Kohjisha's SA1F00: better and cheaper than a UMPC
By Thomas Ricker 
posted November 6th 2006 8:24AM
posted November 6th 2006 8:24AM
[Via Akihabara News]
posted November 6th 2006 8:24AM
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Wow.. I want one!
Uh oh, looks like a new and improved TC1100. Not bad but is 500mhz the best they can do. 500mhz is great for a PDA but I wonder about a umpc. Not too crazy about the black border but the trackball device looks interesting.
Very nice size and weight.
Are you guys serious? Whoever does these UMPC related news, do us a favor: Stop with teh editorials until you understand the specs.
500MHz AMD Geode is gonna make this thing feel like running on... well 500MHz Geode! It can't possibly compete with 900MHz Celeron M or 1GHz Pentium M UMPCs.
There is a reason why this thing is so cheap.
Also, if you are impressed with the from factor, you can order a Fujitsu P1510 (same convertible chassis, 2.2lbs, 1.2GHz P-M) which is on clearence at Newegg for $1300, which is WAY more impressive in specs and useful than this thing.
Please Please don't buy a P1510. Buy a P1610 instead :)
Should come out in a few days.
P1610D is mucho sexier than P1510D if you need PCMCIA slot and higher res screen (1024x600 vs 1280x768), but it's also gonna start out @ $2200+, just like P1510D did couple of years ago when it was introduced.
If you don't care about PCMCIA, built in Edge SIM card slot, and stuff like that, the P1510D on clearence is a much better buy.
I'm gonna guess the answer is no, but by any chance is the 1610 going to have an optical drive? Also, is it running tablet OS? Thanks...
No CPU anywhere is going to run any operating system for anhything worth computing at 500MHz.
JUNK.
You mean Ubuntu, Fedora Core 6, or Slackware aren't worth running? Huh. Funny, considering Linux does everything I need it to do on a mchine that won't run Windows XP very well at all (900 mhz 256 RAM). This thing is perfect for people willing to use an OS that isn't bloated.
It's sub-1000 easily, has battery life comparable to a very good PDA, and doesn't require you to compromise on OS compatibility with your desktop. I don't see how this is supplanted, in any way, by the Pentium or Celeron devices. They barely get 2 hours out of the device, not even long enough to fly from NYC to Miami.
-C
A baseline P1610 is $1599 or so [1]. (Bumping it up to a gig of ram, which I will probably do, will push it up to $2200 though. :( Assuming you're the Shogmaster from NeoGAF I'll post impressions there when it gets delivered.)
[1] http://www.euclidcomputers.com/frameset.cgi?finditem+laptop+Fujitsu+FPCM21033+froogle+11%2F5%2F2006-21%3A15+4
Oh, and, even though I'm not impressed with the specs, (yes, the Geode is ridiculously slow), it's cheap enough that I can just buy the thing as a disposable toy. :)
I just need to find a place to import it from, and I'd buy it like that.
OMG, that's actaully alot less than I thought is was gonna be! Flybook V33 is clocking in at 2000 Euros in Germany, so this is one hell of a price for P1610D.
I'll look forward to your impression on GAF. Thanks for that link!
What's wrong with it being "just" 500 mhz? What do you usually use an UMPC for? Browsing doesnt require a lot of power, less than 500mhz word processing too watching movies or editing pictures also doesnt require a lot of processing power so what's wrong? You were really not thinking about playing Fear or rendering 3DSMAX scenes on this?! So stop talking nonsense....
500 Mhz is absolutely perfect for wireless web browsing from bed, or, taking notes in a meeting. If I need to do any thing CPU intensive, I can always just do it over remote desktop to my workstation over wireless. But, please don't expect the thing to be able to decode xvid/divx or play other movies without skipping. It's nothing more than a toy. Please don't think of it as anything else.
This thing would make a great whole-house remote control.
Yeoz, what makes you think it couldn't decode xvid/divx? I have a crappy PII 300 I use for that, flawlessly, and if I boot Linux it does it with resources to spare!
"Please" my ass, yeoz.
Regarding the price - the Vega is actually cheaper than the SA1 in its home country. You're comparing two different price sets. WHen the SA1 reaches Western markets, expect it to be 30% more expensive as well.
Ref the LX800. Its not bad. I've got two devices running on this processor. Perfect for thin-client Web2.0 apps and 2mbps Videos.
Regards
Steve.
For those doubting the Geode, see the Raon Digital Vega review over at Carrypad. Same proc running XP.
http://www.carrypad.com/content/view/35/9/
Thomas
No optical drive. (I have a USB optical drive that is bootable -- but, my experience with the P1510 was that not all USB devices are bootable.)
