Thread: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
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johnkzin is offline johnkzin
2007-11-18 , 01:11
Posts: 1,878 | Thanked: 646 times | Joined on Sep 2007 @ San Jose, CA
#7
Originally Posted by rickh View Post
I just recently got what I consider to be a UMPC - it just doesn't run Windows, although I think you can load it if you wanted to - a Pepper Pad 3. I also got the Samsung USB keyboard (feels and acts just like a Thinkpad keyboard/mouse pointer).

For me, it's not been a failure at all, at least not yet. Why did I get it? I wanted a 2 pound machine that I could travel with and do my work, which primarily involves OO.o. Schlepping around a 6 pound laptop sucks for more than a couple of airports. I no longer have to worry about taking a laptop out of my bag to be scanned. I've yet to be asked what it is by anyone scanning my messenger bag. I suspect it would be the same for any other UMPC.

And when I don't feel like using it as a laptop replacement, I can lay on the couch and surf using the built-in thumb board and stylus.

You're right about the price point though. I paid 600 USD for it, and think it was about 100 more than it should be.

I still take my N800 out with me when I'm out and about, but don't really use it that much in the house anymore. It mostly stays in my jacket pocket until in needs recharging.

R.
==

Yup. If I get an UMPC, it'll probably be a pepper pad. It's the right form factor (same as the Samsung Q1, really, though the very first Q1, the one on sale, didn't have the keyboard).

I just wish it had a Express Card slot, with drivers for EVDO and/or HSDPA cards.

As for the other post about UMPCs failing, partially due to hard drives, the didn't someone just release a new line of 1.8" and 2.5" SSD hard drives? So I expect that might change soon. And, Pepper isn't the only linux based UMPC:

* the OQO has semi-official linux support (they document it as a how-to, but don't fully support it)
* the EB MIMD runs linux (technically, it's a MIMD, but umpcportal.com calls it an umpc, along with the Nokia ITs, and the Asus EEE)
* and, for that matter, the Asus EEE PC runs linux as well.


I think a pepper pad, with an SSD HD, and an EVDO or HSDPA card, would make an interesting personal gateway. Throw it in my backpack, access its SSD HD via bluetooth, access the internet via bluetooth ... don't know if I'd ever use it directly, though. (in fact, I've thought about buying one just for the bluetooth storage, since it seems to be taking forever for Seagate to release DAVE, and Agere to release the BluOnyx) If Pepper were to adopt maemo, then that'd be rather interesting.

But, the one reason why I'd never pick an UMPC, even the pepper pad, over an NIT, is that it's too big to put in my coat pocket.