Finally we’ve got a bit of sun here in Bonn so it’s time to get out with the devices for some mobile blogging. I’ll be jumping on my bike to find a suitable place to work. Not too crowded, not too sunny. I’m thinking that the Rhine, south of Bonn might be good.

First though, I need to decide on what device to take and to do that, I need to write down exactly what I want to achieve.

• Work. Full keyboard, 7” or greater screen. Bright.
• Location. Tracking, occasional or live gps location information? If live, Ipoki or lattitude?
• Connectivity. Built-in 3G or tethered?
• Microblogging. Pocketable
• Photography. Reasonable snapshot camera with easy export facilities.
• Audio. For some tunes/podcasts on the way
• Communications. Phone, instant messenger.

The first problem I have is that a true ‘work’ device doesn’t quite match up to the microblogging requirements because I would like a big keyboard. My phone, as with nearly all phones, isn’t up to what I want from a microblogging experience so we’ve immediately hit a choice between taking 3 different devices or making some compromises.

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I’m afraid I don’t have time to do a written review of my Windows 7 experience with the U820 but I can say that it’s good. So good that I took some time this morning to quickly go over the device and how it works with Windows 7.  Highlights for me (over the Vista build I was running) are:

• Improved boot-up time
• Cleaner, quicker, more reliable log-in using fingerprint reader
• Divx and H.264 support out of the box.
• Hardware support for H.264 decoding out of the box
• Great battery life (between 2 and 5 hours depending on use)
• Vastly improved on-screen-keyboard experience

Windows 7 really does spell the end of XP on UMPCs in my opinion. The only question now is, cost. How much will a touch-enabled version of W7 cost?

The video below is relatively long at 19 minutes. YouTube’s HQ processing may take time so check back later if you want an HQ version.

Note: This video edited and processed using Windows Live Movie Maker Beta with the YouTube upload plugin on the U/B50N.  The render time is much longer than with the old version of Movie Maker (in this case, way over 1hr to process 19 mins of VGA MJPEG 14mb/s source video) but the editing and posting process using this method is very very simple. I’ll have to do some more testing to see if  it’s a valid option for UMPCs.

Thanks to Conics for the loan of the Loox. They have the 2GB version with an SSD option so check it out.

Update: I’m writing aditional notes in the forum here.

After a very successful and stress-free install of Windows 7 on the U/B50N (U820, U2010) ultra mobile PC yesterday, I’m now giving it a full test as a desktop PC with full size monitor and keyboard. Using the dock, the screen keyboard, mouse and power can be left plugged in and I can grab the ultra mobile PC whenever I need to take Twhirl to the kitchen!

The Loox was already an impressive device but with Windows 7 it’s working so much better. Quick, clean, enjoyable. Not as fast as XP but the trade-off is worth it now. Battery life appears to be better. It ranges from under 5W (wifi-on, screen on, idle = 4hrs) drain through 7W (average Wifi browsing = 3hrs) up to 10W (2hrs) if it’s pushed for videos. Boot time is about 60 seconds until fingerprint swipe and another 30 seconds on top until it’s stable. Far better than Vista was. All touch features are working including floating tip and the on screen keyboard is great in portrait sofa-surfing mode! Even the fingerprint reader is working for Windows login. There’s no audio output on the dock which is a little annoying but USB audio dongles are dirt cheap and there’s always the A2DP route so it’s not a major hassle. With the 1.6Ghz processor (1GB RAM) it’s fast enough for my journalistic and social networking activities although there’s clearly room for improvement in disk speed. A fast 64GB SSD would make this almost unbeatable. (The 2Ghz version with an SSD will be the ultimate grab and go desktop!)

This isn’t a cheap setup by any means but it’s one of the best engineered, multi-scenario ultra mobile PC packages you can buy. From tablet to thumbing to table-top and desktop. It’s up there with the 1.8Ghz OQO 2+ and docking station setup I tested. I’m enjoying the U/B50N so much that when I’ve completed the Viliv S5 review (that I’m supposed to be doing right now!) I’ll schedule a full review of this.  When the UMID Mbook goes back to Mobilx this week, the U/B50N will become my main UMPC. Thanks very much to Conics for the long-term loan of the U/B50N. It’s been a pleasure but I really can’t stop thinking about the 2Ghz version you have!

End of day update:

This is very cool to work with. I always like a dual-screen setup and theres a great feeling of efficiency here but don’t expect this setup to be without limits. I put the Fuji into high-power mode (no speed stepping) and the fan got annoying (in my silent, out of town room while I was concentrating on an article) and there were one or two stutters too many. I think, however, these are coming from my RF keyboard and mouse rahter than the UMPC. I need another session with a hard-wired keyboard.mouse. If you need ONE PC for mobility and desktop and you want to use it a lot, i.e. you need quality, this is probably in the top three with the Sony UX and OQO. I dare say the 2Ghz with SSD and windows 7 will be the ultimate one-pc setup.

The Japanese version of the Fujitsu U2010/U820 has gotten a little bump in processing power thanks to a 2GHz Atom CPU. Chippy used a variant of the Fujitsu U [Portal page] to great success on a trip recently and really seemed to enjoy the device. A slight bump in processing power onto a device that Chippy describes as, “…HQ from the screen to the well thought-out control buttons and excellent efficiency inch, can’t be a bad thing. The 2GHz variant of the Fujitsu U has the catchy name of ‘FMVLUC50N’ and isn’t yet official in other parts of the world, but you can get it through importers like Conics. Stop by jkk’s link below for some additional images.

