Oops! I forgot to post about this one. JKK sent it to me as he wanted to highlight the problem of inconsistency among Samsung Q1 Ultra specifications.

On his blog entry he shows the NP-Q1UAY01/SEA (A=America?)

pdf and specs as an example. They clearly state Bluetooth but when you get the device, you won’t find any Bluetooth. At one point I even remember that the the Q1-EL was a 600Mhz device. Then 800Mhz. The price changed and now there’s no Bluetooth. In Europe its the same with the NP-Q1UA000/SEG (G=Germany?) also known as the "Samsung Q1 Ultra-Pro 800 Bahir HS" Some retailers list it as coming with the fingerprint reader and indeed, the Samsung official images show it with the fingerprint reader but if you order one, you won’t find a fingerprint reader on it when you get it!

Its not just Samsung though. The same happened with the R2H in the UK. The early versions turned up with no Bluetooth. Then customers started getting extended batteries in the U.S. and today its pretty difficult to tell what you’re going to get.

Manufacturers/vendors should take good care over their Internet-based data and the data that gets sent to distributors. Being led into a wrong purchase through incorrect specifications is an annoying customer experience.

Via jkkmobile.

OQO have launched an international version of the popular Model 02 UMPC. This from the press release.

The new OQO model e2 features a UK-optimised keyboard and system software, and is certified for international distribution. OQO has launched a new international website that features comprehensive online knowledgebase and support resources and other corporate information.  The OQO model e2 offers the following category-leading features:

• – Up to 1.6GHz VIA C7-M CPU
• – Up to 120GB HDD and available 32GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
• – Up to 1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM
• – Integrated WiFi 802.11a/b/g with diversity and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• – Ergonomic illuminated thumb keyboard
• – Ultra bright 5” (127mm) 800×480 display with zooming up to 1200×720 interpolated mode
• – Windows® XP Professional, XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, or Windows Vista®
• – Handheld form factor at 142mm x 84mm x 26mm and only 454 grams
• – UK keyboard with Pound Sterling, Euro, and Japanese Yen shortcut keys
• – Up to 6 hours of continuous usage and 3 days of standby time with extended battery
• – Available desktop docking station with adjustable cradle arm and dual layer DVD±RW/RAM optical drive

Its nice to finally see the OQO over in Europe because it means I will finally be able to get my hands on one! Looking at the Expansys web site I can see that there’s still some ‘old’ OQO Model 2 versions available and that the e2 versions are available to order. Prices look to be a little lower for better specs but the entry level appears to have been raised to 1.5Ghz meaning the cheapest one is nearly 1000 pounds (1450 Euros,  2015 Dollars.) I think we’ll have to wait for the stock situation to sort itself out before we see the real pricing. I’ll keep an eye on it.

Note that there’s no WWAN option for UK and no international keyboard options.

While I was pedaling along the side of the Rhein a few weeks ago Samsung presented the SPH-P9200 UMPC in Dubai. It’s the updated design of the unreleased SPH-P9000 that they presented in 2006. I had completely forgotten about the device until I read the latest article at UltraMobile Life.

Where I didn’t like the SPH-P9000 because of its sloppy keyboard, I really like this one. It looks much sturdier and more stylish too.

Unfortunately there aren’t any specs or availability information yet although Bjorn said its due for release soon. Via Inside? I can’t imagine anything from Intel fitting in their until they have the Menlow platform sorted. Could this be the first device on Mobile-itx? Have look at the keyboard design in the video below. I’m impressed.

Samsung SPH-P9200

Via UltraMobile Life.

Technorati tags: umpc

Following the less-than-perfect news about the HTC Shift battery life and WM6, sorry, Snap-Vue component we set up a poll to find out how it affected potential customers choices. The HTC Shift was (and according to the last weeks statistics) still is the most popular UMPC on UMPCPortal and it represents a design that many would regard as ideal but would customers still be interested in it if it had 2 hours battery life.

The answer is, unsurprisingly, NO. 20 people have canceled their order, an amazing 54% of people considering a purchase, took it off the top of their list and, lets spin the stats a little here, only 4% of potential customers are ready to order based on the current specifications.

The total value of potential customer orders in that poll was an amazing quarter of a million dollars! HTC, you really have to work on the battery life before release. My recommendation is that you release a statement ASAP otherwise those customers will be placing orders for other devices.

Matthew Delmarter is considering dropping his PocketPC for a UMPC. He’s short-listed the OQO Model 02 and the Everun and has posted a nice piece that goes through the pro’s and con’s. The discussion is also worth reading.

