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Samsung intros two new Q1 Ultra UMPCs: one with Vista Business, one with HSDPA
The next-generation Q1 Ultra may be due next year, but Sammy's trying to squeeze every bit of life it can out of the current iteration with two new flavors. Announced today, the Q1U-CMXP boasts an integrated HSDPA 3G cellular modem, while the Q1UP-V is a Q1 Ultra Premium featuring Vista Business. As for the former, it includes just about every connectivity option you could wish for: 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Ethernet and a WWAN modem that connects to the AT&T Broadband Connect network; outside of the one new feature, however, the specifications are the same as the standard Q1 Ultra XP model that was launched in May of 2007. Both newcomers (if you can call 'em that) are available as we speak for $1,499 and $1,449 in order of mention.
Samsung says next-gen Q1 UMPC due next year
Even though UMPCs have been overshadowed by competitors like the Eee and even to a certain extent by all those upcoming MIDs, it looks like Samsung's staying committed to the concept two years after the Q1 first launched in the US. Jeongseon Euh, Samsung's "Q1 guy," recently told Tech Radar that about 100,000 Q1 and the Q1 Ultras have shipped out, mostly to education customers, and that's good enough for a 65 percent share of the (admittedly small) UMPC market. That's also good enough for Samsung to keep at it, and Euh says the third generation of the Q1 should land early next year. No word on what specs we might see, but with all the Atom-based action going on lately, we think we might have an idea of where things are headed.
OS X made to run on a Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium
With all the Psystar-related drama going on in the OSx86 scene this week, it's easy to overlook the fact that people are doing some pretty wild things with the community-led project -- we've already seen OS X boot on a Sony Vaio UX, and now the crew at jkOnTheRun have managed to shoehorn it on to a Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC. The Q1's 1.33GHz Core Solo and upgraded 2GB of RAM are enough to run Leopard smoothly, it seems -- Apple sold Mac Minis with similar specs a while back, after all -- and while not everything works exactly right, it appears the digitizer is recognized, allowing Ink to work. It's not perfect, as there are some calibration issues, but it's a fun little peek into what an OS X tablet might look like -- minus the command button, of course.
Samsung said to be prepping lower cost, education-minded Q1 Ultra
Samsung's already busted out a handful of different Q1 Ultra models, but it looks like it's now come up with yet another variation to throw out there, this one aimed at the education market. According to Pocket-lint, Samsung is dishing out this latest incarnation in order to compete with Asus' upcoming 9-inch, Windows-based Eee PC, although it's not quite going head-to-head with it in terms of price, with this particular model apparently set to demand £399 (or just over $800) when it hits the UK next month (no word on a release 'round these parts). While complete specs are still a bit light at the moment, the new Q1 will apparently drop the spiffy dual camera and cut back on the hard drive to keep the cost down.
Hands-on with Samsung's Q1 Ultra UMPC
Meet the WiBrain B1's bigger, meaner brother -- the Samsung Q1 Ultra. We've been lovingly gazing at pictures of this behemoth for some time now, but we finally got a chance to toss it around at ye old CES this year. Truth? It's kind of messed up looking, and that keypad isn't any easier to use than it looks. For some reason, Samsung thought the layout should slant downward, but we can't say why. At any rate, the model we had was running Vista -- if a bit slowly -- and had a pretty nice looking display. Hit the gallery and see the goods for yourself. %Gallery-13260%
Samsung announces Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC
Samsung's topping out its UMPC lineup with the new high-end Q1 Ultra Premium. The unit runs Windows XP Tablet -- much to the chagrin of Microsoft, we're sure -- and boasts a $1,400 pricetag. Inside there's a 1.33GHz ULV Intel Core Solo U1500 processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The 57.7 watt hour 6-cell battery has a purported 7.5 hours of battery life, and the whole unit comes in under two pounds. The main exterior addition is the split-QWERTY keypad 1.5, which improves upon the last model with larger keys for easier text entry. There's also a docking station and external keyboard packaged with the Premium. Otherwise the device matches up with the Q1 Ultra, with a 80GB 1.8-inch HDD, Bluetooth 2.0, SD card slot and 1.3 megapixel webcam. The Premium should be available now, and Samsung says it'll be dropping prices on its existing UMPCs to make room for the new model.[Via jkkmobile]
Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
We aren't generally ones to pass along gadget deals, but every so often an opportunity pops up that just seems too interesting to ignore. Merely 1.5 years after the highly-anticipated Q1 hit shelves for $1,100, the UMPC is available now (in refurbished fashion) for nearly half of that. Granted, you won't be buying Sammy's latest and greatest Q1, but maybe that inexplicably short battery life won't bother you so much when you're only shelling out $579.99. So, now that this thing has reached new lows (in price, that is), will you finally buy in, or will you try and squeeze one more year out that Newton?[Thanks, Ben]
Samsung's Q1 Ultra Mobile PC gets Ultra Premium, dude
Man, with words like "Ultra" (twice) and "Premium" in its name, you'd think that Samsung's latest bump to their UMPC platform -- the Q1 Ultra Mobile PC Ultra Premium -- would be something to shout about. Unfortunately, it's just their 7-inch Q1 Ultra done up with a 1.33GHz ULV Core Solo CPU. A nice increase in raw power, for sure. Yay?
