U810 Review

So what is Project Origami and what are ultra-mobile PC’s? Ultra-mobile PC’s (UMPC’s) are a small form factor computer that runs a full-fledged operating system instead of a slimmed down version like Windows Mobile or Palm. Project Origami is the specification for these new devices. It was developed by Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and several other manufacturers.

The internal hardware is more similiar to a laptop where as Windows Mobile devices lack many of those components. This gives UMPC’s much more versatility. Consider them a cross between a smart phone and a laptop, ranging in size between the two. Many UMPC’s feature touch screens that allow for another human interface that allows for “writing” on the screen. Many keyboards on UMPC’s are very tiny and therefore are tough to write any extensive article or document on. This is where touch screens come in handy as they allow you to write as if you were writing on a piece of paper.

Because these devices use a complete Windows Vista operating system, it allows you to install any compatible Windows application on them including Microsoft Office or any other productivity package. Web surfing can also be done in the same fashion as it would on a regular laptop or desktop computer. This is what gives UMPC’s such a large appeal. They are smaller than laptops, but give much more functionality than smart phones or PDA’s.

There are still many drawbacks however that face UMPC’s. This is in the realm of battery life and processing power. In order to keep the devices small, they require smaller batteries. But to keep an decent battery life on a UMPC, then the processor needs to be cut back on so that it doesn’t drain the life of the battery too quickly. This is where most of the research is being put into for Project Origami. The more powerful a processor you can get without draining battery life too much, the better off the future of UMPC’s look.