Microsoft and Samsung launch new Ultra Mobile PC

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Samsung and Microsoft have joined forces to launch a new Ultra Mobile PC (formerly known as Origami) platform. The unit will go on sale next April and will cost less than $1,000. The cool new device can be categorized somewhere in between a Laptop and hand-held Portable Media Center.

Microsoft came up with the name "Ultra Mobile PC" to represent a smaller, more multimedia oriented version of it's Tablet PC. Microsoft believes UMPC's will become as popular and widely used as mobile phones are today.

At the moment the new device supports a 2005 Tablet PC version of Windows XP but will also support Windows Vista once available to consumers.

Microsoft claims the device will weigh less than 2lbs and support 800x480 and 1024x600 resolution. Also included will be the new "Touch Pack", a software add-on which includes a thumb-based touch-screen keyboard as well as a Sudoku game. The Ultra Mobile PC will also consist of a 30GB HD, built in WiFi as well as USB 2.0 support or a built in PC card slot.

Microsoft's Mobile Platform Division general manager, Otto Berkes also mentions,

The units have VOIP as a key scenario

In other words, it will be ready for telephony as well.

Berkes had many good things to say about the overall design of Samsung's Ultra Mobile PC and praised it's aesthetics as well as functionality.