Ultra Mobile Personal Computer - is it really a Microsoft/Intel brainchild?
By now, we already know what the Origami Project is after a long teaser-ads, hypes and campaigns by Microsoft back 4 or 5 months ago. Now we know that it is all about UMPC or Ultra-Mobile PC, a small form factor PC capable of running Windows XP Tablet Edition and probably Linux.
Histor repeat itself. Innovation takes time and timing. What’s “in” before will be revived today and in the futre by anyone wanting to push it to the next level. Remember the “a head of it’s time” Apple Newton whose capabilities is being slowly implemented on mainstream smart phones and PDAs. Same goes for UMPC!
Epson announced in 1981 the first portable computer (based on Osborne 1). So in reality, the first UMPC was released more than 2 decades ago long before Intel and Microsoft was even considered an established tech company. The machine has a full QUERTY keyboard; display (20 chars , 4 lines); storage; printer (wow!); rechargeable Ni-Cad bettery that can last a whopping 40 hours(!); weighs 1.7k or 3 lbs.; allow optional (has a built-in version) casette deck (storage); an RS232 serial ports (38.8kps); 16KB internal memory (upgradable to 32KB); dual processor for processing control and display and keyboard; CPUs were 8-bit Hitachi 6301s clock speed approx 600kHZ. Epson sold the machine for 7 years ( up to 1987 )
So UMPC is not a new technology after all. There you go, a proof that history and innovation repeat itself bringing improvement of existing or failed products of the past.
On the side note, I was just wondering about the Origami/UMPC project, is Microsoft/Intel really pushing for market acceptance of UMPS is because the “Table PC” hype didn’t do much to add more revenue to their revenue. The latter failed to make it to mainstream PC users because of high price and specific usage. It’s not an everyday device. UMPC could also face the same faith if the pricing will stay at more than USD 700.00. If I’d have the money, I’d get one but it should be lower what it is today for the sake of trying it out. Ubuntu might run in it you know! 
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