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Gadgets Samsung's Q1 Ultra En Route
Chris Peredun - March 15, 2007 11:40 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 21 comment(s) - last by Visual.. on Mar 17 at 7:28 AM
Intel's "Santa Rosa" platform is basis for Samsung's next-generation UMPC lineup, which may include an entry-level model

While the wraps still have to be lifted from Samsung's new Q1 Ultra Ultra Mobile PC (no, that's not a typo) at CeBIT 2007, some information has quietly slipped out from under the umbrella, not the least of which is the possible presence of a cheaper cousin to the Q1 Ultra.

H.S. Kim, executive vice president and general manager of Samsung's computer division, will be officially unveiling the device later today, and hopes to double or triple the sales of Samsung's initial Q1 line by adding a cheaper variant. Samsung’s original Q1 has sold roughly 100,000 units in its year on the market. "In order to have more users who can afford this kind of product, we are thinking of coming up with a second version."

With the amount of technology crammed into the top-of-the-line Q1 Ultra, it's no surprise that there are plenty of places to save a few bucks by opting out of the options. Specifications were laid out in a previous DailyTech article earlier this week, but notably absent were the processor and chipset specifications. Thanks to an alert reporter at PC World, a little more is now known.

The Q1 Ultra will be riding on Intel's Centrino platform, codenamed Santa Rosa, and will be sporting a new Core 2 based processor running at a mere 800MHz. Intel's 965 chipset will provide the core logic, and by association a GMA3000-derived graphics chipset will offer DirectX 9.0c features. Weight is slightly reduced to 1.5lbs from the 1.7lbs of the Q1, and just over a half-inch of height is shaved off.

However, DailyTech insider Marcus Pollice had an opportunity to play with the Q1 earlier today, only to report the prototype is far from complete.  "If the info CPU-Z gives out is somewhat correct, it's running a 90nm Dothan-based CPU at 0.8V," he said.

In addition to the standard hard drive and SSD-based models of the original Q1, Samsung is also "planning to have this hybrid drive some day in the near future," added Kim.

Pricing has not been officially released, but sources estimate a street price of $1,200 USD for a well-equipped Q1 Ultra.

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Super Gadget-
By giantpandaman2 on 3/15/2007 12:26:07 PM , Rating: 3
UMPC simply doesn't have enough functionality.

It should be:
Logitech Harmony class universal remote
Kiosk style E-reader (something a computer illiterate grandma could use for recipes, buying a book on amazon, etc.)
Kiosk style RSS/Newsfeed reader
LiveAnywhere gameplayer
Autosync with Outlook/Thunderbird etc.

There's tons of other things you could do with that form factor that would work better on a UMPC than a full blown notebook, but that's a start. Now, a lot of people will say , "Well, you can do all those things if you're willing to do some hacking and a lot of application finding." But that's not what sells in the mass market. That's one thing Apple, as much as I don't care for their products, has down. Mass market wants out of the box functionality with no fiddling necessary. Maybe then, and only then, will people want to plop down $1000 on a "super gadget." Otherwise it's just a crippled notebook to me.




RE: Super Gadget-
By rosej on 3/15/07, Rating: -1
RE: Super Gadget-
By Chapbass on 3/15/2007 1:24:23 PM , Rating: 2
got lawl?

i loved this part:

Do kindly reply back if you are interested and as you do you will be glad you do, you can reach us through our email address.

how many you's can you fit in a sentence?


RE: Super Gadget-
By osalcido on 3/15/2007 1:06:17 PM , Rating: 2
umm what you're describing already exists..... look for pocket pcs or pdas.

the umpc is the smallest form factor that provides FULL functionality of a PC


RE: Super Gadget-
By giantpandaman2 on 3/15/2007 1:47:31 PM , Rating: 2
And how many grandmas do you know who will read off a PDA? Not many.

I had one of the original palm pilots. I know they've changed over the years, but they do NOT offer much for consumers, mostly just business users.

My point is, sure, you can have the full functionality of a pc. But make a suite of software that allows people to easily flip to consumer functions. Cuz, I don't know about you, but there's no way I'd use a tiny UMPC when I really want to get some office work done. The UMPC factor lends itself to CONSUMER functionality imho.


RE: Super Gadget-
By osalcido on 3/15/2007 1:55:58 PM , Rating: 2
ok you're kinda confusing..... you say you want the umpc to have features for grandma.... yet you admit that no grandma would use such a device (at least no grandma I know).

anyways, my point was that many pocket pc's provide the features you listed and then some. if grandma wants a damn recipe list... she can use an HP pocket pc


RE: Super Gadget-
By giantpandaman2 on 3/15/2007 2:09:04 PM , Rating: 2
My point is a PocketPC's screen is too small, the input to convoluted. That PocketPC's are marketed to business users. That a PocketPC's input device (stylus) wouldn't make sense to most Grandmas. Hell, it wouldn't make sense to most non-business people.

