HP's UMPC 2133 revealed

We've just received these images of HP's rumored UMPC. Honestly, we have no reason to doubt their authenticity. The HP Compaq 2133 "lifestyle accessory" features a big, scratch resistant 8.9-inch 1366 x 766 (WXGA) display, ExpressCard/54 slot, Wireless LAN, nearly full-sized QWERTY (95% of full), integrated webcam, and optional SSD in a 2.5-pound anodized aluminum sex pot running Vista or Linux. Or so say the tipped images. Funny how the once keyboard-less UMPC-class device has now morphed into an Eee PC-like mini. Still, if this is what we can expect from the UMPC crowd come Silverthorne then you can count us in, HP.

Gallery: HP's UMPC 2133 revealed

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[m16 @ Feb 19th 2008 7:36AM]

Im guessing its going to cost 4x as much as an Eee...

[Geert @ Feb 19th 2008 8:29AM]

A machine without touchscreen cannot be considered an UMPC, don't get me wrong but this is just a small form factor laptop and that's all. Still looks interesting though.

[Ricardo @ Feb 19th 2008 10:51AM]

Geert, I don't see a T (from Touchscreen) on UMPC.

Not that I disagree though, but UMPCS aren't required to have a touchscreen, unlike tablet PCs, which by the way can also be UMPCs.

UMPC refers exclusively to size, not to features.

[Jeff Lewis @ Feb 19th 2008 11:22AM]

@Ricardo

I'm afraid you are incorrect.

The term "UMPC" was coined by Microsoft and Intel as part of the Origami Project. There are a very clearly defined set of requirements for one.

A UMPC MUST have a touchscreen between 5" and 7". That's in the spec. That means that this is NOT a UMPC because the screen is too large and it isn't a touch screen.

Here are the details: http://www.intel.com/products/mid/index.htm?iid=personal+prod_mid_umpc

[Kyle @ Feb 19th 2008 1:06PM]

going to have to go ahead and agree the way I understand it:

UMPC - Ultra Mobile PC, sort of a small Tablet PC
Ultra Portable - Small Compact Size Laptop minus the touchscreen

[MonteVale @ Feb 19th 2008 2:22PM]

yeah I believe it seeing the market right after I see the HTC shift.
With the exception of few useless and mostly keyboardless devices - There are no and I mean NO usefull umpcs sold in the retail stores.
Hopefully with Dell being able to have this product on the market it will shift the table and we start seing some models from the rest of the manufacurers who distribute through regular retal chains.

[Thunderbuck @ Feb 19th 2008 2:49PM]

Meh...

I was really stoked when I heard HP was doing a UMPC; I figured they had a half-decent chance to make something new. Possibly an interesting new never-before-tried form factor.

What we got instead is an okay-looking little ultra-portable laptop. Too big to fit in a jacket pocket, too small for gaming.

[Armen @ Feb 19th 2008 4:20PM]

I prefer my Samsung Q1U's form factor to this. Samsung has found the best form-factor for UMPCs so far. I plug in the USB keyboard when I need it and when I want to lay back in the armchair I take the deivce only. It has a wonderful grip (enough space at the sides) for holding it in two hands. And the little qwerty keyboard is a wonderful addition (from original Q1) because it allows me to enter short texts easily, like web addresses, log in information, searching text, etc. I'm very happy with my Samsung Q1U.

[Naveed @ Feb 19th 2008 9:28PM]

that looks bad ass. I was losing faith in HP but things seem to be changing. I just got off the phone with hp and they are offering me a brand new dv2700t in place of my old zd7000 since it died on me one too many times. Best phone call ive had with HP in 4 years. And now this? This actually looks like a quality product. Unless the specs much better, it would be hard to imagine an HP thats moroe expensive than a relatively similar ASUS

Is this for HP Business? or Office & Home?

[starkruzr @ Feb 19th 2008 10:20PM]

This machine has Firewire and a built-in Ethernet port. It is not in the same class as the Eee.

[Jason @ Feb 20th 2008 7:27AM]

It's true that early form of UMPC has certain specs defined, like a 5-7" touch screen. But this is a fast evolving segment and we're at the beginning of a new wave of low cost, ultra mobile laptops that will eventually flood the market. These tiny laptops will get cheaper and more powerful over the next five years, and possibly replace the touch-screen based UMPC.

If that happens, the term "UMPC" will be used to referred to these small form laptops, regardless of the existence of a touch screen.

[trumpton @ Feb 19th 2008 7:36AM]

Yes. But how much does it cost?!