[jkkmobile]

Strange things happen when there’s a lot of beautiful devices around and a lot of time to play with them. The Viliv S5 was riding high on my personal list of faves but there’s something about the on-screen keyboard I cant get used to. I’m reaching a barrier with it and I think its something to do with the amount of thought needed to remain consistent with the on-screen keyboard. Its a tough learning curve that doesnt seem to be flattening out and considering the amount of content I create while I’m mobile, Its not fitting my needs.

Being able to use the UMID Mbook for a while made me realise how comfortable a real keyboard is. No learning curve, no eye stress and that important tactile feedback. Its certainly got a few build quality issues and the battery life isnt as good as on the S5 but its looking like a great tradeoff for a pocketable device. It feels fast too and after running it through a CrystalMark test, I can see why. The SSD is really helping. I dont like the lack of mouse buttons and again, I have reservations about the build quality but its really breaking through for me as a great MID.

But that’s not what i’m falling for in Texas. What i’m falling for in Texas is something very similar but slightly higher up the quality chain. It’s the Fujitsu Loox U/B50N that Conics have loaned me.

I can sum it up by saying ‘quality.’ Everything about the device is HQ from the screen to the well thought-out control buttons and excellent efficiency. The 1.6Ghz CPU gives me enough power to do basic video top-and-tailing and a bit of headroom when using Skype and Im using the SD card slot all the time for transferring photos to flickr. There are definitely some issues with Vista but in general, its running acceptably. XP would be a lot better but I think Windows 7 could be the one to go for here.

The question now is, do I buy one?  Do I need one. If I had my netbook here, would my thoughts be different? Pocketability hangs on my thoughts too.

Any Fuji ultra mobile PC owners out there care to chip in with a comment about the good and bad of the device?

The U2010 / U820 is one amazing bit of tech. At just around 600gm, with an 1280×800 5.6" screen, tiny convertible-screen form factor and an level amazing power efficiency it represents the leading edge of pro-mobile UMPCs. But it’s expensive.

 
More Images at AkihabaraNews.

The new, Japanese LOOX UC40 and UC30 look like they might be trying to address that by offering XP and a new 1.3Ghz variant in the C30. According to AkihabaraNews, "Fujitsu also announced that this move will help them lower their overall retail prices."

• Loox UC40 and its Atom Z530 (1.60GHZ), 1GB of RAM, 60GB of HDD, its usual 5.6” LCD with a WXGA resolution, a 1.3Mpix Camera, and Wifi ABGN and FM transmitter.
• Loox UC30, powered by an Atom Z520 (1.33GHz), no web camera, Wifi BGN, FM transmitter.
• Some reports (Yahoo Japan translation) are mentioning 6hrs battery life on the UC30 with a standard battery. [4hrs real-world usage is not out of the question with the standard battery.]

I doubt the possible price reduction is anything to do with reduction in component costs but maybe they did a deal with Microsoft. Maybe they got hold of a ULCPC-style low-cost license deal. On the other hand, the definition of lower prices here may be insignificant. Even if that is the case, its nice to see more XP / Atom options.

We have a request out to Conics to see if they plan to have these available as exports.

Source: AkihabaraNews

The Fujitsu U820 is coming to the U.S. according to both JKKMobile and Pocketables. Don’t expect bargain-basement pricing though as these are firmly aimed at the pro-mobile market with their advanced design and high-end features. (See the reports on the Asia, U2010 version) $999 (introductory offer) buys you the entry-level model with Vista Home Premium and a 60GB drive but if you want the extra features of Vista Business and a 120GB drive, you’re looking at $1299. Both come with GPS and Garmin Mobile navigation software. Leading edge quality still costs a lot of money!

Yes, a strange statement to make but its exactly what I though if when I saw it. A design daring to be different but not really having any classic, timeless lines. The Amilo looks cool on first glance but I bet it looks, er, less cool in 12 months!

Fashion aside though, the specs aren’t anything to moan about, apart from the slow-looking 60GB HDD perhaps. The Array mic will help with Skype, the ExpressCard slot will help with multi-device 3G cards and I like the fact that its got Bluetooth. FSC is a German partnership between Fujitsu and Siemens so I’m not sure how this product will translate into other countries [Update – The news item gives us a clue. It could be the M1010] but I’m guessing that if Fujitsu have the rights, you’ll simply see it under a different Fujitsu model name in other countries.

Sascha from Eee PC News was at the launch today and has a few more pics where you can see the exchangeable cover ‘feature.’

Full specs are in the database now.

• 8.9” WSVGA Display (1024 x 600)
• Intel® Atomâ„¢ Processor N270 (1,6 GHz)
• 1024 MB DDR2 667 MHz RAM
• 60/80 GB HDD (3600 rpm / 4200 rpm)
• LAN, WLAN 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth
• ExpressCard slot
• USB 2.0
• VGA out
• Webcam 1,3 Megapixel
• Digital Array Microphone
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
• 233 x 29 / 36 x 175 mm, 1 kg

Via JKKMobile