It’s always worth checking back on older models for reductions and clear-out prices so I took some time this evening to review the prices of some old favourites. I was disappointed. In general, prices haven’t really moved which is extremely disappointing considering the price at which similarly-specified netbooks are sold. I guess we’re looking at old stock that no-one can shift here. Stalemate. No cash flow. The only two devices I found that showed any signs of movement were the good old Samsung Q1 and M704 which seem to be on offer around Europe. Price checks in the US for all the top UMPCs showed that nothing has moved much at all in the last 6 months. (If you spot any offers though, let us know!)
One of my personal favourite UMPCs. Good build quality, excellent battery life, fantastic screen.
- UK. 646 pounds (740 Euros) isn’t too bad. (DigiUK)
- Update: Saveonsamsung (UK) have even lower prices. 529 pounds with organiser and 6-cell battery.
Another good all rounder. Not quite as good as the Q1 in terms of build quality but has a better keyboard.
- Europe. 469 pounds (537 Euros) is a good bargain. (Expansys)
Resellers must be having a hard time right now trying to decide whether to clear stocks at a loss or to hang on for the few buyers that know what they want and will pay to get that device. I can tell you that by reviewing the stats coming from the product portal we see an extremely quiet market out there for the traditional XP and Vista UMPCs. With very few devices in the 7″ category, CES round the corner and netbooks taking the limelight, it’s hardly surprising. Lets hope that the MID and ultra mobile PC segment brings us some treats in January though. Mobile Internet usage is growing and, more importantly for the MID manufacturers, people’s reliance on the Internet to perform normal business and personal activities is growing too. There’s more reason than ever to launch internet-connected handheld computers.
The 7″ market is almost dead now. Netbooks will evolve to be like the m912 and MIDs will turn into Smartphones.
Been saying this since you published your first market diagram by inch” few months ago.
Hi Tal
So what sits in the middle for PMP, Navigation E-book, Web browser customers? Vertical markets for tablet and handheld PCs? Nothing? Of course not.
There’s a huge range of internet-connected consumer devices that sit in that 5-8″ handheld bracket so your prediction is over-simplified.
Slow-down, yes. Dead, no.
I want M704 with the specs of M912!! come on gigabyte you can do it for me!
only downside of the M704 is no integrated 3G modem, they could have made a 3G modem like the GPS and DVB modules you stick on the back of the device….
Prices are even better on the Q1u – saveonsamsung.com have some pretty impressive pricing… The Q1u-EL with keyboard and organiser pack is £429 inc VAT and delivery and the 6 cell battery… that’s a bargain in anyone’s book.
No affiliation, just a happy customer…
agree but
Unfortunatly saveonsamsung delivery is only in UK :(
Hey, my M704 gets daily use (and it’s a battle for my eyeballs given all the devices on my desk).
If it died, I’d buy another one, just the same, in a second. I wish it was 200 grams lighter (760 grams), and had internal 3G with an affordable data plan, but other than that I don’t know how realistically there could be a better device given the state of technology, both software and hardware, today.
to me the size, sliding keyboard, touchscreen functionality, and screen size are perfect.
Thanks to the arrival of netbooks I was able to purchase a real bargain.
Coquitlamlaptop.com sold me a Fujitsu Lifebook U3010B for about $300 Canadian dollars. This is a machine that sold for almost $2000 when it was new.
Lighter than my ASUS EEE 1000H, the batteries still last for almost 4 hours at a charge, the 1GHz processor also outperforms the Atom when it comes to GoogleEarth.
The only drawback is the brightness of the LCD screen. The EEE is bright enough to see in daylight, the Lifebook I need to take into the shade.