[Jason @ Feb 19th 2008 10:28AM]

Well... the rumor was:

"HP reportedly said that "you won't even need to consider this purchase," adding that, "you'll buy it like a handphone without a thought"."

Which means it CAN NOT be more than $600.

[dennis @ Feb 19th 2008 10:58AM]

I'm fascinated to find out what HP considers to be a price so low that no one will think twice about it. I also want to know what the processor will be.

[Ryan Valle @ Feb 20th 2008 1:18AM]

if that's the case, the only price i dont htink about is FREE

[WooWoo @ Feb 26th 2008 7:29AM]

$499 at entry level. Unfortunately, it's saddled with a VIA proc at that price point.

[Prax @ Feb 19th 2008 7:38AM]

Is it just me or are the mouse buttons in really odd places? Other then that it looks pretty nice, still like my eee for the price point though.

[Homeboy @ Feb 19th 2008 7:56AM]

The location of the buttons aren't that crazy if you think about it. On my laptop I use my middle finger as a pointer, tap with my index finger and scroll/right click with my ring finger. It will take a few moments to get used to the locations of the buttons but will most likely feel very natural after a while. Either way I want this baby but with XP. HP has done a terrible job updating or providing perfect drivers for my high end "Vista capable" Pavilion.

[Michael @ Feb 19th 2008 9:39AM]

No offense Homeboy but that's just friggin weird. I use my index finger for everything. From what I've seen most people do.

[Homeboy @ Feb 19th 2008 10:38AM]

Michael: Mi ez Pr0gämed to meJk jous of al me fengerz!!

[/CODE]

[dennis @ Feb 19th 2008 10:48AM]

Yes, Homeboy is crazy. Crazy ... like a fox!

[Corazu @ Feb 19th 2008 4:21PM]

I actually use my middle finger when using my touchpad also, my buttons are on the bottom, which makes it awkward (I wish they were on top) so side buttons would actually be cool, definitely a great way to save a bit of space.

Middle finger feels more natural to me on the touchpad.

[Matt @ Apr 8th 2008 12:52PM]

I use my middle finger and pointer finger to click. If I use my index finger on the pad what should I click with? My thumb? That means you have to contort your thumb and bunch it up your index finger. Middle finger is the way to go!

[Jagannath A @ Feb 19th 2008 7:42AM]

'sexy' would be an understatement...

[L @ Feb 19th 2008 7:56AM]

Yepp. W-A-N-T! N-A-O-W!

This is the greatest sub-subnotebook I've ever seen. The screen-res is fantastic, and the apparently almost full-size keyboard is great too.

[Eric @ Feb 19th 2008 7:44AM]

Wow that is badass.
Hope that comes out really soon.

[Carlos Reyes B. @ Feb 19th 2008 7:47PM]

This laptop is really ugly.

[bob e @ Feb 19th 2008 7:43AM]

OMG I must have one :>

But does it fit in an envelope...

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Feb 19th 2008 4:34PM]

Anything fits in an envelope. They make envelope in different sizes, you know.

[Homeboy @ Feb 19th 2008 7:44AM]

-Since when is 8.9 on a laptop considered to be large??

-If SSD is optional then what on earth is under the bonnet, a 80GB 1.8inch HDD??

-What's the battery life that they bragged about the other day. Considering the relatively high weight for such a small device it better be very long.

-If HP wants us to goggle it like a handphone it better cost under €/$400 otherwise I'm not interested.

[Jose Mendiola @ Feb 19th 2008 7:59AM]

That's odd: a UMPC without touch screen??

[Erwos @ Feb 19th 2008 8:02AM]

Not a surprise, really. This form factor doesn't lend itself to touchscreens, unless you can swivel it like a hybrid tablet.

[Matthew @ Feb 19th 2008 7:52AM]

why do computer companies insist on designing these portable laptops with fugly 1" borders around the screen? Seriously, look at all the 7"-10" screened laptops. They all have the fugly borders that could be used for extra screen space.

[Blackster @ Feb 19th 2008 7:54AM]

look closer -> those are speaker ;)

[Jagannath A @ Feb 19th 2008 7:57AM]

extra screen space = more $$$ doh

[Homeboy @ Feb 19th 2008 8:02AM]

The "extra" space is a result of the manufacturers choosing a small screen in order to make the device as portable as possible. I can guarantee you that if was to increase the size of the screen with 1-2 inches then both the weight, battery size and price would increase notability. Not to mention decreased battery life.

