Many of you will have been tracking the progress of this over at the XDA-developers forum. SnapVue on the HTC Shift has been opened up and restored into its full WM6 glory. I’m not going to read all the 700+ posts to find out the details of how they did it but I understand it used a similar email method to the one I tried when I tested the Shift last year.

I’m testing Shozu Desktop on the Q1 Ultra and thought that this might be a good photo to post. Its my current three device line-up. Desktop device (1.6Ghz Samsung R40) with the Nokia N82 that i’m really really happy with as my voice, rss reader, podcatcher, navigation and MP3 player device. The third device there is the Samsung Q1 Ultra (the 800Mhz version) that i’ve now upgraded with 2GB, the extended battery (6 hours) and an HSDPA modem. I’d really like to add a fourther device to the setup – […]

Where should I start with this one? I’ve been waiting for this news for months and months and it could be huge. "Windows Mobile to come to Mobile Internet Devices" [ZDnet]

Microsoft has employed Len Kawell (Ex Pepper and mobile computing consultant) and say that Len will be responsible for growing Windows Mobile so that it can be used on MIDs: "Kawell is defining the application model for occasionally connected rich Internet applications in the mobile environment. He is also responsible for scaling Windows Mobile to new kinds of kinds of devices with larger screens and faster processors – also known as Mobile Internet Devices, or MIDs."

What are we to think now? We know Microsoft don’t use the UMPC expression much in their official communications and we know that Origami is basically a project that finished in 2006 and left a team of software engineers building Origami Experience but by using the expression ‘MID’, the acronym that Intel created, are they showing an affiliation with Intel? Will they branch a version of Windows Mobile out to the x86 processor? Or are they just using the momentum of the term to get a leg-up? Len was at the Intel Developer Forum last Fall representing Canonical and the Ubuntu Mobile product so he’s obviously in-the-know where MIDs are concerned so it looks like Microsoft are really pushing forward with a consumer-focused product. I’m going to put my money on an ARM-aligned effort because "larger screens and faster processors" doesn’t sound like "new platforms" to me.

MID-wars starts here. Expect fisticuffs in the later part of 2009.

Via IntoMobile

The Classmate PC is the device that Intel have been using to battle against OLPC. Or rather, every time anyone talks about the OLPC XO, the Classmate appears in the same sentence. I’m not sure whether the device has actually gone into production or whether Intel gave up the production capacity to ASUS for the Eee PC which is built on the same motherboard apparently. My theory is that the Classmate is just a reference model used by Intel to show how their latest low cost platform works.

This 9" version that has appeared through some news at TechCorner a single-post blog, today is probably something that has been floating around for a while, courting manufacturers and encouraging more low-price UMPC wars so I’m not too surprised these images have surfaced, especially when the device is said to contain the same main components as the previous model. If anything is going to stand a chance against the low-cost steamroller that ASUS have with he Eee at the moment it better be a lot more stylish than this. Something like the HP 2133 UMPC.

Via Gizmodo

Here’s a thought; Intel’s Atom will bring a number of ‘features’ to the table for UMPCs but not all of them are physical.

• Longer battery life.
• Smaller motherboard.
• Cheaper pricing.
• The Centrino brand.
• Laptop-class clockrates.

Note the last two in the list and consider these two devices:

Device A) Fujitsu U1010 with 800Mhz A110 CPU and GMA950 graphics. 2 hours battery life. $899

Device B) Fujitsu UltraMate with Centrino 1.8Ghz Atom CPU, Poulsbo graphics. 3.5hrs battery life. $749 (*1)

Not only does device B sound far more attractive. (UltraMate, Centrino, 1.8Ghz, Atom, Poulsbo….Woooooh!) but it’s a bit cheaper and returns a lot more battery life (due to reductions in board design, they could squeeze another cell in.) In reality, both devices are likely to return similar real-life performance but you can guarantee that device B will sell far more than device A, especially with consumers. Not only does Atom bring size, efficiency and price improvements but it offers some great opportunities for marketeers!

Did the title of this post attract you into reading the article? It’s exactly what the manufacturers will be trying to do with Atom. Is it good? Is it bad? If it seeds some competition then it could be good. If it misleads customers it’s going to be bad. What do you think?

(*1) Device B is an example, not a real device.

JKK and I take the subject of the Eee PC vs Q1 Ultra by the horns and spend an almost embarrassing amount of time talking about the details of the pricing, the form factor and the community. Could a version of the Q1 Ultra with Ubuntu at $399 stimulate the buzz and community that works so well for the Eee PC or is the slate form factor doomed to remain niche?

Ultra Mobile podcast #12 50 Minutes. 47MB.

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Despite the crazy (but good for Europeans!) dollar exchange rate, there are still a few bargains to be had. Wibrain recently introduced the B1L entry-level 1.2Ghz UMPC with Ubuntu OS and our mateys at Mobilx now have it in their shop for a bargain basement 390 Euro (460 Euros if you’re buying as a consumer within the EU.) You get a 30G hard drive, 512MB of memory and the (very nice, very bright) 1024×600 touchscreen.

If you want to bump it up in the specs department with a 60GB drive and 1GB of RAM you’re still only paying 535 Euros (inc tax) which, considering it’s one of those overpriced UMPC’s (!) is an absolute bargain. More info in the WiBrain B1L product page.

Just an hour after I posted about myself moving into the Q1 Ultra users community, I’m reading about a budget version of the Q1 Ultra for the UK. The Q1 U for 399 pounds (which is actually about the same as the entry-level, EL version in the U.S.) would certainly stimulate some more interest in the device. It might not impress those that have just paid full price though!

The device is said to be without cams (fine by me) and will have a smaller hard drive (also fine by me) but quite surprisingly, amazing even, they’re going to try and push it with Vista. Why why why? I guarantee that over 90% of owners that have tried both XP and Vista will say that they prefer XP.

Here’s a plan Samsung, wait another month for Ubuntu Mobile which is being tested on Q1 Ultras as we speak and then sell a base version for 350 pounds. You’ll have far more happy customers and stand a much better chance of stimulating the sort of community that drives the Eee PC than with Vista. There are plenty of upgrades and hacks for the Q1 Ultra and I can see it taking off nicely. Fix that Atheros wifi bug though.

I’m going to call JKK now and see if he wants to do a podcast on the Eee PC vs Q1 Ultra tonight. That could be a fun one to work through!

Q1 Ultra EL (Entry level version, NP-Q1UAY01  in the U.S.) specifications.

Source: Pocket-Lint. Via.