Tablet PC is a $50 premium over XP Pro which is the default. Fujitsu is offering a free upgrade to Vista Business from both OS's however, so, if you can wait, you can save $50 and use the tablet features in Vista instead.
I wonder if they'd sell if I put one up on ebay...
"No CPU anywhere is going to run any operating system for anhything worth computing at 500MHz."
I ran Windows XP Professional on my old ThinkPad for years - it had a 366mhz Celeron. It was perfectly fine.
What do you think, you're going to be playing World of Warcraft on this thing? Most people have no need for anything faster than 500mhz on a device like this. You're gonna use this for web browsing, emailing, word processing. If you need to do something CPU-intensive, then you're looking to buy a different sort of computer.
The whole problem with the UMPC is that it's trying to do too much. If people want laptop power and specs, they're going to buy a laptop. That's not what the UMPC is supposed to be and that's not what this is either. Nobody's going to pay $1,300 for a bulky PDA without a keyboard that won't fit in your pocket. But I would pay $700 for a miniature notebook computer that has more functionality than a PDA and includes a keyboard. Yes I would.
This is what the UMPC should have been.
You are so right - for a year, I've been looking for a replacement for my Psion 5MX (still in daily use) - I want to take notes (so I want a keyboard), be reminded of appointments, have all my contact details at hand, install a foreign dictionary and so on. Pity it doesn't have a touch screen - useful to be able to draw when explaining something and I won't be able to slip it in my pocket like the Psion but, if this is as good as it sounds, I WANT ONE !
form-factor = sane
gloss reflective screen = unsane, annoying
price = sane
Ideal for frequent travellers that need some decent juice.
Still, at the price, I'd still prefer a laptop with more expandability and optical drive, despite more bulk. Then again if travelling a lot...
Steve,
I disagree, the SA1F00 is cheaper comparing native country prices. The 512MB Vega in South Korea is 724,000 WON ($768). While the SA1F00 in Japan is ¥89,000 (about $754). So you get the same proc and same 512MB memory but 10GB more disk, bigger 7-inch vs. 4.3-inch display, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, 2x the battery, keyboard, slimmer package, and more... for less with the SA1F00.
Thomas
what the deuce. That picture on the bottom right is friggin scary...I cant tell whether its a mans hand with womens nails or a woman with some serious man-hands...
*shudder*
but will it run teh linux? Was thinking of picking up a fujitsu p1120 and running a lightweight WM on it, but this is more attractive if everything will work with linux out of the box.
I've been running OS X on a 400mhz G4 and it's good enough. Not having to run adware, anti-adware, virus and anti-virus make the best of existing hardware.
Raon Vega pricing is wrong.
$999
forgot to put the link :
http://www.dynamism.com/vega/pricing.shtml
seems it has dropped to $879
If the price is right (
Don't know what happened to my comment above, but got severely truncated....
Anyway, my take is that this would be a great lil' take anywhere device for light computing use if it's < $1K USD...Otherwise, I agree that it would make more sense to consider other options...
I much prefer the 'clamshell convertible TabletPC' type design over the 'slate' type UMPC or 'slate with thumboard' type designs...
For me, assuming dynamisn or whatever don't put too much of a premium on it, this will cost less than £500- eg, be perfect for me.
Well, the processor really does look like an issue. I look forward to seeing the review on it. However, to keep it in perspective, try not to forget that most notebooks run far slower on battery than they do on AC. For example, my TC1100 Tablet PC runs at 600MHz when on battery, but at full 1.00 GHz when plugged into the AC adapter. So it's not *that* far off the mark.
Still, I have my doubts that the Geode processor at 500 MHz is going to be more impressive than a Pentium M running at 600 MHz.
Timw will tell.
What a load of rubbish some people do talk - who wants to play video or games on a 7" screen ? I've been looking for a replacement for my Psion 5MX for over a year and this could be it. I need to take notes, be reminded about meetings, have all my contact details, install a foreign dictionary - in short use it as a PDA with a proper little keyboard. Pity it doesn't have a touch screen - so useful for drawing when you are explaining something - and I won't be able to slip it in my pocket like the Psion but if this is as good as it sounds I WANT ONE !
I also think it has potential.
I agree that we don't need it for heavy processing.
I'm searching one gadget for my spare-time chess and browsing for 6 months now and SA100 is the thing that mostly attracted my attention.
For a couple of years, I've been looking for a replacement for my Psion 5mx (still in daily use) - if I can get one of these SA1F00's deleivered to the UK, I WANT ONE