Hands-on with the Samsung Q1 / Origami
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Mar 8th 2006 1:22PM
posted Mar 8th 2006 1:22PM
Now, beyond what we saw earlier today, Samsung will release their UMPC / Origami device with optional GPS and DMB (and presumably DVB too, eventually) mobile digital TV expansion modules, as well as WiBRO support for when that goes live in Korea around June. The version we grabbed, the Q1, also supports Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and sports a 30GB hard disk. Unfortunately the whole thing just felt wrong in the hands – very plasticy and without substance. Take a look for yourselves after the break, we've got tons more shots.
I'm no microsoft hater but here they failed. If apple comes out with a macbook air tablet like the fujitsu ones than I'll be sold...but 500$ on ebay for this thing is not bad.
7 pics you call "tons of" ?
Lame. Hype really sets up some big disapointments :(
unless this thing is selling for around $100 OR there is a plan to have Portable XBOX ( PXB :-) ), smartphones already have this functionality..
Not that impressive really, it looks like an overgrown PSP.
would make a great lil carputer.
Still Ugly x 3... all the fuzz was for nothing. Unless the price is like under $500, i see nothing special.
What size hard disk do you think? 1.8" or 2.5"?
Now why do I think somebody's going to do a miniature USB keyboard and mouse to go with it.
That looks like cheap tat. Bring on the touchscreen ibook!
I haven't seen a smartphone yet that runs the full version of Windows XP. Still, it is a disappointment. Battery life is lack luster for something like this, and the price is still too high. Get back to me next year with that $500, all day battery model.
Why are you disappointed or unimpressed? What were you expecting?
30GB? LAME. I was hyped about this too.... this is poopy.
Is that a TV antenna or a stylus? It's huge!
Hopefully, we can count on the gang in Cupertino to properly execute this concept.
I don't agree with naming this thing Origami. Origami means folding paper, so the way I see it is if you're goint to call a device by that name, it should fold into various objects, i.e. a clamshell like the ones that the screens fold and twist. Yeah, yeah, I know some may beg to differ but I dont envision origami and a flot piece of plastic, so when you look into it literally, Origami is the opposite of a Table, which is what this is. Carry on.
I am with jnetty. $500 is realistic. $100 is impossible. But like anything else that is kinda cool, and would fill a certain market, I think that it's cost is going to make it Prohibitively expensive to be any real value to the average Joe Schlub like me.
- Kiteless
S.F. Bay Area, CA. USA
I think this product would totally rock... in 1992...
I was expecting a new UI for tablet PC... This is just a rip off of the OQO (and I would rather have one of those then these).
Hell if I want some moble do everything device i'll get a Palm TX or a Dell Axim.
Whatever...
Timmay
Wow!! XP! Again!
And you had to sell your souls to Satan for that? Rather pointless me says...
:)
how quickly one forgets just how low-res 640x480 is- that screen is easilly 800w - cant say for sure that its 600h though..
I don't get it... what's the point of this device?
I rather have an ultra portable 10" screen laptop than this.
I hate to be an Apple fanboy -- but that thing would be revolutionary if it did one thing -- run Mac OS X. That's all it would need to change from just another boring device to a revolutionary one. Imagine running the iLife apps on that. . . .
[Start Jeopardy Theme music]
Contestant: "Alex, I'll take 'Confusing Windows-Based Devices' for $800"
Alex: "The answer is: They would have been better off making it compatible with XBOX 360 games... But in reality, Microsoft & Samsung couldn't decide whether to make it a PSP killer, or an iPod killer."
Contestant: "What is... A wack mini-media PC with PSP controls (minus the games)?"
[//End Jeopardy music]
Tablets are expensive, so even $500 would be an improvement. (Where did that figure come from exactly?) People also went ga-ga over the Oqo when it came out, but it is also way, way too expensive.
A friggin' antenna? WTF?
Its gotta have more features than that..... co it DOES have an antena on it....what could that b for??
u can see its an antena from the back picture.