[Matthew @ Feb 19th 2008 8:04AM]

Blackster
There are other places for the speakers like in the keyboard if you have to

Jagannath A
If I'm already paying over a grand for this thing I'd pay an extra $100 to have it not resemble one of those kid computer toys with a 2 inch LED screen and 8" border I saw at Wal-mart the other day.

[Erwos @ Feb 19th 2008 8:12AM]

It's because manufacturers can't always just order custom LCDs for their devices - if they did, costs would be prohibitive on lower-quantity items. Same reason you can't buy a motherboard with _exactly_ the mix of inputs and features you might want - what's on the market is what you get to choose.

[giuliop @ Feb 19th 2008 9:15AM]

"It's because manufacturers can't always just order custom LCDs for their devices"

So, is an "8.9-inch 1366 x 766" pretty standard, in your opinion?

"Same reason you can't buy a motherboard with _exactly_ the mix of inputs and features you might want - what's on the market is what you get to choose."

Maybe you and I get to choose what's on the market, but large manufacturers don't. Case in point, Dell and HP have lots of custom motherboards.

[Erwos @ Feb 19th 2008 9:24AM]

Yes, actually, I would expect more 8.9" 1366x768 LCDs in the future. _Someone_ has got to be first. Why not HP?

And, again, it's all about production runs and costs. A custom mobo run isn't as expensive as a custom LCD run, from what I understand. If it was so cheap, everyone would be doing custom LCDs.

[giuliop @ Feb 19th 2008 10:19AM]

Ah, so this never-seen-before LCD is standard because you would expect to see more in the future; also it was convenient for HP to put in this PC because someone has got to be first, and why not HP. Yeah. Right.

Undefeatable logic, I guess.

[Corazu @ Feb 19th 2008 4:24PM]

I'm quite sure I have seen an 8.9" LCD before. Go look at I think, Toshiba or Fujitsu. They have one or two, tablet UMPCs.

[adrian @ Feb 19th 2008 12:20PM]

Seriously. This is it !!!

HP say that the cost of this will be inconsequential.

When I look at what I use my PC for;

Surfing the Web - 60%
Sending Email - 15%
Low grade Excel work - 5%
Control of Entertainment devices (Slingbox, Sonos etc) - 20%

When I need really processing power, for Linked, Multi- table lookups in Excel and Access to really crunch numbers, I use a WORK desktop with 4GB RAM. This is WORK, not PLAY.

HP send me an invoice.

[asbestos @ Feb 19th 2008 9:31AM]

Until you can flip the screen around and use it as a mini tablet PC I for sure won't get one.

I keep waiting for something truly evolutionary instead of just a "mini" laptop.

Oh well, till then....

[Baz @ Feb 19th 2008 8:04AM]

Now if only it wasn't a Compaq....

And this from a person whose first notebook was the Compaq Aero subnotebook, had a 3 yr warranty (remember those?) and which worked wonderfully well at the time.

Compaq's rep now puts it somewhere much closer to Packard Bell than Hewlett Packard. Its the poor man's Lada.

No matter. I still have my eee....

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 19th 2008 10:48AM]

Ummm Baz I hate to break it to you Compaq IS HP. They are only a name at this point. HP has so throughly canalized Compaq that the only real thing left of them are what remains of their PDA brand, their name, and their servers...oh and Smartstart. Never forget Smartstart. compared to HP's prior crap its a godsend.

[wtfbollos @ Mar 5th 2008 8:57PM]

let's not forget DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) that Compaq previously swallowed up, with their storage works and redundant architecture and wonderful DCL scripting language.

let's also not forget the Alpha chip, 64 bit computing in 1992!

VMS still is the best server OS in the world ;)

[Erwos @ Feb 19th 2008 8:04AM]

Missing info:
1. What's the external display output? DVI? HDMI? VGA? I looked at those pictures, and couldn't really tell.
2. Does it have Bluetooth? It isn't mentioned in the specs, but neither is the resolution.
3. Does it have a dock or port replicator?

If the answers are DVI/HDMI, yes, and yes, I'm definitely very interested.

[Jason @ Feb 20th 2008 4:29AM]

Pictures show a VGA port. As for Bluetooth, I dunno. Docking station ... doubtful

[Itchy Pajamas @ Feb 19th 2008 8:10AM]

It does look compact and sexy, but it reminds me of the Sony T-series (TX, TZ) which I've found frustrating to use. As much as I covet a minimal footprint, I've been much happier with a different take on "small and light" -- the MacBook Air.