Samsung announces three new Q1 Ultra models
While they aren't updates on the order of the refresh to the original Q1, Samsung has apparently decided that it was time to give the Q1 Ultra a bit more company, with it today announcing not one, but three new models. On the low end of the lot, the Q1U-ELXP gets a 600MHz A100 Ultra Mobile processor and a 40GB hard drive with a list price of $999. Taking things up a notch, the $1149 Q1U-XP boasts a 800MHz A110 processor and an 80GB hard drive, while the $1649 Q1U-SSDXP unit packs the same processor and a speedier but pricier 32GB NAND flash drive. From the looks of it, all the other specs remain the same as the standard Q1 Ultra, with Windows XP Tablet Edition serving as the OS. From the sound of it, all three should be available from the all usual sources immediately.[Via DigitalTechNews]
Mossberg reviews Samsung Q1 Ultra: "finally an acceptable choice"
Walt Mossberg didn't pull any punches when he reviewed the first Samsung UMPC, calling the out the Q1 for its lack of a keyboard, low screen resolution, short battery life, and high price. Well, Samsung apparently took those criticisms to heart, because ol' Unkie Walt says that the Q1 Ultra is "a giant improvement" and shows that "Samsung is serious about this." Mossberg also says that while the split thumbpad keyboard takes some getting used to, it's perfectly usable, although you won't be cranking out any Word docs on it. Battery life, at three hours, still doesn't impress Walt, and price is still an issue, but overall, he says the Q1 Ultra is a good choice for students, frequent travelers, and other people who don't do a lot of document creation but still want to take notes and write email on the go. That's a huge endorsement for the UMPC platform if you ask us, but we'll have to see what consumers think this time around.
Samsung's Q1 Ultra released, starts at $799
Samsung's getting all cutesy on us by launching the new Q1 Ultra exactly a year after the Q1 first arrived on shelves May 7, 2006. Luckily for us, May 7, 2007 is looking to be a bit more exciting for the UMPC lovers among us, since Samsung has boosted the battery life to a "minimum" 4.5 hours, added an LED backlit 1024 x 600 screen and stuck plenty of wireless connectivity into the new unit. The split-QWERTY keyboard held up well in our initial, informal encounters, but that's the largest departure for the new device, and hopefully it does indeed mark an end to UMPC input woes. But despite all those spec enhancements, the best news is the price: Samsung's starting these out at $799, not cheap enough to start a revolution, but at least edging the UMPC away from its current luxury status.
How would you change the UMPC?
Let's face it: even the folks over at sites like UMPC Buzz and Only UMPC would have to admit that the much-vaunted Origami platform from Microsoft, Intel, and friends hasn't exactly taken the world by storm, and although the second round of these devices promises to offer a host of improvements (see: Q1 Ultra), there are still a number of problems that have yet to be addressed. Sure, future tech like flexible displays and 10-hour fuel cells would be great, but what could manufacturers be doing right now to make UMPCs a more attractive buy? That's the question we're posing to you, dear readers, and we'll get you started with the following suggestions: Higher resolution displays across the board (with smartphones already going VGA, we shouldn't be settling for no 800 x 600 here) Better input methods (forget styli and on-screen keyboards: we want tactile thumboards (not split, either!) and / or voice / gesture recognition) As usual, bring the prices down!
