umpc news, reviews, software and freeware

Calling the HTC Shift a simple UMPC would be to undermine the capabilities of the unit. In fact the HTC Shift is more of a synergetic example of two worlds, the PC world and the Windows Mobile Environment. The model for this review features the 800MHz processor, 1GB of ram, a 40GB hard drive and Windows Vista Business.


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Now it is time to end the Rumours of upcoming Dell handhelds, i have recently talked you about Dell plans to launch gaming handheld and Dell Axim D150 Fly Windows Mobile 6 Professional. But as quite often happens these were just rumours spreading over the internet. Now Jeff Clarke from Dell has spread the rumours with the announce of Dell Latitude Tablet PC is. Recently Dell has discontinued Windows Mobile PDAs but instead Dell is entering Tablet PC market now.

Watch the official announcement of Dell Tablet PC made by Jeff Clarke:



At first impressions Dell's Tablet PC looks light and very thin and is maybe the the thinnest convertible yet. There is a fingerprint reader and several hardware buttons, but there's not much else to be gleaned just yet. According to Jeff Clarke from Dell, the tablet is designed for the education, healthcare and corporate marketplaces, which is a wide ranging group.

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Last month folks at eHomeUpgrade has made a sneak preview of Intel's Linux-based Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform, which will initially be taken into production by RedFlag of China. It has Midinux (somebody will probably say iPhone-like again) graphical user interface (GUI) and it was curoius to see would it function? Below is a video demo created by YouTube member pczou showcasing the customized OS on a MID reference board. It is in bad quality but if you are dedicated you can see showcased browsing the internet, entering text, playing back a movie, and playing games on this device.



Linux is getting better look indeed. Cheers

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Imagine the device like HTC Advantage X7500 but with Windows Vista Business on-board! This device now it is real, named HTC Shift and will be shown at the Microsoft booth at CTIA this week.

Unveiled at CTIA, the HTC Shift UMPC combines the power of Windows Vista with an innovative QWERTY-based keyboard design and 3G-connectivity. The days of compromising productivity for portability are gone. The HTC Shift provides all the power, functionality and connectivity the busy professional needs in a sleek design that is half the size and a fraction of the weight of what they lug around today. Similar in size to a couple of DVD cases, the HTC Shift comes with Windows Vista Business, includes a brilliant 7-inch widescreen touch display and a 30-gigabyte hard drive. Packed with advanced connectivity, the HTC Shift features high-speed global connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. A multimedia maven, the HTC Shift leverages Windows Media Player 11 to provide easy access to music, videos and photos.

The HTC Shift is combining the power of Windows Vista with advanced connectivity in a sleek mobile computer design, said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Mobile Platforms Division. HTC and Microsoft have been innovating on smartphones for years, so it is exciting to see them bring that experience and innovation to mobile computers.

HTC Shift Specifications:

* VIA CPU (the one we tried had a 1.2GHz chip)
* Vista business (yes, it was running Aero)
* 7-inch sliding, tiling wide-touchscreen
* 30GB drive
* Tri-band UMTS / HSDPA, quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE
* WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0
* Biometric reader, front-facing camera

More detailed information and HTC Shift specifications

Stay tuned with us for upcoming news.

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Ultra-mobile PC specialist TabletKiosk has unveiled the TufTab, a UMPC hardened against the conditions often found in construction work or simply by everyday users who regularly travel with the handheld. The rubberized case is resistant to dust, rain, and vibration and includes a fingerprint reader for security-conscious owners.

It is tough, light in weight and has a rubberized case resistant to rain, dust, and vibration. For security the handheld is provided with a biometric fingerprint reader. TufTab comes in two color options: Black and White. Just three words give an apt description of TabletKiosk: performance, security and durability. The company will launch TufTab mid-April at an MSRP of $1,699 price with Windows XP. If you choose openSUSE Linux that is somewhat rare option for UMPCs, the price would drop by $75.

