msmobiles.com/f

msmobiles.com_robot · Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 16777215

It looks like we will have to revive our mobile mini PC section... because Microsoft gets serious about them at last! Poor Microsoft: some advertisements agency leaked photos (or rather video ad embedded in Flash pr...

Read more at http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/4963.html

RICOUK · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 21 Location: England

That is brilliant, I wouln't mind one, anyone know the cost of these things? I would be surprised if it's not in the £1000 area.

On the same section of that site watch the Microsoft bank of the future one and look at the really thin tablet PCs they are using. Very nice.

EJR · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 2626

robbyb · Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Location: London

A grand? That's much more than laptop money - and that's where it will fail.

With no visible keyboard, it's not going to be used for any real quantity of work. Which makes it some kind of infotainment device. Except that with no built-in phone, we'd better hope that it has WiFi.

If its not got a phone then your immediate thirst for info is limited to when you can find a WiFi source. So, maybe it's more of an entertainment device. A grand for a device where the struggle is always on to get your entertainment on to it. Hmmm. You must get a memory stick to it to copy your pics onto it. Games won't be that compatible with it, I'll bet. You must find a way to get your DVD onto it. Any movies will have to be on a proprietary MS format memory disk (only a guess folks).

£180 for a PSP and the PSP looks a bargain.

If its not got a phone (yet) then you are lugging around something that's big and won't go in a pocket - then you might as well take a laptop around. A grand will probably get me a reasonably small laptop.

But we'll see. I'll sit on the fence on this.

RICOUK · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 21 Location: England

EJR · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 2626

cbch · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 1 Location: UK

Actually, I belive that affordability is key to this project.

This is an attempt to extend the Microsoft user base and extend the situations in which a computer is used by the average joe.

Thats what was hinted to me.

Its a shame it doesn't have built in UMTS/GSM though. Lets just hope they haven't left out WLAN as well!
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SuperMonkey · Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 16

Since I am obviously stupid and out of it, could someone explain to me just how this device is a challenge to a PSP?

Not in that the PSP is the be-all and end-all, but because I don't see how this device competes with it.

Sort of like saying 'This new type of orange is *so* tasty, no one will drink wine ever again.'

EJR · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 2626

robbyb · Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Location: London

Points taken Ricouk, but even if it has WiFi you are bound to be somewhere else with your brick that doesn't have WiFi when you need to find out something. It would just break my heart to have spent £1000 and then have to pull out my mobile phone to browse the internet.

On the subject of Movies, I was only having a moan and being sensationalist. But MS are capable of getting organised to supply movies on a proprietary disk format... especially if they wanted to stay on the good side of the Film Companies (in being able to lock it all down to minimize piracy). There might not be a DVD drive on this machine.

A small laptop and still have a phone like the O2 XDA Mini S for less than a grand still sounds better if you want a combo that does everything.

If this device turns out to be aimed more at entertainment, then I'd rather get a PSP and an XDA Mini S for around £250. Save £750!

But I'm playing devil's advocate here.

It will all depend on the price of this device. If it comes in at around £500, then with that big screen, I might have to take a look at it again!

Robbyb

robbyb · Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Location: London

I've just seen MSMOBILES' link to the Microsoft Advert for this Origami thing. I don't think I'd get one at £300.

It's huge, and seems to be no better that an Etch-A-Sketch.

I can't see how it would really be useful to anyone. It's tethered to a docking station or wifi. Where-ever it goes, it needs a mobile phone to help it do anything useful!

Check the advert out - and then go buy a Universal Smile

austinguy23 · Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 72

This is just a small laptop with a touch-screen and integrated GPS. What a disappointment. Viral marketing should be reserved for truly ground-breaking devices. Otherwise, it's just a let-down in the end.

ykj · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 12

Dualcor CPC (which is also smaller & with phone capability) pawn this Origami project to the pits.

thelostsoul · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 143

To be honest, what good is XP without an HD? Memory is lacking in the flash area, and with no HD, you can't be serious about loading XP apps onto a device....

RICOUK · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 21 Location: England