Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

andyb

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Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« on: February 26, 2006, 08:32:05 PM »

Well this looks worth a look go to kevins blog loads of links from there .

http://kevintwodotoh.com/2006/02/25/hardware/origami-video-the-real-deal.html

cool tool me thinks

Andy


« Last Edit: February 27, 2006, 09:15:15 AM by admin »	Logged

Graham

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2006, 10:23:25 PM »

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Microsoft and a number of it's hardware partners will launch "Origami" devices at the upcoming Cebit trade show in Germany, heralding a new wave of handheld devices, next week:

Quote

Microsoft has designed a new kind of handheld computer that does a lot more than most handheld gadgets and could cost much less as well.

A number of computer makers will introduce their versions of the Microsoft-designed ``ultramobile PCs'' at the Cebit computer trade show starting March 9 in Germany. The gadgets will offer entertainment -- video, games and music -- in addition to basic Windows-based functions like e-mail, Web surfing and word processing.

Code-named ``Origami,'' the computer is a handheld PC that is smaller and lighter than most laptops on the market today. But it includes the full Windows XP operating system and could run Windows Vista, Microsoft's successor operating system coming out this fall, according to a person familiar with the product.

Bill Mitchell, vice president of mobile platforms at Microsoft, said a couple of weeks ago at a conference that Microsoft hopes the handheld devices can sell for $500 to $800. That's much cheaper than similar Windows handhelds from San Francisco's OQO, which sells its device for $1,900 and up.

More...

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Who said PDA's were dead?

More on Origami via Microsoft's teaser site: http://www.origamiproject.com/


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James Clay

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2006, 10:15:02 AM »

The video I have

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/mHgkZ-yIQfM&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/mHgkZ-yIQfM&rel=0</a> certainly makes it an interesting looking product, especially when you consider that the video is over a year old.

There certainly is potential for its use as a learning device.

Some mockups I have seen do include a keyboard.


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James Clay
Gloucestershire College
http://elearningstuff.wordpress.com - http://jamesclay.jaiku.com - http://twitter.com/jamesclay

Graham

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2006, 09:39:37 AM »

An interesting summary of Origami at this link:

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/333/C6816/


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Graham

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2006, 09:50:06 AM »

A worth reading "from the horse's mouth" interview with Bill Mitchell, Microsofts VP for Windows Mobile Platforms Division may be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/mar06/03-09Mobile.mspx

Quote

Mitchell: UMPCs are a new category of mobile PCs designed to support our increasing mobile lifestyles. They support mobile-tuned user interface features such as touch, pen and dedicated buttons as well as keyboards for convenient access to Windows-based applications on-the-go. The extremely mobile nature of these devices, together with the richness of Windows PC technology, combine to create a powerful platform for mobile communications, entertainment, gaming and new scenarios such as location-based services as well. The "Origami" project is really our first step toward achieving a big vision. We believe that UMPCs will eventually become as indispensable and ubiquitous as mobile phones are today. We are working toward that goal with a sequence of advances in hardware and software. Our next step along the roadmap will take place in the Windows Vista release timeframe. But today’s UMPCs are a great choice for all those situations when you’re on the go, but need to keep informed, entertained and connected via the full functionality of a Windows PC

You'll need big hands for this one Grin

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Graham

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2006, 01:36:56 PM »

Some further articles appearing on Origami that maybe of interest:

Is Microsoft's Origami Just a Paper Tiger?
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1705803&page=1

Quote

Though Microsoft spent a significant amount of effort promoting Origami, many in the gadget community are scratching their heads.

"Both in terms of form factor and functionality, it's somewhere between a laptop computer and a sort of portable media player — or high-end PDA," said Ross Rubin, an analyst with NPD group. "I think that we may see some software developed for it that will establish it as a more unique option, but as of today, it's just a smaller, keyboard-less, notebook."

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Ultra-mobile Origami looks a winner
http://www.vnunet.com/personal-computer-world/news/2151649/ultra-mobile-origami-looks

Quote

The Q1 UMPC (see picture) looks like it will be a winner, even without Origami. It will sell for less than 1,000 euros and weighs just 779gm with a 7in touch screen. It also has a 40GB hard drive, 512MB of Ram and Bluetooth 2.

