processor: Intel uLV Celeron �900MHz（Dothan）/uLV Pentium�1GHz（Dothan）
- OS: Microsoft� Windows�XP Home Edition
- Chipset: 英特尔�915 GMS
- RAM 256MB/512MB DDRII
- 7� Wide screen (800 x 480)
- HDD 30G
- Optical Drive (external )
- Microphone Jack
- Headset Jack
- 2 x USB 2.0 Port
- 3-in-1 Card Reader
- Bluetooth
- 802.11b/g
- Keyboard（Optional）
- 1.3M pixels Camera
- Size: 225.5mm(W)?44mm(D)?3/25mm(H)
- Weight: 830g
- Listed price: RMB$7999/11999/12888

[PEZ @ Mar 7th 2006 9:37AM]

HAPPY BERFDAY MATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Razor @ Mar 7th 2006 9:42AM]

This device may well have caught the computer press, including Engadget and Gizmodo off guard. Seriously, if it comes in at $500 or so and is marketed at the big box stores such as Wal Mart and Best Buy, it could well outsell iPods by huge margins. Apple better get off the stick and get a wifi-enabled product out there soon.

[DJDole @ Mar 7th 2006 9:43AM]

Why is everyone getting so excited about this?
Hasn't anyone ever seen an OQO?
http://www.oqo.com/hardware/features/

And you can buy it NOW, not wait for microsoft to feed it to you. The Oragami is just MS's answer to the OQO.

[namxam @ Mar 7th 2006 9:48AM]

come on Razor... why should it outsell the iPod. it's an entirely different product with different target groups. noone will try to fit it in his jeans... so what's the sense in trying to compare it with an iPod!

[Zach @ Mar 7th 2006 9:51AM]

Yeah, the OQO is nice, but at around 2,000 for the "base" i'd say i'd be very very intrested if this came in at a significantly lower price point.

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 7th 2006 9:52AM]

Looking forward to this.
Hope you guys will talk about this in the next podcast! :)

[PEZ @ Mar 7th 2006 9:58AM]

DJDOLE: the OQO is $1600-2000.

Yes, we've all heard of it, and no one cares.

[Jordan @ Mar 7th 2006 10:01AM]

Post #11

Back in April when Intel first started to tout the UMPC idea they where talking about a low price point something like ~$500. I doubt they come in under $800 though.

If prices are as good as rumored though to hell with upgrading to a 6700 from my Treo 650 I will be buying one of the UMPCs.

I hope some of the models look a little better than the one pictured on this post! The one posted looks like a SYMBOL product.

[simon @ Mar 7th 2006 10:20AM]

god darn this, its my birthday tommorow *8/3/89* and i was hopeing to get some info as a early birthday present... seems like its gonna be like my dad and give me a late one :P

[amorde @ Mar 7th 2006 10:27AM]

From all the information, I think there may be different versions of the Origami targeted toward different markets - Game, Video, Communication. While the underlying OS will be the same for each version, the hardware interface may be tailored designed for each function on each version of the device (I.E. D-Pad for game orientated, Play button for Video, and Slide out keyboard for communication focused Origami) Can't wait to see the real thing.

[Atanas Boev @ Mar 7th 2006 10:36AM]

eh, finally alt-tab key ;)
To me this looks like cross-breed between portable media center and a oversized pda - kind of like the last sony palm "thing" with the big screen. maybe thats why they say is not OQO replacement...
Maybe they will sell separate HDD and faceplates?:)

[Gman003 @ Mar 7th 2006 10:38AM]

I think I can top the birthday. My son will be born on March 9th.

[Peter G @ Mar 7th 2006 10:40AM]

I hate tablets, but I would be interested in this if Intel has a new low power CPU that is is still capable of running a normal descktop OS.

Someone could then have the foresight to built a very small inexpensive subnotebook. Something I Always wanted, but most really small subnotes are hugely expensive.

Tablets? I honestly don't give a flying fig. A small fully functional notebook that is affordable; I am in line to get one.

Are you listening HW manufactures?

But this is more likely shaping up to be an $800 mini tablet. Yuck.

