Update: CES 2008: Aigo will launch a new MID.
Update: New Fujitsu UMPC information available. Images. Specs. (16th May 2007)

Fujitsu UMPC

Aigo UMPC.

All images and further report (German) available from Golem.de

News is coming in thick and fast about the new Intel UMP 2007. (Formerly McCaslin.) Here’s a rundown of the unique points from each one.

The Register reports that the HTC Shift will run on the new McCaslin / Ultra Mobile Platform (UMP) 2007, They are also reporting that Fujistsu are in the game and will develop a product. So that’s Samsung (Q1 Ultra), HTC (Shift) and unknown devices from ASUS, Fujistsu, Aigo and Heier. ‘El Reg’ also speculate that the iPhone will use an Intel UMD. I doubt it will use the 2007 platform personally but the 2008 platform could make some very small Apple UMPC devices possible.

Our new UMPC-focused friends! UMP 2007. (Formerly McCaslin)

ZDnet UK are reporting that the Mobile Internet Device Alliance will comprise companies such as Elektrobit, Compal, Asus, Quanta, Inventec, Benq and HTC. HTC were in fact on stage with the Shift so that’s a good sign that its Intel based. I can’t imagine how VIA let that chance get away. Maybe it was part of a licensing deal?

APCMag have a report. This time its not so positive though. The WiMAX/UMPC demo failed during the keynote speech. Ooops! Should have used HSDPA perhaps.

Intel’s press release confirms that 6 manufacturers will use the UMP 2007. Aigo, Asus, Fujitsu, Haier, HTC and Samsung.

ZDnet Australia has run an article which mentions a Samsung MPQ1. Interesting. It also says that it is a UMPC-class (Vista) device due in the middle of the year as one of the first to use the new platform. This implies that the Linux-based devices come later. The article also says that the HTC Shift was launched today and sure enough…

…HTC has a product page for the HTC Shift now. There’s not much detail there but its worth knowing about.

More info as it comes in. Hopefully we’ll get more details on the new products today.

Update: New UMPC images are coming in.

According to PCMag, Intel are forming the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance (MIDIA) which, I assume, will become the focal point for Intel’s UMPC ecosystem group headed by Pankaj Kedia.  There’s another report just out from Cnet’s news.com saying that Canonical (Ubuntu,) and  RedFlag have already signed up to the program. Ubuntu is a big player in the consumer Linux distro market and could really lend some weight to the process of speeding up development. If Maemo and Gnome joined then there could be some really interesting things happening. Gnome are making an announcement on the 19th. I wonder if it has anything to do with MID GUI development.

This ‘ecosystem’ could move a lot faster this time round. Microsoft’s Origami project was a good starting point and has prepared the ground (and provided valuable market research feedback) for the next phase of work. I believe that the consumer / business split is the perfect move for UMPCs and the focus on an optimised OS is going to really help. If teams from Maemo, Gnome and the MIDIA get together, there might just be enough momentum to get the UI and apps polished up enough for a huge consumer marketing push in 2008.

We’ve been waiting for this for a long long time. Intel have posted details about the McCaslin platform – now known as Intel’s Ultra Mobile Platform 2007.

The core of the platform is a new 90nm single core CPU (confirmed as Stealey, a Pentium-based single core processor) running at 600 or 800Mhz with 512Kb 2nd level cache, 400Mhz FSB and some of the new features from Santa Rosa. The most important of which is the support for Enhanced Deep Sleep state. There are two versions of the CPU – the A100 and A110 (Intel datasheet here – PDF) The TDP is just 3.5W!

The chipset is a modified i945 – the 945GMU which will provide GMA950 GPU – Enough for Vista Aero Glass. The southbridge is the ICH7. What you have is a 2-tier platform that is able to provide enough graphics support for entertainment and if required, processing power for productivity tools like spreadsheet and powerpoint processing. I assume MIDs will use the 600Mhz version to keep the heat down and the UMPCs will use the 800Mhz version (E.g. Samsung Q1 Ultra.)

Credit has to go to HKEPC because it looks like the info they got from their moles was spot on.

