What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

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Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:08:46 GMT

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re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Mickey Segal — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:55:57 GMT

The clothing industry is indeed following UMPCs and small tablets, and it is indeed willing to make some bigger pockets if they see a reasonable prospect of demand in the marketplace.

The largest manufacturer of men's suits in North America put together prototype sport jackets to hold a Motion Computing LS800 (see http://segal.org/tablet/photo/), and doing so for UMPCs would be even easier. As of May 2005, Microsoft's attitude was that they "never really though Microsoft could be in a position to partner with a sports coat maker. Who knows! I’ll keep this in mind as the work progresses".

It is time to pick up the phone. The manufacturers know what is going on more than you may have guessed.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Dennis Rice — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:19:35 GMT

Love it, love it, love it Vikram. You have done a great job summarizing a lot of good points we have been talking about lately. I don't *totally* agree with the readiness thing, but do agree that the form factor holds great promise. For example, when you say "All your existing Windows software works", I have to challenge that one a bit. In so many apps right now, I have dialog boxes that disappear off the screen in native resolutions, forcing me to go to higher res. Once I do, it is practically impossible to hit targets with my finger that were designed for a pen at a hi res. That's just an example though, and could easily fall into your "early-adopter pain" statement.

All in all, I do love the little rascals, and will continue to experiment with them and watch them grow. We went through the same thing with Tablet PC's early on, but let's just hope it does not take 3-4 years to get UMPC to that maturity level and relative price point.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Alex — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:55:46 GMT

Nice post. You have very nicely articulated, in my opinion, the advantages and issues with the UMPC. I have a Samsung Q1P and it has been meeting my needs very nicely. But I have to agree with Dennis about current software and the issue with dialog boxes.

I look forward to reading future posts!

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Mihara — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:35:40 GMT

Pricey, yes.

Still, my Asus R2H came in at about half the cost of a laptop I'd rather buy otherwise, but would need a bag to carry. :)

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

romy klessen — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:52:56 GMT

Got a now-for-something-completely different track for you to consider. I'm a Graphics instructor. We use mostly Macs, altho' we teach cross-platform skills and compatibility, as well. I've got an aged and aging Gateway-rebranded Motion1200 slate which I use a LOT, in addition to the MacBook Pro.

I also have a learning-disabled son. He's almost 14, but behaves more like a giant kindergartner. He is largely non-verbal (think in terms of typical behaviors associated with autism, yet still friendly and gregarious).

We just had an assistive tech review for him as a part of his IEP for special ed. I'm advocating that he should have a tablet PC provided as a special ed learning aid (better still, a UMPC) by the time he is in high school.

He might prove to be a test case or guinea pig for this idea, within our school district. When you consider that special, proprietary hardware and software for kids in special ed is excruciatingly expensive, won't do half of what a "real PC" does, doesn't run the software everyone else on the planet uses, isn't cool, and is not regularly updated, why shouldn't the "system" jump on the better value of the tablet, given economies of scale and ease of use by students and staff-- because it works like they think it does?

Good question, huh?

With a touch screen, a UMPC could run all the assistive tech point-and-click apps needed for basic communication, could speak for him, and could be used differently (voice-activated commands, speech to text, screen readers, text scanners...) by students who can speak/hear but have little mobility. Even a ruggedized model wouldn't cost more than many "assistive tech" devices which are very limited in function.

There is a HUGE potential market here, if the momentum just gets going enough.

Our boy uses a computer very well, considering his challenges, and he has no trouble at all figuring out how to get into a lot of the software I have running on my tablet, finding favorite sites online (if we keep his "favorites" together, labeled in a folder with his name). He is only barely beginning to read, but he can recognize letter patterns as associated to a particular function he wants to access. It took him _months_ to learn to use a mouse well, and about half an hour to use the stylus/pen functionality. What does that say, right there?

A touch screen would boost his confidence and learning immensely, I believe. In general, the special ed technology folks in our district agree with me. We just have to figure out how to make this happen...

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Alslayer — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:26:14 GMT

Great post.

I can't wait for the next one.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Danny-O — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:57:07 GMT

sweet read vik! I dig the philosophy in this ying for that yang over view. And if you find someone making some cool q1 clothing (or umpc) drop a line with a comment. I'm still totting around my note book back pack from targus, cuse well we all love our back packs and they are less formal looking then the breif cases we all hide from. but a sport jacket or vest with a good sized pocket for a q1 would definately be definately mobile. Maybe two pockets one for the unit and one for accessories. back up battery, charger, evdo hook up, fold away keyboard, yoda yoda yoda, and well you know the gadget bag list goes on. keep um comming though. the toons are a big plus!

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

TabPC — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:59:24 GMT

The UMPC environment is deplorable. The Tablet PC environment is deplorable.

...

A fashion statement that includes something as huge as an LS800 computer... yikes, that is not fashion...

You may not want to admit it, but you know what's coming... that Apple phone thing. They seem to understand style and functionality. The rest the PC makes might as well join GM and try to get Lexus, Infiniti owners to drive and Oldsmobile, an insult.

I deserve to get whatever comes after this post. I stand tall, let the rocks fly. I am not Apple biased, just a Tablet PC owner.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Andrew W. — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:36:01 GMT

I have used a Motion tablet slate for years. It worked very well. It finally died. It was too big and too heavy. I have been looking at replacements. I had originally dismissed the idea of umpc as toys, not work machines, until I read about the new Samsung Q1 ultra. I am going to wait for the release of it.

