HANNOVER, Germany—Microsoft Corp. unveiled its much-hinted-at Origami product today—an ultra-mobile personal computer with Wi-Fi connectivity—at the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany. The computing giant called the device a “first step” in its “big vision” for a mobile device that provides mobile, Windows-based applications with touch-screen and other input options as well as television, gaming, music and other functions. Microsoft said it anticipated that prices for the do-it-all gadget would fall in the $600 to $1,000 range.
Wireless savants may well compare the UMPC to Nokia Corp.’s 770 Internet tablet, introduced nearly a year ago and priced at about $350. Nokia’s PDA-sized gadget supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and runs on the open-source Linux operating system.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. showed off a prototype Origami-based device, the Q1 Ultra-Mobile PC, which represents the basic hardware design Microsoft will pursue with various manufacturers: specifications call for it to weigh less than two pounds and boast a seven inch screen. The device offers input options including an on-screen Qwerty keyboard or a Bluetooth or USB port-linked traditional keyboard; a stylus can also be used to input handwritten information. Hard drive options are expected to range between 30 and 60 gigabytes of storage. The UMPC reportedly can be connected through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Ethernet networks. Some UMPCs are also expected to be able to connect via wide-area networking. The operating system is a version of Microsoft’s Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
One potential pitfall in Microsoft’s marketing strategy of leaking tidbits about its upcoming products, particularly Origami, for months leading to an official announcement appears to be the possibility of underwhelming observers. Some pundits today suggested that an array of other, less-expensive devices perform better at each of the UMPC’s functions, and that battery life of two hours and the small screen compared poorly to less expensive, more powerful laptops.