There’s two points for consideration. Can a UMPC replace a PocketPC? My opinion is no, not at the moment due to size, software, battery life and instant-on issues. Having said that, I don’t use a PocketPC anymore because the advantages in having a full PC far outweigh the disadvantages for me. The second point to consider is the Everun vs OQO issue. There’s a big price difference in the two devices (although its getting less) and massive differences in battery life. There’s the touchscreen to consider and the much better OQO keyboard.

Which would you choose? Obviously I chose the Everun. I already had a productive UMPC and wanted something for more casual use. Its my ‘Carrypad.’ I also need the touchscreen. I wouldn’t be able to use the OQO in the car like I do the Everun. I’d say it all hangs on whether you’re a casual or business user.

Matthews article can be found here.

Update: Steve Holden is also blogging about PocketPC’s and UMPCs today.

Intel’s Ultra Mobility group will be finalizing their presentations today for the start of the Intel Developers forum in San Francisco tomorrow. The forum runs for 3 days and day 2 is the one we need to keep an eye on. Both keynote speeches on Day 2 are Ultra Mobile focused with David (Dadi) Perlmutter and Anand Chandrasekher on stage.

Mobility: Breaking the Barriers of Mobility
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
8:00 a.m.–8:45 a.m.

Ultra Mobility: Unleashing the Internet Experience
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
8:45 a.m.–9:25 a.m.

But there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. I’ve scanned through the tracks and sessions list and its going to be pretty busy. I’m actually pretty annoyed at myself for not signing up because with people like Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, and Len Kawell, Ubuntu consultant and creator of the Pepper desktop, there giving presentations and talks, you know its going to be big.

The full catalogue of events is here. Scroll down and look for the session ID’s starting with ‘UM’

I expect we’ll get an update on Menlow, Silverthorn, Pulsbo and the graphic gpu for next years platform, well see one or more Menlow demonstrators and we’ll get an update on Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded (UME.) I guess we’ll also see the HTC Shift and possibly the Amtek U560 which must be nearing launch. Maybe we finally get to hear about a Benq device too. No doubt there will be a ton of statistics and marketing talk to filter through but I love cutting through all that and trying to get to the meat. I’m ready for a good week of hard UMPC work!

Got Mapfactor PC Navigator 7 GPS software for testing on UMPC. I’m using it with Road Runner skinning software on the Everun. Check back soon as video is coming…

Yes. We’re working together on this one.

Lets start with the Fujitsu U1010. Its not my favorite UMPC based on the fact that it just doesn’t seem to be the best at anything. The Screen DPI is high. The keyboard is cramped. Its not actually that small and the sub 2-hour battery life is not exactly class leading. Jack of all trades. Master of none. But that’s just my opinion. Over to Jenneth at Gear Diary for a second opinion…

What I Like: Ultra-portable form factor, good video performance, reasonable price.
What Needs Improvement: 800 x 480 pixels should be a screen resolution option, a Pentium M would’ve been a better choice of processors, the keyboard is too small for touch typing.

Seems like Jenneth has similar thoughts. Good video performance applies to all Intel-based UMPCs. The GMA900 and 950 GPU’s are far superior to the VIA and AMD Geode equivalents.

More images at Gear Diary.

The U1010 is a nice gadget, you can’t deny it that but that ‘feature’ could wear off after a short while.  Read the mini-review at Gear Diary.

And now onto another device that I’m not that impressed with. The HTC Advantage. This is a device I’ve already had hands-on with and wrote about last month just before I made the snap decision to buy and test out a Nokia E90. The GBM guys and Matt Miller seem pretty impressed citing good office features and GPS capability which is fine but I put a lot of weight on the Internet experience. I’m not tied to office systems and generally like to Web2.0-it when I can so the browser is #1 on my list when I test things. The Advantage I tested, a T-Mobile Ameo – based on the 7500, was terrible. The Microsoft mobile internet explorer browser should be banned from mobile devices as its just not up to scratch. Soon after I wrote about the 7500, Jenn of Pocketables canceled her Advantage order in favor of a Q1 Ultra. 24 hours later she changed her mind again (Jenn, pull yourself together girl!) and re-ordered the Advantage. She received it this week and I popped the question to her. No, not that question!

"How is the browsing experience from a consumer angle?"

"Hmm." she said, and went on to explain that its not that impressive.

So the Advantage isn’t a phone (Matt Miller and James Kendrick both confirmed this) and its got a mediocre browser. And it costs as much as a UMPC. OK, you get all the enterprise goodness of WM6 and that will certainly bring huge value to a lot of people but for me its pretty much a non-starter. I’d rather take the Everun and a folding keyboard any day. Keep an eye on Pocketables though and see what else Jenn has to say. She’ll be putting up a full review before long i’m sure.

Jenn’s HTC Advantage Q&A.

HTC Advantage product details.