Now we have to see what ASUS, Aigo, HTC and Haier come up with as products.

More info on Intels updated UMPC pages.

PCMag got a preview of the keynote.

New CPU – A100 and A110. 600Mhz and 800Mhz parts.
Update: Intel have posted details. I have posted a summary of the McCaslin platform here.

Aigo, Asus, Haier, HTC, and Samsung are the 5 new UMPC manufacturers that will have devices on this platform (now called Ultra Mobile Platform 2007.) Its a huge surprise to me that HTC will produce a device with Intel inside. Could it be the Shift? Engadget had reported that it was running on VIA. Could be wrong.

Chandrasekher added that systems using the Intel Mobile platform—based on the Intel A100 and A110 processor, the Intel 945GU Express Chipset, and the Intel ICH7U I/O Controller Hub—will be available from the latter companies starting this summer.

Intel will also form the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance. This is good news because as we’ve discussed before, its not just about a processor or a screen. Its about bringing the most efficient parts together with the best designs and optimized software.

In PCMags news, Menlow is reported to be the name for the next gen (2008, 45nm) platform which will use a processor called Silverthorne and a chipset called Poulsbo.

More IDF / MID / UMP news today:

• Images showing new UMPCs including new Fujistsu UMPC
• Round-up of tidbits from other articles.
• McCaslin (UMP 2007) details.
• Mobile Internet Device Innovation Association info.

In just a few hours we should hear details (assuming someone reports them) of the UMPC/MID plans from Intel as David Perlmutter gives his keynote and kicks of the Ultra Mobile track at IDF. In the meantime, there are some images and thoughts starting to come through from people at the event.

Most interesting is this article from APCMag. They appear to have had a demo of MIDLinux and have posted some nice images. They also seem to be covering the event well. It will be worth keeping an eye on their RSS feed.

Nice to see that MIDLinux is backwards compatible and runs on ‘older’ UMPCs. Does it mean that the new T-Swivel UMPC is going to be launched today? Will it be Linux only? This could disappoint a few people that were expecting XP/Vista. There are some more images of the UI in the APCMag gallery too. It looks unimpressive from still images but APCMag reports “…the user interface is slick, with very smooth animation.” Poor mans Aero perhaps?

CNET have also got an image of the swivel too proving that the one above is not a Photoshop job! A few more in their gallery. Unfortunately, no one has got images of Firefox running yet.

Note that its MIDINUX, not MIDLINUX as was in some Intel slides and reported by me before.

More RedFlag MIDINUX images in our Gallery.

Navigadget reports that the Medion UMPC has got through FCC approval.

FCC approval brings it one step closer to reality and also brings us a copy of the OEM user manual (PDF.)

  
(Optional) docking station rear and secret stylus compartment.

Don’t expect the Medion UMPC too soon though because delivery times in its home country, Germany,  are still around the 4 weeks mark. Having made some enquiries about the status of VIA’s Vista drivers, I’m pretty sure that this is what is holding up OQO’s Model 02 and Amtek’s T770 too. If I was a product manager for a VIA-based Vista UMPC, I’d be feeling a little uneasy during this week of Intel UMPC/MID news dominance. If I was a customer I’d probably be even more annoyed at the delays.

One correction on the Navigadget article. I believe the GPS module is actually a USB module that snaps on in place of the stand, just as the DVB-T module is.

More info on the Medion UMPC here.

Having looked through a number of posts about the day 1 keynote speeches, there wasn’t much to report in relation to UMPCs or MIDs.

There are two press releases from Intel today (here and here) but you won’t find any of the keywords McCaslin, UMPC or MID in them. There’s nothing new from blogs either.

Intel have a few blogs running at http://blogs.Intel.com/technology/ which will be worth tracking. ‘Andrew’ is also there blogging a few bits onto his Vox Blog. ZDnet Australia have a reporter in Beijing as a guest of Intel and The Inquirer’s Charlie Demerjian is also doing a good job of reporting.

I’ll be continuing to scan all the IDF news and pull together any UMPC / MID relevant items I can find.