ultra mobile PC specifications and considerations.
Operating system choices.
Choices on operating system in 2006 where limited to Windows XP and a couple of devices running Linux. In 2007 however, we have Windows Vista in the mix and a recent announcement that Intel will support further versions of Linux that will be aimed at the consumer end of the market. If you already have a desktop PC and you run Windows, you might find it easier to get used to a Windows-based UMPC. Bear in mind that in the long-run, it doesn’t always mean that it will be the most efficient choice but generally, users are happier when they don’t have to change their known user interface. The choice between Vista and XP depends on the hardware. The recommendation today is that XP is generally better than XP on currently available hardware due to the maturity of the driver software. There are a few devices being marketed now with Windows Vista pre-installed and there will be more available in the later part of 2007. Vista is widely acknowledged as having a much better touch/handwriting support so if you are considering a slate type device, Vista could be a good option. Upgrading from XP to Vista is not recommended for the average user.
Windows CE and Windows Mobile devices are available but as time goes on, the limitations of the processing power and browser software are becoming more and more apparent. As a ‘thin client’ type of device that might use remote desktop or remote PC software to access and control a remote device over an IP network they can make cheap and very efficient devices but as standalone devices, limitations will become apparent with advanced web browsing (Flash, flash video, dynamic html, Ajax code) and with some media playback.
During the later part of 2007 Ubuntu and RedFlag will release versions of their Linux distributions that will include optimised interfaces and good support for the hardware. We can’t make any comment on these operating systems yet but they could be a nice solution for someone looking for an appliance type device to be used for web-based activities, internet communications and media playback. Pricing on these devices should be noticeably less than with Microsoft Windows based devices. The Linux based devices are likely to have much less support for handwriting recognition.
Apple and Palm are not in the ultra mobile PC market yet.
Disk space
Consider your disk-space requirements. Some people find 30GB to be restrictive. Others, that don’t need to take a video library with them, will find 30GB to be more than enough for storage requirements. In terms of performance, you might choose a faster rotational speed (5400 RPM for example) or for power economy, a small (1.8†4200 RPM) drive. Later in 2006 hybrid flash or flash-only drive options could be available. These will save power but will come with a price premium. Another trend that needs to be considered is remote storage. Web-based storage is advancing in it capabilities and the pricing is coming down. Remote streaming of personal music video collections is becoming a real possibility. Cost of mobile internet access is the major consideration in this case. Examples to consider are Google applications (mail, documents) or Glide (an online operating system that can provide many features normally associated with local application suites.)
Screen size.
Screen sizes range from about 4 inches to 10″ The most common resolution is 800×480 but on a 4″ screen, this can be hard to read. Some devices have screens that support higher resolutions. This can be very useful where you are using software that is not optimised for an 800×480 screen. 800×480 is the minimum needed to efficiently browse websites. Most UMPC’s have 7″ screens and a resolution of 800×480 with some newer devices starting to use the very nice 1024×600 resolution. Take a look at the Pixels Per Inch (PPI) figures available on the product comparison page. PPI figures over 250 can be difficult to use with standard text sizes. We’ve found the optimal PPI size to be around 160-200.
Connectivity options.
Physical connections. The most flexible and widely used interface is USB2.0. Through the USB connector you’ll be able to attach external disk drives, printers, DVD writers, wireless LAN modules, Bluetooth modules and many other devices. Fortunately, all UMPC’s have USB ports. FireWire is a similar style of connectivity but not so common so if you expect to download data using this method, you’ll need to look carefully at the specifications. Other connection types to consider are below. Many are commonly found on UMPCs but some, such as PCMCIA, PC-Express and HDMI are not often found.
