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Carrypad wins engadget competition?

Posted on 06 March 2006

Someone out there wants a carrypad too. I’ve just had a look at the results of last weeks ‘What Would Jobs Do’ design competition at Endadget and I have to say, I like the winner. In terms of form and size its got be the closest thing that i’ve seen to a carrypad. Adam K’s Apple Tablet.Of course, there’s no telling what might be inside this sexy little pearl-white gem, but the size and keyboard (at last) look almost spot on. (Maybe a little on the small side?)I tip my […]

Origami Pics Leaked!

Posted on 06 March 2006

[url=http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/leaked/origamibig.jpg][img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/leaked/origamismall.jpg[/img][/url]

OrigamiPortal received this leaked photo from an online source today and we decided to share it with our visitors.

If this is the actual final product, it’s pretty slick. And if it’s not, it’s a very nice mockup. The pic we have received shows a device that looks thinner than the ones shown in the Digital Kitchen video. And the UI is definitely some new handheld OS.

In the corner of the window there is the words Alexandria. (The logo kind of looks like the Alexandria library software.) I’m not sure what Alexandria is however.

The UI components seem to emulate what has been shown so far with Windows Vista over the last couple beta releases.

The one weird component is the word “podcast” on the right side tree. If this is real, would Microsoft include this by default in their menus?

And look at that, you can download Law and Order off of it for just $29.99! What a deal!

We will be deconstructing what we feel each of these buttons do in our next news post. In the meantime love the pic and comment on it if you know anything about it.

Also, looks like this story was added to Digg, so go digg the story higher [url=http://www.digg.com/technology/Actual_Leaked_Origami_Pics_Released_]here[/url]

Portable computing segments. Summary diagram. Feb 2006.

Posted on 04 March 2006

Previously, I have written a fair bit of text on defining the market segment for the Carrypad and also trying to establish which applications sit in which mobile computing market segment.To summarise and simplify a lot of my thinking, I have created a diagramatical view of the portable computing segments and the applications that sit within them. I’m really pleased with the way this diagram has turned out as it shows a lot of info in a very simple way. I’m sure Nokia, MS and others have similar diagrams in […]

New Microsoft Origami Renders

Posted on 04 March 2006

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origamigreenside.jpg[/img]

So I thought it would be fun today to go through the video and make a render of the Origami. So, I started watching and discovered that there are two different Origami systems shown. What???! That’s right two. Don’t believe me? Here are the pics.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origami1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origami2pic.jpg[/img]

So that meant that I had to do double work and make 2 different looking renders. Which would be hard, but I knew it had to be done.

So I whipped up the green one first and thought, “What should I make it doing on the screen?” Then it hit me, what else would you do with your Origami but visit Origamiportal.com right? I know that’s what I’ll do with it when I get one.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origamigreenfront2.jpg[/img]

Then I moved on the the other design that I hadn’t noticed earlier. which I personally think looks more sleek than the other version. this one I just copied the colors in the video instead of creating a brand new color scheme.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origamiside2white.jpg[/img]

And I didn’t forget the front view.
[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origamirenders/origami2pic2.jpg[/img]

All in all they turned out pretty good, so even though Microsoft says the Origami will look different when it comes out, at least I was able to make these sweet pictures.

Also, feel free to use the images on your website as long as you don’t remove the logo imaging.

Latest Origami Unfoldings

Posted on 03 March 2006

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/origami_prototype.jpg[/img]

[b]NY Times delves into Microsoft and Intel’s Plan[/b]

Let the speculation continue! Not much new to report today, but the New York Times had an interesting article up about the Intel-Microsoft connection on this project. The article described how Intel and Microsoft had previously acknowledged working on ultramobile PC’s, and how their focus was to design machines that did one thing very well, and the other features would be more complimentary. This opens up the possibility for several different models of the Origami Tablet PC, one that is geared toward gamers, another focusing on businessmen, one for medical uses, etc.

