“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