No thanks, I'll keep my Nokia 770...
It does look like a handy little thing...reminds me of a Motion Computing LS800 which is really a nice little device. Maybe MS's strategy is just to put something out there with XP on it, and hopefully it'll create its own niche.
But, it better be cheap if the idea is to be a secondary / tertiary mobile computing device! Nobody sold any PDA's until Palm did it with their 399/499 personal/pro price point.
Now hold on there, let's give this concept a chance. If this device has the ability to get TV (DVB-H or T depending on country), GPS and some navigation, a good strong media interface like Media Center Extender (actual media center extender software would be even better), WiMax or WiFi with WiMax future support, quad-band GPRS/EDGE/UMTS, 30GB HD++, Tablet interface, 5 or more hours of battery life, and a price point of $500 or there abouts, then I think this could be a great device concept...
Yeah, what in the world is up with that antenna. It's like one of those old hand-held TVs.
Seriously.. if this was the thing MS was trying to hype, what a massive and utter failure.
does pic #2 say 770g? (these pics are lousy resolution..). Also, what's "multimedia instant on" ?
Well, the post mentions a TV module. The antenna looks like something you'd see on a portable TV.
Personally, if they kepe the price low I'd consider buying it. I don't want a big Tablet. If I wanted something the size of a thin laptop, I'd get a thin laptop. I won't carry a laptop around because of the size, but I carry a notebook about that size everywhere. It'd be a big benefit to me to have OneNote around with me like that.
Motion Computing (and OQO) have tablets in similar form factors but they're $2k.
I tend to think of this more as a more powerful PDA than a less powerful Tablet.
To #8 I'd say the res looks more like 800x600 than 640x480 which should be good enough for a lot of web content, although a lot of sites are now coded for 1024, guess we'll have to take a step backwards either way.
The little card in the picture says resolution is 800x480
forget apple, let it get vista. throw in at least 8 hours of battery life, a keyboard, and give it to sony to design. You do that under 750 and ill buy it just so that i don't have to buy a laptop.
I honestly see this as canabalizing the laptop market. Unless the hd is 60 gigs, ill keep my ipod.
They can't make ths thing compatible with xbox games. Thing about it if they built software to play xbox off of windows xp. That is essentially an emulator. I wonder how quick the community, would be able to transplant that onto any other windows OS and just play exbox games, without the xbox.
Aha, that'll teach me to read stuff before I comment ;)
I guess I'll have to add 800x480 to my list of web content formats.
God people are stupid. Its for the TV that was stated in the article.
Beyond the obvious this thing bites. Seriously this is why Apple kicks the **** out of everyone else. They take their time and design something that doesn't look cheap, even though in reality its specs are pretty average. I wish one. Just one IBM PC manufacturer would step up to the plate and build a quality device. They have the engineers and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what is appealing to the average consumer.
Microsoft's ad really suggested a slick form factor. Something that I'd expect out of Apple. More marketing BS. What's new. >:-(
Finally have a better view on the Origami and able to show it to my readers. Good Job Engadget. I vote here, Engadget the Top Gadget Announcer.
:)
At $599 or less this would be great. And better still with a MAC OS. I use a Pocket PC now when I need something very portable that connects to the internet, so I would consider this product to replace the pocket PC. Rumors are that Apple will have something like this soon and they should make a MiniBook Pro anyhow. MiniBooks would sell like hotcakes.
I got agree with some of the others.
This is a fugly attempt to topple the psp/nokia 770/ipod. Too big and ugly to carry around in your pocket, but too small to have a keyboard - making it kinda useless for me. And it's that big without a CD/DVD player? I'll pass.
I'd rather have a slim nokia 770
(http://www.nokiausa.com/770)
or a slim widescreen 12" laptop.
I'm not a Microsoft hater like some of the others, but this really amounts to crap.
It'll look very cool in my car though... playing my MP3 playlists, GPS mapping, outlook appointments, watching video, etc.