[ZSX @ Mar 7th 2006 10:49AM]

I just had a look at the videos on the UMPC website. They show 3 models of UMPC two with clear built in keyboards together with GPS, instant messaging and game synchronization.

Took a quick photoset of the devices here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66181813@N00/sets/72057594077017114/

If this is Origami I am very excited! Especially model the guy in the waiting room is using - it looks just like my Izzi Pro.

[Peter G @ Mar 7th 2006 11:02AM]

Ok that sounds better. Seems like Intel will be providing a lower end/lower priced chipset for mini portables, be they tablet or notebooks style. Hopefully someone will build a standard clam shell subnote for cheap. Leave of the touchscreen crap to keep the price down. I like the clamshell design since it protects the screen when closed provides a natural base for the screen etc...

I am waiting to hear pricepoints, power budgets and CPU architecture.

[Peter G @ Mar 7th 2006 11:04AM]

Ok that sounds better. Seems like Intel will be providing a lower end/lower priced chipset for mini portables, be they tablet or notebooks style. Hopefully someone will build a standard clam shell subnote for cheap. Leave of the touchscreen crap to keep the price down. I like the clamshell design since it protects the screen when closed provides a natural base for the screen etc...

I am waiting to hear pricepoints, power budgets and CPU architecture.

[Razor @ Mar 7th 2006 11:27AM]

I see people adjusting well to the larger form factor for the increased functionality. Video media would look so much better on a 7 inch screen vs. 2.5" or even 4". However, there is only so much you can do with a $500-800 price point in a package that small. Long boot-up times, short battery life and generally trying to do too much (like running Office or Works) could doom the first generation of the device at the starting gate.

[andi @ Mar 7th 2006 12:32PM]

There is a video up on http://umpc.com/video.aspx
Looks really interesting.....

[100 Ipod movies @ Mar 7th 2006 1:36PM]

I'm looking foward to this.

[Larry Elwood @ Mar 7th 2006 2:10PM]

I just want to win something.

[Roceh @ Mar 7th 2006 3:19PM]

damn the videos gone, anyone grab it? stick on youtube/google or something =P

[smaa @ Mar 7th 2006 3:36PM]

Why does everyone think its an OQO?! OQO's cost 6 billion pounds (dollars, sorry) this aint gunna cost that much or it wil fail. fail fail fail

[oven @ Mar 7th 2006 3:58PM]

i am looking foward to this. it seems like better than media portabl devices. wait for the real one come, and the price point.

[Somebody @ Mar 8th 2006 4:56AM]

Intel Merom anyone?

[Pikl @ Mar 8th 2006 5:44AM]

Conroe ruled, and Merom apparently scored 25% faster than a similarly clocked Core Duo. This... this is incredible. Holy hell. 2006 freaking rules.

-Pikl

[G-Man @ Mar 19th 2006 7:18PM]

Have you seen all the mass-reproduced press-release type articles referring to the emerging UMPC market as the "on the GO PC"? Market niche defining but not branding... YET, but the point remains, the more media outlets carry the phrase Go and PC together in a topic, the higher the GoPC Rank keeps getting. The fact that not just MS but the press people, customers, manufacturers, et all are using the words Go and PC as a direct reflection of the purpose of this market segment, this undustry and these products is because they are seeking to boil down the industry into the shortest, most memorable terminalogy and tagline.

And "...go pc" and not "gopc" is just a matter of Branding. Years ago, when I started GoPC, this is exactly the kind of product I had imagined, but just lacked the funding to generate it from scratch. My market niche ended up being mobile "set-top boxes" which was, at the time, the very smallest full-power PCs you could buy.

Fast Forward a few years and the market is exploding with these handtops, palmtops and other personal mobile PCs.

Sure, I'm excited. Maybe a little "obsessed" with this market niche. Please see beyond any personal bias I might be perceived as having... Even if I weren't emotionally involved, I really, truly think that whomever goes to market with this name stands a really good chance of Branding the niche. UMPC stands for Ultra Mobile Personal Computer... which they have felt fit to reduce to 4-letters. GoPC says all that, isn't an acronym, defines the market and is SUPER EASY to remember.

Maybe it's just me and I'm sure I've said it enough... My enthusiasm can get the better of me. :)

G-Man