Understand-I'm talking about form factor. A PocketPC with a Qwerty keyboard is way too daunting for non computer geeks. Hell, just the thought of using one of those tiny things puts me off. A Palm with just a stylus for input is too strange. Not to mention using a stylus is too easy to lose in a family household where kids/adults will be sharing it.

Now, a touch screen (finger based, not stylus), or one with just a few navigation buttons, that's fine for mainstream.

Put it this way: Go give your grandma an HP PocketPC. See how far she gets with it.


RE: Super Gadget-
By Visual on 3/17/2007 7:17:38 AM , Rating: 2
Except for the universal remote part, the things that you mention are all a matter of having the right software.


Near perfect
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 3/15/2007 11:51:38 AM , Rating: 2
I could see myself using this on a daily basis if two things were changed:

1) Processor speed is bumped to around 1.3GHz to 1.4GHz. 800MHz just seems like a killjoy for Windows Vista Home Premium.
2) HDD is swapped out for a solid-state drive to offset the faster, more power-hungry processor.




RE: Near perfect
By Chris Peredun on 3/15/2007 12:10:41 PM , Rating: 2
SSD drives are already planned, and the hybrid should offer the best of both worlds. As far as power goes, I wouldn't be surprised to see this get a speed bump in a later revision, much as the Q1P (Pentium M 1GHz) did to the Q1 (Celeron M 900MHz).

The Core 2 Solo ULV already exists at 1.2 and 1.06GHz for the Napa platform, so it would be logical to assume that they're prepping Socket P versions. And in a dream world, we'd see the Core 2 Duo ULV L7200 (1.33GHz) or L7400 (1.50GHz) make an appearance.


RE: Near perfect
By osalcido on 3/15/2007 1:59:36 PM , Rating: 2
i think an 800mhz core 2 duo processor would be within thermal limits of a fanless design.... which is what I think they may be doing. I don't know for sure but it's just a guess.

you're right about the SSD though. even if it's just 16GB i'd take that over a 100GB HDD.... I'll save all my important files to my home pc anyway... not this thing that can be stolen at any moment


RE: Near perfect
By Chris Peredun on 3/15/2007 2:43:16 PM , Rating: 2
For the time being, this processor only has a single core.

Regarding theft ... well, that's why it has biometrics.


RE: Near perfect
By osalcido on 3/15/2007 3:37:29 PM , Rating: 1
i fail to see how biometrics will get the device back to you after it has been swiped.....or are you saying that biometrics will prevent it from being swiped? Either way, It's not possible


RE: Near perfect
By Chris Peredun on 3/16/2007 7:53:56 AM , Rating: 3
The third, and logical assumption, is that biometrics will prevent whoever stole the UMPC from reading your confidential data. Devices can be insured, data can't.


Still Waiting on Decent Graphics Power
By Assimilator87 on 3/15/2007 11:49:53 AM , Rating: 1
I thought it was pretty cool when the UMPCs were first introduced and there was a pic of a guy playing Halo on it. I don't think Halo would run very well on an X3000. I'll buy one when they stick in a mobile GF8600.




RE: Still Waiting on Decent Graphics Power
By Chris Peredun on 3/15/2007 12:23:27 PM , Rating: 3
While it's no Go8600, Dell has been rumoured to be in talks with both ATI and NVIDIA for a truly low-wattage GPU. We might see a "Dell UMPC XPS" in the future. Keep in mind that you don't need a whole lot of horsepower to push pixels at 800x480, or even 1024x600.


By therealnickdanger on 3/15/2007 12:50:26 PM , Rating: 2
Did you see the Tweaktown CeBIT coverage?

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1063/5


By Assimilator87 on 3/15/2007 10:56:16 PM , Rating: 2
If you posted the link to point to the external graphics card then I think you missed the whole point of it. How in the world would anyone carry both the UMPC and the ext. GPU? We need a powerful integrated solution.


By therealnickdanger on 3/15/2007 12:36:32 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I don't think Halo would run very well on an X3000.

Between Intel's poor X3000 driver implementation (i.e.: complete lack thereof) and HaloPC's poor optimization, I think we'll be out of luck on that one. 800x600 with PS1.1 and most if not all the effects turned off might be smooth... However, it will be like looking through a window covered in poo, but it will be playable.


Missing a few things.
By exdeath on 3/16/2007 7:44:29 AM , Rating: 2
Needs GPS and dual GSM/CDMA.




RE: Missing a few things.
By Visual on 3/17/2007 7:28:36 AM , Rating: 2
QFT.

I assume it has speakers and microphone, as well as can use bluetooth headsets for voip on a wifi net, but if they add GSM it would be so much greater. Are there such things as external usb or blootooth GSM modems for PCs? Something which can let you make GSM voice calls?

It probably can also work wonderfully with a usb or bluetooth gps module, so having one built-in isn't mandatory, but would be a great bonus.

I would love one as it is now too, though.


“And I don't know why [Apple