I like the size - people look like Batman as it is, with all sorts of devices hanging off their belts. Laptops are too big unless it's your primary computer - treos are too small to do much with unless you just want to skim through a short email.
Give it a little time to come to market.
Shameless plug: The Windows Media Player 10 Skin shown in the photos were done by The Skins Factory
I think I'll wait for Apple to release something like this....Newton + Ipod = Love....
I guess I'm just confused by why they would hype up a mediocre device...is this an experiment in marketing?
sony can do the design right. Acutally the picture of the device from last year, was pretty slick. This product is best for people who don't play games on their laptops. If you're a serious gamer then you have a desktop anyway. As a second pc this works perfect. It just needs a few tweaks. This is g1 anyway. God samsungs Q1 is FUGLY!!!!
With these specs, you wouldn't be able to play a fps, but an rts shouldn't be a problem.
As long as it can play starcraft I'll be happy.
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/001587.html
it is said that the antenna is a GPS antenna...BUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???????????
With a name like Origami and the fact that the article states this is shipping in Korea you'd think people would catch on that this might not be designed for the US market.
Sure, in the states with our mega-huge smoking Dell laptops we don't see the point. Asia is different.
Hey...just wanted to say that I was fortunate (well, hm) enough to have actually been given a road-test of this thing and believe it or not, it's not as clunky as ya think.
I too have a Motion Computing tablet but I give this an antennae up vote. I have to see how they mix in CD/DVD too. Right on.
Check out the "Origami" story on http://www.dealsdaq.com if ya want & have a laugh.
Cool.........
ugly x3 is right. wait until Apple releases their version. just like mp3 players never took off until the ipod was introduced. origami - two stars
Exactly who wants a mid size tablet? I would like a smaller subnote like this:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1058
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnotebook
If if were an affordable price. Folded I think they are the same size and I would much prefer the semi-decent keyboard and folding screen protection. The only reason these subnotes didn't go anywhere is that they were ~$2000. Now if they are going to have a new cost reduced intel platform for the HW couldn't we get a nice small subnote for
why are they bothering with this, Vista will look so crap on this
Posted at 1:49PM on Mar 8th 2006 by bokabunara
"...5 or more hours of battery life, and a price point of $500 or there abouts, then I think this could be a great device concept..."
Ahh..the keyword here is "CONCEPT".
(CONCEPT = PROTOTYPE, PROTOTYPE = INCOMPLETE)
After that over-hyped Origami marketing campaign, the least they could do is put out some bulls*** that was "complete".
Last time I checked, people don't shell out large sums of money (like $800) for prototypes.
We buy FINISHED products, thanks.
Look, if Apple could produce a tablet for $500 they would have done it a long time ago. Don't expect anything soon from Apple in this catagory.
If I were Samsung, I wouldn't let Engadget within a mile of any of their products. They are so anti-Windows everything it's absurd. I hope the 98% of the computer industry that produces Windows related products finally wakes up to that fact.
I can see huge uses for that. As a student, I've been longing for a tablet PC, but I didn't really want all that bulk with me every day. This product looks perfect - I can go to class and take notes with something that I can hold in one hand. I've already got a phone, so I don't want a Nokia device and it seems to be running a high enough resolution to be considered a "PC".
Good job Microsoft and Samsung, you've got your first Engadget customer. Now, all we need is a price and release date for this, i sure hope it's gonna be soon.
I think the resolution may probably be 800x480 like the OQO. But with IE7 you can zoom a web page to fit.
And to all the people who are saying "what Microsoft was hyping" don't forget, MS didn't hype anything. I don't agree with their marketing strategy, but you guys (Engadget, the readers, other blogs, etc) were the ones setting unrealistic expectations. This is a great evolutionary step in the form factor and cost of Tablet PC's but it's definitely not life-changing. MS shouldn't have used that phrase. But the fact still remains, they are the cheapest and lightest Tablet PC's thus far and that's what all the naysayers were complaining that they wanted when the original tablets shipped.
Not that I am in the market for something like this, but let's hope y'all were sucker'd and that this is not the Origami. Ars is running an article on some intel device that http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060308-6337.html may be the Origami.