According to the specs it supports only 11b Wifi, not the faster 11g, and it uses a low-drain low-voltage Celeron processor.

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The Other Origami Device: Asustek's R2H
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/001608.html

Quote

"Like Samsung's Q1, R2H is based upon an Intel's 900 MHz Ultra Low Voltage Celeron M. The R2H has a 7-inch active matrix display with a 800-by-480 pixel resolution. The screen is touch sensitive in order to take advantage of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC edition with its integrated handwriting recognition.

"Microsoft today showed a set of applications (called the "Touch Pack") which will ship with the version of Windows tailored for the UMPCs. The apps are fitted to the limited resolution, and Microsoft added some goodies like a Sudoku game and a special version of Windows Media Player.

"Asustek says it is going to sell the R2H in two versions. The more expensive device has a GPS antenna on top and can be used with any car navigation software which runs with Windows XP

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Origami looks paper-thin
As Microsoft's new handheld unfolds, analysts say it's too pricey and unfocused.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/09/technology/business2_origami/

Quote

Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research who tracks the digital device industry, says that Origami UMPCs will excite early adopters. Gartenberg sees the geek set carrying them around as "reference devices" used to quickly check e-mail or look up documents.

But the UMPC faces several hurdles on the road to mass adoption. The biggest shortcoming is its three-hour battery life, which is a quarter of Apple's (Research) iPod, which can also play video, and much less than that of a high-end smartphone, which can check e-mail and display office documents.

"This is yet another failed attempt to jam everything into one device," says Pip Coburn, technology strategist with Coburn Ventures, a New York-based investment advisory firm. "The way I see it, they don't really know what they want it to be."

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Graham

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2006, 12:31:47 PM »

Microsoft's

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/mHgkZ-yIQfM&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/mHgkZ-yIQfM&rel=0</a> for Origami reminded me of Apple's concept video for "The Knowledge Navigator" from 1987, based on some of the concepts of Alan Kay, which I managed to locate here:

http://www.digibarn.com/collections/movies/contributed/knowledge_navigator.mov

You'll need the QuickTime plug-in to view it. In my opinion, it's well worth watching and reminding yourself that this video was made in 1987!

Some background to the Knowledge Navigator project may be found here:

http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2003/10/23.html

and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Navigator


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David Perry

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2006, 02:49:27 PM »

I guess the four things that are emerging from the Wolverhampton project as essentials for transforming learning through anytime/anywhere ICT access are (in this order):

Long battery life
Instant on
Pocketability
Cost

Looks like Origami fails on only four of these. I see its future, if it has one, as a media player without the operating system being booted (what does XP cost?).

As I said in my Naace presentation at Torquay, I wish I'd got a photo of the guy I saw on London Bridge station trying to keep his briefcase safe under one arm whilst booting up his laptop with it resting on one knee - foot up on a low railing - one hand holding the laptop the other switching it on. He was probably just looking for a phone number that he didn't have on his mobile ;-)

Could he have got an Origami out of his pocket, switched it on, booted in an instant, fired up the right app and scrolled to the phone number all with one hand? I can with my PDA.

David Perry


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James Clay

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Re: Microsoft origami project A5 tablet

« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2006, 09:49:02 AM »

Just as an aside, one of things I like about Apple laptops is their instant response from standby, open the lid, it's on, close the lid it's off.

Compared to Windows Standby or Hibernation it is like a PDA.

Obviously booting from cold takes a little longer, 15-18 seconds on a MacBook Pro.

There are lots of rumours around that there may be a Mac Tablet at some point, it would be interesting to see an Apple version of the UMPC format (and with Apple's switch to Intel it certainly is a possibility).

One of the useful aspects of the HP TC1100 Tablet PC is QuickLook which allows you to access your Outlook Data (and other information) without needing to boot up Windows. Alas it is read only, but it would have helped that guy on the bridge...

Wink