Ultra Mobile PC Update

The UMPC: Bigger than a PDA and smaller than a notebook.

For years, I've searched for the perfect notebook alternative. So far, I've not found anything that meets all my criteria. But when the first reports of Microsoft Origami-based devices emerged earlier this year, my hopes stirred.

Origami is the code-name for a new type of portable computer, the Ultra Mobile PC. UMPCs are, as the name implies, smaller and lighter than ultraportable notebooks but bigger than PDAs.

Samsung recently began selling the first UMPC for the U.S. market, the Samsung Q1. Is it the ideal notebook alternative? Read on.

The Samsung Q1 is a first-generation product. And like most such devices, it's expensive (list price: $1099), and the technology behind it has more than a few kinks. The reviews for the Q1 have ranged from lukewarm to scathing.

PC World's Dennis O'Reilly noted the many usability compromises imposed by UMPCs, including cramped screens, difficult navigation, truncated windows, and dialog boxes that open outside the viewable areas. He also lamented the lack of an optical drive. But he grudgingly said that either the Q1 or a similar device, TabletKiosk's EO ($1164), could be "the portable computer I've longed for," if their prices were lower. Both devices could replace a full-featured laptop "if you're willing to live with an overcrowded screen and a few costly but necessary add-ons," Dennis writes.

The New York Times' David Pogue was even less complimentary in his review of the Q1. The UMPC "aims to bridge the size gulf between a palmtop and a laptop, but winds up inheriting the worst aspects of each," he writes. "Like a palmtop, it feels claustrophobic, clumsy for text input and, with its exposed touch screen, vulnerable. Like a laptop, it's expensive, has short battery life and requires two hands to operate."

The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg reviewed the Q1--and panned it heavily. The device "is so deeply flawed in key respects that it amounts to little more than a toy for techies. For everyone else, it's impractical and frustrating. Unless the UMPC can evolve significantly beyond this first effort, it may wind up as a footnote in the history of personal computers, rather than an exciting new category. ... My advice is to skip the Q1, and hope that the next generation of the UMPC will be better."

If the mostly tepid reviews are a turnoff, don't fret. There are other ultracompact computers to consider, including Fujitsu's LifeBook P7120 and Motion Computing's LS800:

Fujitsu LifeBook P7120. A full-featured notebook weighing just 3 pounds, the LifeBook isn't cheap at about $2000. But it offers a two-battery option for extended use away from AC power and a comfortable-to-use keyboard, says PC World reviewer Carla Thornton.

Motion Computing LS800. This $1699 Tablet PC weighs only 2.2 pounds and is about the size of a paperback book. It's geared toward medical professionals and others who need a highly portable computer. Go to Motion Computing's site for details.

Are you using an ultra-small, ultra-lightweight computer? A PDA with accessories (such as an external keyboard) that serves as your notebook alternative? If so, tell me about it.

To power portable gadgets, Dwight Ricks of Salt Lake City relies on Charge 2 Go ($25), which lets you charge various cell phones using one AA battery. Charge 2 Go comes with one cell phone connector cable, but Dwight uses its female USB connector to charge several of his devices, including his Palm Treo 650 and various Apple iPods. Steve Bass mentions Charge 2 Go in a recent "Tips & Tweaks."

Hewlett-Packard has five new notebooks aimed at mobile professionals. The smallest is the HP Compaq nc2400 Notebook PC, which is less than an inch thick and weighs under 3 pounds. The notebook has a full-size keyboard and an internal optical disc drive. Pricing starts at $1599.

Using Voice over IP services on cell phones seems like a dandy idea. But if T-Mobile is your wireless carrier, you'd better read your contract's fine print: The company prohibits the use of VoIP services on its mobile phone networks.

T-Mobile is among the first wireless carriers to ban VoIP over its networks; its Web 'n' Walk service expressly prohibits such usage, and the company reserves the right to terminate contracts.

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.

James A. Martin

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