I have no faith in microsoft's ability to design a cool mobile product, but I do have faith in there ability to create a couple sham devices with frickin' boombox antenna's attached in order to dampen people's expectations.
I'd also much prefer to watch video on this 7" screen than on an iPod screen. It'd be great, and you don't have to mess around with the formats either. What genius.
This device is boring and useless...you are right Linux and Apple fanboys:
- it is small enough to travel easily with - how boring
- it can run full blown Windows apps - how boring
- it can be a communicator in multiple ways - how boring
- it can run movies - how silly and boring
- it can be a GPS - what a waste of time
- it will run XP now and definetely run Vista in future - how boring
These fanboy comments and nay saying this device are just plain stupid. Commenting based on one model from Samsung are also stupid. When companies like Sony and others their versions of Origami we will see how things will be.
I think the idea of running a full fledged WinXP setup on a device like this is kinda nice.
It's a nice compromise and since PocketPCs are basically dead (enter 'smartphone' devices) this is a step in the right direction.
I'll pick one up. Great for students.
Hmmm. I see it uses a Celeron M - the low cost version of the Pentium M mobile processor. I wonder if this suggests .. the $500 UPMC?! ;-)
Sony did this first with the U series (U50, U70, U71, U750). A bit smaller, but looked WAY better. I have my U70 still.
I want a mid-sized tablet pc. I WORK for a living and I hate carrying around a laptop. I am not interested in gaming. I want something that is easy to carry, runs a standard OS, has a decent sized hd, a quality handwriting input method for taking notes, optional keyboard, wifi, bluetooth, etc. It seems that this may have what I want. PDA's are too small to do any work on. Right now I carry around a black binder stuffed with papers and a USB drive that I can never keep organized or properly synchronized. Gimme this and a scanner.
OQO would be great, but not for $2,000+.
This looks like an underpowered(cpu) Motion ls800, which is also $2,000+. My first two cars didn't cost that much.
Price one of these (and their will be multiple model's over the next year) under $700, which is cheaper than any laptop that I don't want to lug around, and I'll be first in line.
An added bonus will be the ability to surf to web while on the crapper and not having my knees overheat.
I still can't get over how ugly Windows is by default.
Is there any more information about the touch screen / stylus input? Will it be pressure sensitive?
This isn't the Orgami
if the oqo was half the price i'd rather take it. just like on its website, the oqo is the "the world's smallest tablet pc." that's what all of these are. The Tablet PCs' that came out about 2-3 years ago now, were generally a failure. I don't see many of them because they were essentially a laptop with a touch screen. This is the next SMALLER step. The idea is that if the form factor is smaller, then people are more lkely to buy it. Considering the Treo is 500 bucks, I'd be willing to pay 750 for something that had a larger screen, had a hard drive and also let me multitask a little better. Considering that I can play an rts on it, is enough for my gaming needs.
I'd rather look to the OQO as a starting point, instead of the Samsung Q1. OQo has a 800x480 resolution and a 30GB hard drive. The only thing it doesn't have is Bluetooth 2.0, 60gb hard drive, a camera, a better price tag and better battery life. other than the battery life, these things can easily be improved. I'll put my faith in products like the oqo and companies like apple and sony to put out something good. The rest of this is just garbage.
Now all we need is amd or intel to make a more efficient processor and even battery life will be improved.
Neil,
the Nokia 770 isn't a phone. It's a Linux based tablet that's got wifi, bluetooth, web basics (a browser, mail, RSS, streaming media) and weighs about 8 oz. Screen is 800x480 and the physical size of the screen results in a 220dpi resolution, making if very sharp. It's meant to be a very small, portable device that lets you get at online resources everywhere without lugging a laptop around. Combine this with wifi at home and an EDGE or better data plan on your bluetooth phone and you have a convenient way to get online from anywhere.
Ouch, looks like a early 1990's black and white portable television. How... inovative...