The rest of the article parrots much of what was stated in our news post yesterday, with a couple new details. They have quoted a Microsoft consultant as saying the first units will come in at about two pounds and have a limited battery life of three hours or so between charges. Read the whole NY Times article here.

[b]Microsoft Watch provides a glimpse of Origami Prototypes[/b]

[img align=right]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/samsung_prototype.jpg[/img]According to Microsoft Watch, Microsoft is hoping their new ultramobile PC will become a new type of computer: The Lifestyle PC. These Tablet PC’s are being designed to work mainly with touch and a stylus, but some prototypes are slated to have buttons on either side.

Samsung, which we have heard will be unveiling some type of UMPC at the CeBIT show, is rumored to have been working on one or more prototypes. James Kendrick posted a photo (see right) on his blog a while back of a convertible-style Tablet, that may be one of the prototypes. The photo at the top of this news post is another potential Origami prototype. Read the whole Microsoft Watch article here.

With all that said, we are still taking a wait-and-see approach to see which revelations will be proved true at the CeBIT conference.

Outstanding Origami Questions

Posted on 03 March 2006

Too many rumors flew about this week and by the end of it, we were all pretty much confused as to the details of the Origami and ultra mobile PC teasers. There’s some good reports at Origamiportal but lets face it, anything could change next week. In order to resolve some of my carrypad desires i’m looking for the following things next week. 5-7″ screen (looks like this will be the case) Mini-Keyboard – Totally unknown. No picture has shown a keyboard as part of the device. One or two […]

Origami shaping up to be a UMPC

Posted on 03 March 2006

Well, with another week to speculate about the Origami release, before the CeBIT conference starts on March 9, we figured now is as good a time as any to go over what we know so far about the Microsoft Origami Project and what we expect to find out in the next week.

First off, we know from the OrigamiProject site that this device will be a Mobile PC that is running Windows XP. More details are going to be announced on the site on March 9 with many people expecting Microsoft to release the full details on the project at the CeBIT conference on the same day. In addition, Microsoft has acknowledged they have been working on this project with partners, and have stated they will release more details in the coming weeks. Adding more detail to the project, Microsoft’s Richard Scoble confirmed the existence of Origami in a recent entry in his blog, saying that it would be a “fairly low-cost” portable device. Also, we have already learned from Engadget that Origami will run XP Tablet PC edition, and that the device will probably look more like the black unit displayed at WinHEC last year than the device shown in the promotional video.
[img align=right]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/umpc/umpchand.jpg[/img]
About that promotional video that was discovered on Digital Kitchen’s site: Although we now know this video is a year old, and much of what we have seen in the video might not resemble the final product, it does give us an idea of what Microsoft was striving for. Which is, some sort of mobile product that users can take with them and perform all types of different tasks on (GPS, watching a movie on a plane, recording signatures, saving sketches, jotting down notes in class, surfing the web in your lazy-boy, etc.). Tablet PC’s still haven’t taken off, and there is a chance these new UMPC (ultra-mobile personal computers) devices could jumpstart this market, and the Origami looks to play a key role.

Origami, Week 2, says Hi There

Posted on 02 March 2006

Well, the long awaited new flash promo about the Microsoft Origami is live at OrigamiProject.com. Check it out!

In the meantime, lets see what this ultraportable tablet PC is up to.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week2/opoening_screen.jpg[/img]
Origami wants to play hide-and-seek!

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week2/officebuilding.jpg[/img]
Hiding on top of office buildings might not be safe for kids but Origami doesn’t care.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week2/mountain.jpg[/img]
Origami goes for a relaxing mountain escape. Way up there in the mountains, all alone, with the sheep.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week2/beach.jpg[/img]
The beach is the spot to be, just ask Origami.

[img]http://www.origamiportal.com/origami/images/week2/datescreen_week2.jpg[/img]
Awww, looks like we’ll have to wait another week to see if the Origami really will cure cancer.

[b]Update (03/02/06 9:18 AM):[/b]
Interestingly enough, the html source on the page contains the following line: “Origami Project: the Mobile PC running Windows XP,” another little hint from Microsoft about what this device will be.

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