Umpc's should be full blown PC's but act more like pda's in some respects. For example, instant on or fast boot time. I used my tablet pc to write a lot of ink notes. It took a long time to boot, bad when you're in a rush. You need to be able to get to it quickly but can't risk leaving it on b/c of poor battery life.

Umpc battery life must be real all day use. They should have broadband access built in or pc card They should be light and as small as possible but maintian the scrren size. Processor speed faster with lots of RAM.

Maybe Samsung is getting close.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

VikramMadan — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:40:30 GMT

Couple of followup comments to the comments:

- Yes, I kindof glossed over the fact somethings (like dialogs and touch-targets) can be tricky on the 800x480 resolution... More on this topic later...

- Tablets/UMPCs can indeed have a true impact as an Assistive Technology. I have this topic already on my list of future topics :). For now I refer you to my colleague/friend Guy Barker's site http://herbi.org/ - Guy has the most passion I know of in this space...

- Because UMPCs are easier to use on the go, we do expect people will do PDA-type activities. The default off state in Vista is 'sleep' precisely so we can get to the instant on/off experience sooner, in conjunction with improvements in resume times.

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

zeven_ups@hotmail.com — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 22:27:27 GMT

How do you define a PDA-type activity :-)?

How is it different from any other general computing activity?

What makes a PDA a PDA? Is it the harware, the size, or the software (or the combination)?

What makes a small computer deserving of the name PDA must be drive the product in some fashion. My PocketPC and Newton provided applications that took screen presentation size into account.

What on a UMPC makes it any more useful other than you it weighs less and is smaller?

I think these are good questions to think about. Yet, they are obvious. What the UMPC presenters offer is a huge gigantic gasoline engine, tucked into a smaller car and magnifies the exact complaints we've had with laptops in the first place.

By not putting it 'real' stifles progress, so I am not bashing, but putting it real. If Apple's phone thingy addresses all of the issues, then what does it say for all of these weird UMPC bricks we've been seeing?

I live in the apps and not the OS.

Come for the UMPC Info, Stay for the Cartoons

Frank La Vigne — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:41:59 GMT

re: What the #@#%$ is a UMPC? Orig-ins & outs…

Guy Barker — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:44:36 GMT

I completely agree with Romy’s belief in the potential for the UMPC as an accessibility tool. The device allows you to have the assistive technology software you use at the desktop available to you in more places, and also allows you to interact with the software in more natural ways. The value of the “more places” thing was brought home to me a few years ago when someone told me that her daughter was developmentally delayed and visually impaired and had reached a bit of an impasse with her reading skills. But when she a Tablet PC should could “curl up in a nice chair to read” and there was a breakthrough in developing her reading skills. So the “more places” thing means more than having the device while you’re out at the shops or in a meeting, but also just somewhere comfortable where you can relax, (and that’s not at a desk in front of a monitor.)

But the second point is also very important. The features that come with a Tablet PC or UMPC can make it easier to use it in more natural ways. I’ve spent more than three years experimenting with ideas in this area. Most of my ideas have turned out to be duds, but a couple seem to have real potential.

I’ve written a program called “Herbi Writer”, (details at http://herbi.org/HerbiWriter.htm.) It aims to help people with disabilities learn how to handwrite. This started when an occupational therapist contacted a Tablet PC Developer alias asking whether there were programs that would help her teach kids how to handwrite. (There were a couple of Power Toys available, but she said that for specific reasons they wouldn’t be practical for teaching her students.) So based on her input, I wrote Herbi Writer. The OT is now evaluating it with the students that she teaches, (including some with autism and ADHD.) Based on her feedback I try to update the program when I can. There’s still a long list of things I need to do to the program, but it is showing potential, and apparently is already helping some of the students with their handwriting. The OT has been invaluable in this process, as I need her feedback to know where to focus in the program. (She runs workshops to train teachers and therapists, and mentions some of the technology she shows at her workshops at http://www.handylearning.com/technologyLinks.htm.)

Romy – if you try out any of the programs at Herbi.org, definitely send feedback my way! I’d be really interested in your experiences.

I wrote another program after spending some time with a person who had a speech disability. He communicated completely through pen and paper. So I wrote a simple program which linked the handwriting recognition that you get on a Tablet PC with the text-to-speech, and ended up with an ink-to-speech program. This had limited appeal given that it was still time consuming to write a whole sentence. A program that has far more potential was written by a colleague of mine, which combines handwriting with word or phrase selection. This is called “Tablet PC Speech Assistant” and is up at http://herbi.org/TellMeIntro.htm. Last month I got feedback after someone with a speech disability used the program on a UMPC, and she found the layout of the program a problem on the small UMPC small screen, so I (rather hurriedly) put something up at http://herbi.org/SpeechAssistantForUMPC.htm, (but that’s very specific to the 800x480 screen.)

All in all, everything up at Herbi.org is experimental. If people try things out and give me feedback, I can change the programs to work better for them. Everyone knows that at any time technology has some problems, (whether it’s the price, the battery life, the speaker quality in noisy environments). But with the UMPC we have technology that can be helpful to many people with disabilities now. While for some people it won’t be useful due to some blocking factor in how they’d use the device, for other people there may be no such blocking factors and so they should be able to benefit from the technology today.

Romy’s last comment is the key - “We just have to figure out how to make this happen”. I’ve been trying for more than 3 years and haven’t figured it out. Maybe this is done through working with school districts. In some cases a UMPC may be a cheaper than some dedicated hardware that the school’s already using. The OT who’s using Herbi Writer with her students does work with school districts, and is planning to pilot the program with students at a school, (with a few Tablet PCs running Herbi Writer.) If that’s successful, maybe other schools will join in.

UMPCs are on the way

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