CNBC and Oragimi
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S1F7623CC
I like it! I now have something to finally replace my Apple MessagePad 2000.
Two things to answer questions in the comments:
1) the screen is touch sensitive, I had to drive it with my finger since the stylus was missing.
2) that antenna is in fact due to this model sporting a DVB (likely T) module. Another model on display did not have the antenna.
Thomas
Comment 50: "I can see huge uses for that. As a student, I've been longing for a tablet PC, but I didn't really want all that bulk with me every day. This product looks perfect - I can go to class and take notes with something that I can hold in one hand. "
Dude, other companies have made this before. Fujitsu has one, Motion has one, Sony made one, OQO is one. What the heck have you been waiting for? What you needed has been out for more than a year now.
Does it have RDP (assuming it does if it's running win xp).
I don't think this is THE Origami, just a UMPC. I am thinking that THE Origami is A UMPC, but not all UMPC's are Origami's. This is the Q1 UMPC, NOT Origami. If you notice in the 4th picture down in this page, the bar at the top of the screen is the same UI as the leaked pic of the origami featured at http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/06/possible-origami-pic-surfaces-on-the-web/.
I'm thinking THE Origami can't be the Q1, because if you think of the purpose of the name "Origami", it is something that folds out to reveal a keyboard. ( Like you fold Origami). This Q1 has no keyboard.
I say that leaked pic of the Origami is 100% real, because it is the exact UI tha looks like Windows Vista that the Q1 has.
The OQO owns this machine... the only way I see them winning is if it's priced appropriately.
I find the size to be awkwarly placed between the super a protable device & a small laptop. The lines aren't clean either... it reminds me a bit of the old Sega handheld systems. Other wise, mediocre job guys... (but what's new)
Peep the OQO... this thing is so badass!
http://www.oqo.com/
Didn't Sony make one of these along time ago? Reminds me a lot of the Sony Vaio Handtop VGN-U750. Although the GPS and TV module will be cool.
Yet again, I'd i think the OQO+ beats this easily.
It's out there now, and is WAY more mobile. It also has had the time to iron out most of it's flaws.
But of course,
I'd take a VAIO TX over ALL of them, in a second.
Hey guys, has anyone else checked the source code on http://origamiproject.com?
They clearly state that it's a Mobile PC running Windows XP. Some of the facts were under our noses all along.
I noticed it states 'Multimedia Instant On' which would lead me to believe that the bios can call up a MP3/Video player (as seen from some of the shots) without loading windows. I assume that windows could then hibernate/resume at it's normal leasurely pace.
I wonder if this will also have the same outlook data viewing capabilities as the 10" HP tablet had, allowing a fast boot to a initial screen where limited data could be accessed quickly while the OS is loading up the background.
it looks like a computerized etch-a-sketch.
Based on this cnet video, I can see plenty to like about the UMPC / Origami. Finger gestures, quick access to entertainment and other apps, 3g. I'd call this a great step forward for mobile computing.
I'll be getting my hands on one to demo soon.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/itlibrary/webcasts/0,39044504,39315918,00.htm
Just a thought. 800x480 would allow a full resolution DVD to be shown full screen with a small status/control bar down the side without the problems of image scaling... Here's hoping the video chip is up to the task.
Just a thought. 800x480 would allow a full resolution DVD to be shown full screen with a small status/control bar down the side without the problems of image scaling... Here's hoping the video chip is up to the task.
"The OQO owns this machine... the only way I see them winning is if it's priced appropriately."
For the extra $1000 or more, it better.
Let's wait and see what unfolds over the next couple of days before we bury the idea...
It could run visual studio with those system specs, making it the smallest coding pc iv seen. Its not for everyone, if your bitching its too big for your pocket, buy a PDA. If its too small for gaming, buy a laptop.
But this device is JUST right for someone who thought a PDA was too little and a laptop too big.
Thease companys are filling a nessisiary gap in computing size. And if they take their time and work out the kinks, you just might want one for a road trip or couch surfing.
5. would make a great lil carputer.