TabletKiosk V7112XT UMPC Features:

* 1.2 GHz VIA C7-M ULV Processor
* 3.5mm Headphone Jack and Built-in Stereo Microphone
* 400 MHz Front Side Bus
* 40GB HDD
* 7" TFT wide angle viewable LCD display with LED backlighting
* 802.11B/G and Bluetooth 2.0
* AC97 Codec
* Bluetooth 2.0 built-in module
* Built-in stereo speakers
* Cooling via Heat Sink without fan plus reserved fan solution
* VIA Padlock Security Engine for Data Encryption
* GB DDR2 SDRAM
* Mega Pixel CMOS Camera with Video Capture (15fps)
* Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, or openSUSE Linux
* Native resolution of 800x480 with display resolution interpolation
* PanJit SRII Sunlight Readable Screen (standard)
* Rugged UMPC rated IP53
* Ultra Slim 7 " TFT-LCD Resistive Touch
* Winbond 802.11b/g networking with power ON/OFF switch

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Sharp has just announced their new EM ONE UMPC handheld Ultra-Mobile PC phone. It is scheduled to be available in Japan at the end of March. This sleek and beafutiful looking Sharp EM ONE is running Windows Mobile 5.0. The display is huge 4.1 inch @ 800 X 480 CCFL and boasts a rather anemic 65k color palette. One of the coolest things about this gadget is the two-way slider with QWERTY keyboard and a touch screen interface at the other side. Sharp EM ONE UMPC Specifications:

table size : 140 x 70 x 18.9mm
Weigh : 250 g
screen : Her 4.1-inch LCD 65,536 color 800 x 480 pixel resolution
PU : Intel PXA270 520MHz
memory : 512MB RAM ROM/128MB
camera : 1.3 million pixel camera system
Audio Output: 3.5mm jack

Good interface and control peripherals,and missing that jog/scroll wheel is plus for the model. More details in this Sharp press-release (Japanese) (English Translation).

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At CeBIT this year ASUS maked their step into making education easier. Designed with an education application in mind, the Asus T83 UMPC will be available in two versions. One will be strictly Tablet PC style with a touchscreen interface, whereas the second, more expensive model will be convertible. This means that the seven-inch LCD can swivel for a laptop-like experience as well.

This new UMPC by ASUS, the Asus T83 is powered by an ultra-low voltage VIA chipset, consuming up just 3.5 watts of power. As the model is especially designed for educational purposes, it will go in the hands of little kids who by nature have the habit to drop off things. This model can withstand drops of up to three feet. The Company assures to bring forth more sturdy models in future. The T83 has built-in GPS, an integrated webcam, and operates on a full version of Windows XP.

Watch below a video preview from CeBIT



This is a nice looking compact ultra low voltage laptop by Asus. In a certain way this will be a competitor to the Intel Classmate educationnal laptop.

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Samsung has recently announced that their are going to release a new ultra mobile PC (UMPC). Of course the rumors about a Q2 name was fake and that was proved when Samsung named their new gadged Q1 Ultra, similar to its ancestor the Samsung Q1

while some of the hardware inside the Q1 Ultra stays the same as the old model, there are some improvements like the unknown Intel (not Via) CPU running Vista Home Premium, a 1,024 x 600 WSVGA resolution (no 800 x 600 here), two digital cameras (1.3 megapixel for "photography" and 0.3 megapixel for videoconferencing), and a fingerprint scanner. And probably the best thing is the split QWERTY keyboard plus Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi (802.11b/g), HSDPA, and WiBro.

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There are rumors these days that Dell is working on a gaming-oriented handheld console (probably Pocket PC but maybe a mini UMPC), although details are thin on the ground. This new future coming mini-gaming machine more likely to resemble UMPC than PSP. All this can be true because a senior Dell executive has admitted the company could look to make a gaming handheld in future.

Global gaming chief Abizar Vakharia was speaking at Dell's European Innovation event in Marbella. There, Dell had earlier launched the XPS 710 H2C top-line gaming PC. When he was asked about a future gaming handheld, Vakharia looked serious as he said: You know, that's definitely one that's on the radar screen, but we have no plans to talk about anything today.

After last year's acquisition of Alienware, Dell has made no secret of its desire to grow share in the gaming space and any such handheld would be almost certainly a great product. It is likely this gaming handheld to be Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) style device because of Dell's close connections with Intel and Microsoft.

It will be a great delight if Dell release a Windows Mobile based gaming device, since although the X51v is fantastic.

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ASUS has introduced its latest device, the UMPC R2H. It has a 7 inch touch screen and comes with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition OS and Microsoft touch pack software. Although it has GPS capability it only has a 1.3M camera which is quite disappointing. It does support 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth V.20+EDR.

ASUS GPS-enabled UMPC R2H Features:

* CPU - Intel Celeron M 900MHz (ULV / low power processor)
* Memory - DDR2 768MB
* Display - 7-inch WVGA (touch screen)
* HDD - 60GB
* WLAN - 802.11 b/g
* Interface - SPDIF / Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR / USB 2.0 / mini USB / SD Card / VG
* Battery - 4-cell
* OS - Window XP tablet PC edition
* Dimensions - 234 x 133 x 28mm
* Warranty - 2 years

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