VGA, MIC-in, Line-in (audio), SD card slot, FireWire (IEEE 1394), PCMCIA (Cardbus, PC-Card), Line-out (audio), SPDIF-out (digital audio), Ethernet 10/100/1000, Docking connector, RS-MMC Slot, Video-out (analogue), RJ-11 (Modem), Compact Flash slot, Memory Stick slot, Mobile sim-card slot, Headset i/f (combined Mic+Line), HDMI (HD video), ExpressCard 54/1
Wireless connectivity. The most important connection on your ultra mobile PC is the connection to the Internet and this is generally achieved through the use of a wireless data connection. For wireless connectivity in the home, in hotels, coffee shops and airports, WiFi is a must-have. WiFi types 802.11b (11mbps) and 802.11g (54mbps) are common. Support for 802.11a is not available on all devices. WiFi is good for internet access in static locations but what about internet access on the go?
Cellular internet access, as provided by many mobile phone operators is gaining in popularity, speed and value and can be use for on-the-go internet access in most populated areas either via a mobile phone or via a built-in cellular data modem that you can find on some UMPCs today. The connection method, speed, type and cost of access will vary from area-to-area, country-to-country, provider to provider and even month-by-month! Its a minefield just choosing a service let alone getting connected but when everything is working with a good provider the experience can be a step up from WiFi access when on the move. In the near future, UMPCPortal will be producing a guide to cellular internet access via a ultra mobile PC but in the meantime, take a look at this article from About.com. It gives an overview of how to access the internet via a cellular network.
One of the common ways to access the internet via a cellphone is by using a Bluetooth wireless connection which brings us to the second important wireless connectivity method. In short, make sure you buy a ultra mobile PC with Bluetooth on board. Preferably a device with Bluetooth V2.0 EDR (extended data rate.) Bluetooth can also be used for local connectivity to other UMPCs, mobile phones and even home networks. Its a flexible and power-efficient way to make wireless data connections. About.com also has an article about this.
The last wireless connectivity method to mention is WiMax. WiMax is also known as 4G connectivity and works, like mobile phones, over licensed radio bands. WiMax is an upcoming hi-speed, highly mobile, reliable wireless access mechanism that is likely to become a common internet access method in the next 5 years especially in countries where traditional 3G (cellular data) services have not rolled out as fast as expected. WiMax is not available on any ultra mobile PC available as this report is being written but is expected to be available towards late 2007.
Processor (CPU)
There are a number of CPU’s that are being used in UMPC’s and each has its advantages and disadvantages. For rich web browsing a low-end RISC-based processor (200-400Mhz) is not really going to be enough. Likewise if you want to run XP. Good quality video viewing will also need an X86-architecture processor above the 500Mhz mark. Voice over IP (VoIP) applications should work on all UMPCs but video telephony will require a high-level processor. At the high-end of the processor range you will have the comfort of enough processing power to run multiple applications successfully. The choice of processor ranges from Intel Xscale reduced instruction set cpu’s (RISC) which are low-power, low processing power items through the low-cost AMD geode LX processor which is a standard x86 architecture (as opposed to RISC) part having the advantage of a larger base of software being available. The power-efficient VIA C7-M processor is higher up in the scale followed by the powerful (but more power hungry) Intel devices. If you have specific requirements (like TV output or video processing) there may be a CPU that’s more suited. We have written a detailed report about ultra mobile PC cpu’s which is available in the portal here . The report also contains some information about graphics, covered in the next section.
In April, Intel made some announcement relating to processors on UMPCs. They have put together a UMPC-focused CPU and graphics platform known as the Ultra Mobile Platform (UMP) 2007. (Formerly known as McCaslin and containing a processor known as ‘Stealey’) The platform comprises an optimised Pentium-M processor at 800Mhz and a mobile graphics processor known as the GMA950, a part known to support graphics, video and the full Windows Vista 3D ‘aero’ experience well. Devices on this platform are expected in May 2007.
Intel have also committed to creating UMPC-dedicated CPUs and GPUs in 2008. The 2008 platform is currently known as Menlow.
The UMPCPortal product pages contain processor information for all UMPCs.
Sorting and filtering is available to allow you to quickly choose or eliminate groups of UMPCs.
I am looking for a UMPC with a dial up modem or PCMCIA slot. Can you help me? Thanks.
Mistake on page 4: “The recommendation today is that XP is generally better than XP on currently available hardware due to the maturity of the driver software.”
Great article.