Posted at 1:33PM on Mar 8th 2006 by Regula Oblique
I totally agree. Think of the possibilities.
"Dude, other companies have made this before. Fujitsu has one, Motion has one, Sony made one, OQO is one. What the heck have you been waiting for? What you needed has been out for more than a year now."
Well, perhaps he's waiting for a price that's not over $2000.
I don't care if this does nothing more than make small tablets affordable. If it can do that alone, it's a success.
Now they need to make one with Wacom Penabled drivers and get rid of the stupid touchscreen so we use it for drawing. No pressure sensitivity = not a tablet worth paying for.
I agree with Regula Oblique. It will make for nice removeable carputer.
Let's pray that when Sony bring out their's they've got in a third party to do the software.....
It reminds me of the GameGear that Sega made years ago. Maybe a litter bigger, but still like the thing I have in my closet. I think there is a large market for something like this. As a student, this would be perfect for writing notes in class due to it's size and tablet feature. Notebooks now are too noisy (it's the way I type) or too costly to throw into a backpack or a pocket in my jacket. It would also be sweet to take traveling as well. Ok, I ramble too much...
Good lord, that is an ugly interface, I love how the buttons are just thrown around the interface. I wonder if any real thought went into that software...?
Right now, my company has a desktop version of our software and a Palm version. Our customers want something to replace the Palms, and this is it: cheap, small, high resolution (compared to the Palm), Bluetooth (for Bluetooth GPS receivers), and it can run the desktop version of our software, which is written in Java.
I hope it's fast enough. We bough a similar-sounding device -- an 8" tablet with a 800MHz Transmeta processor running XP -- and it was so slow as to be unusable.
I'm going to wait for the second generation device, 7 inch screen is too big to carry around. 4-5 inch would be perfect for the big pocket and also for playing portable media like movies and games. $500 is the magic is the magic mark, if they hit that, I'll get it.
I have to agree with number #50. As a full-time student and soon to be professional I see a lot of benefits to this type of device. I do have a laptop for school and it is to large for a lot of situations and desks.
For those of you comparing this to a PDA I just do not agree. I also own a treo 650, and although a wonderful smart phone/pda it cannot take notes or make spreadsheets effectively. Also browsing the internet, reading an ebook, or reveiwing class notes would be much more enjoyable on a 7" screen than a 2" screen.
I think this device could find a comfortable niche if prized right and with decent battery life.
Just get a Dell Latitude X1 ultrapotable. They're selling the most basic config for about $1250 now. Much better form factor, nice big protected 12" widescreen and a 90% keyboard. Weighs 2.5 pounds and it's tiny (from the look of these photos, it may even be smaller than this Origami). They are fantastic.
compare this to nokia 770?
Are you kidding?
nokia 770 has no digital broadcasting tuner.
that big antenna is for terrestrial DMB signal.
you can not use smaller and shorter antenna for low frequency signal.
I see the advertisers are posting again ^^
first off this isnt meant to compete with the psp or the ipod
this is suppose to be the offspring when a tablet pc has sex with a pocket pc
if you are in college or planning to go to college this is the idea technology you want. my brother got a tablet pc in his second year of college because he would write his notes on the teachers notes that was given in pdf format. Very very useful stuf.
for you apple people if apple came out with this and it was white you would be madly in love
i dont see how this is ugly. its rounded so its not a design from the 1990s nice try on the joke there for those who tried it.
sincerely satsified apple/microsoft/suse user,
Echo_
p.s. if you dont like it it wasnt made for you
If by "advertiser" you are refering to my post, you are incorrect. I bought the Dell X1 in January and I'm just a very big fan of it. I think most laptops are way too bulky, and the Dell is just the perfect form factor. There are drawbacks (no internal optical drive) but for my purposes it does everything these new Origami devices seem to claim to do). I also looked seriously at the Sony VAIO, which is sexier and has an internal optical drive, but it was more expensive, so I went with the Dell.
I have seen those in China last year.
What is the expected battery life like? 30 mins?