Samsung prepping Q1 Ultra for May
Alrighty, we've got ourselves a release window for the Q1 Ultra; Samsung's busting this thing out in May, which means we have about a month to figure out if we're willing to sacrifice the slickness of the onscreen keyboard foisted upon us by 1st generation UMPCs with the actual convenience of being able to type. While that added width might look a tad frumpy, what's clear is that the specs and connectivity here are enough to melt the hardest of hearts -- for instance, that 1024 x 600 LED backlit LCD isn't going to hurt anyone's feelings. As it so happens, May will mark the one year anniversary of the Q1, oh how time flies when you're stuck in unproductive tablet / handheld limbo.
Samsung thinking about a cheaper Q1 Ultra
Samsung's Q1 Ultra UMPC barely has any fingerprints on it yet, but the company's already talking about possibly adding another Q1 to the mix, letting out word of its potential plans during the brouhaha at CeBIT. According to InfoWorld, the new Q1 wouldn't be an upgrade to the Q1 Ultra, but rather a cheaper version designed to appeal to more users. Of course, the company's not saying much more than that, only that one possible way to reduce costs would be to use a different processor, including one from a supplier other than Intel. What's more, Samsung also reportedly mentioned that it's planning on equipping "some" Q1 Ultra units with its new hybrid disk drive, which boasts some NAND flash memory to back up the traditional hard disk, resulting in faster boot times and lower power consumption. Unfortunately, there's not many specifics on that either, with Samsung exec H.S. Kim only going so far as to say that they're planning on adding the drive "some day in the near future."
Hands-on with Samsung's Q1 Ultra, Ultra Mobile PC
After bringing you the exclusive details on Samsung's Q1 Ultra UMPC, we got the chance today to get down and dirty with Samsung's second generation UMPC here at the big CeBIT show. Now, let us tell you something right up front: it's here, UMPC v2 is finally here. The Q1 Ultra brings a smaller form factor, lighter weight, integrated thumb-board, HSDPA data, 60GB disk, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Vista Home Premium running on a 7-inch ,1,024 x 600 WSVGA screen. Hell, it will even pack WiBro data when introduced into the S.Korean market in a few months. As to the processor? Surprise, we received confirmation that the 800MHz Intel processor is an unannounced dual-core (not Core Duo) ultra-low voltage processor that Intel will be announcing in the next few months -- so that's 800MHz on each core. The Origami Experience made finger-tip control of media on the Q1 Ultra a slippery-smooth experience while the keyboard provided plenty of tactile squishiness -- a luxury our sausage thumbed brethren will have to pass on since the keys are very (very) close together. Click on through the gallery below for plenty of steamy hot pics of ultra portable goodness. Damn, did we really just say that about a UMPC?%Gallery-2125%
Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC, how nice to meet you
At risk of life and limb, we got up close and personal with Samsung's second generation UMPC: the Q2 Q1 Ultra. What did we find? Nothing, the Q1 Ultra, Ultra Mobile PC (so nice, they named it twice?) is exactly what we heard. Still, in what may be a first, this UMPC actually looks better in person than it does in the collateral. We couldn't actually get hands-on with the unit. For that we'll have to wait until tomorrow. We're dying to know about the chipset powering the Vista Home Premium pre-load. In the mean time, check the pics and official specs in the gallery below.Update: We've spotted some detailed specs here. Oddly, the Q1 Ultra runs an 800MHz processor, compared to the Q1P's 1GHz. Prices are at $1,300 to $2,000 "depending on the processor," so we'll keep an eye out for other options.Update: Check out the press shots we added to this gallery.%Gallery-2114%
Samsung Q1 Ultra (Q2) launching at CeBIT
See that? That's right, it's the Q2 UMPC all grown up and set for launch at CeBIT 2007 under a new name: the Q1 Ultra. We just pulled the image above direct from Samsung Taiwan's CeBIT teaser site. The name is fitting we guess, as Samsung looks to align their latest UMPC with their other high-end Ultra-branded devices. Look for the official unveiling Thursday to mark the the first anniversary of the UMPC launch by Intel and Microsoft. My how time flies when you're experimenting with a new mobile platform. [Via UMPC news, thanks Stasys]
