“Intel on Tuesday plans to show off the minitablet device at the center of Microsoft’s Origami Project,” Ina Fried report for CNET News. “In a preview of Tuesday afternoon’s demonstration, Intel Marketing Director Brad Graff showed CNET News.com several of the Ultra Mobile PC devices, including an example of the kind of hardware that will ship in the next few weeks as part of the Microsoft effort. As earlier reported, the first devices have a 7-inch touch screen, standard x86 processors, and can run full versions of desktop operating systems including the Windows XP variant being used for Origami.”
“In later generations, probably next year or later, the devices could have the pocket size, all-day battery life, and $500 price that Microsoft and Intel are aiming for, Graff said in an interview,” Fried reports. “The first generation of devices are likely to get about three hours of battery life, he said. In addition to the 7-inch model, Graff showed several other prototype devices of what the chipmaker hopes will be possible in future versions, including models with smaller screens and a swivel-out keyboard. Although the prototypes are working, because they use today’s standard components, they get only about 15 minutes of battery life.”
“Intel and Microsoft’s latest efforts are not the first stab at shrinking the PC. There has long been a class of ultra-portable laptops, mostly with around 10-inch screens. There have been a few prior attempts to take the PC even smaller, most notably from OQO and a minitablet introduced this year by Dualcor Technologies. Most of these devices, though, have been priced at about $1,500, which is above the budgets of the average consumer” Fried reports.
Full article, with photos of the device prototype, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “macnut222” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Like we’ve already said: Microsoft Origami is the art of vapor folding. The tediousness of this whole “Origami” thing is stupefying. We cover this trifle only to highlight Microsoft’s ineptness at both stealth marketing and the development of innovative product ideas.
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Related article:
Microsoft practices the art of vapor-folding with ‘Origami’ – March 03, 2006
Excellent! 15 minutes of battery life on current models. Perhaps Microsoft will market this “advantage”, stating that this PC should not crash before the battery runs out. Hey, since it takes 30 minutes for a PC online to become infected, maybe this is part of the MS strategy to fight viruses.
I must say: Bwahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!
This is it?
That’s so 90’s looking
dont really see the hype, it only slightly smaller than existing pc tablets and it only in protatype stage, hopefully apples tablet will be better
“15 minutes”
Good thing it’s not a heart monitor.
They stole a signature verification device from the checkout at Best Buy and slipped a Yahoo template under the clear plastic cover. Either that or they think they’ve reinvented the Etch-A-Sketch.
Where are the paper swans?
This tablet is too mid-sized to become popular. It should either fit in the pocket or be a laptop. In specialized situations it could work out, though it looks like shit.
There is no way Microsoft will be able to get the price to $500. Even if they have five year olds in China making them — which they will — it would be unbelievable to get an Intel processor, Microsoft XP flava of the day, video, sound, etc. for that price.
Wait a minute. There is one way. Make it Linux based!
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Though I use a PB at home and I extol the virtues of using the Mac OS to my compatriots at work, this product would be great for me since I work in construction and engineering and a portable like this running Autocad would be perfect. If only Autodesk would port ACAD to the Mac OS, only then would my transition to Apple would be complete…..
That’s another reason why Apple moved to Intel. They will use this technology from Intel in future iPods.
Sorry, I’m at a lost for words. Or maybe I just want to be polite.
“There is no way Microsoft will be able to get the price to $500.”
Unless they sell it at a loss. Aren’t all but two of their business units losing money?
When then can get it to be 1″ thin or less and have at least a 5-hour battery life for less than $1000, not to mention not have it look like something out of the original star trek, I might get interested. Until then, keep the promises coming, Microsoft! Sooner or later people will catch on that you never deliver. Or maybe not, they haven’t so far.
I can see it now, like the dude with the loud iPod. The next big thing will be someone will go blind from looking at the screen on Origami.
An oversized palm or PC handheld, big deal.
Sony makes better looking LCD remotes than that thing.
Take two and call me in the morning.
In the UK and OZ, pills are called tablets.
In Microshaft’s defense, Apple hasn’t come up with this yet so Microshaft had nothing to steal from….. considering the brain power that Microshaft has to work with, I’d say this is probably as good (and original) as they could possibly get there in Redmond…..
I think I’ll hold off buying one until the “OrigaMini” ships….
Scott,
Apple came up with this in the early 1990’s. It’s called the Newton.
More info:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,54580,00.html
“In Microshaft’s defense, Apple hasn’t come up with this yet so Microshaft had nothing to steal from….. considering the brain power that Microshaft has to work with, I’d say this is probably as good (and original) as they could possibly get there in Redmond…..”
No they ripped off a Newton
what the hell? looks like something from like 20 year ago!
looks like an Etch a Sketch. if OSX is hacked to run on it i’ll get one and keep it by toilet to surf the web during evacuation.
AND it ships, then I like it. A really small, really THIN tablet that runs every app? Gimme!
Just so long as it runs OS X! I want power and reliability in my pocket, not headaches.
This is good…now we have something new that we can all rail against that is not the HiFi.
Maybe this would be an upgrade for that big tablet the UPS dude carrys with him…oh what…he uses that all day long…this is only good for 15minutes.
More M$ guff, but Windows is guff and seems to have done alright 🙁