UMPC Toplist

Posted by Steve Paine of UMPCPortal.

The daily commuter has a fairly strict set of requirements for a UMPC. Light weight, ability to run office applications, bright screen, keyboard, robustness, 7" screen for beyond-arm-length video watching, minimum 3 hours battery life.

Top Choice: Kohjinsha SA1F00A

Why? The Kohjinsha SA1 is a unique device which combines nearly all of the capabilities required for a commuter. The 4 hours battery life, bright 7" screen, keyboard, sub 1KG weight and good price make it an easy choice. Processing power may not be enough for efficient preparation of PowerPoint presentations but word processing will not be a problem. Various versions of this model are available. More info here.

Second Choice: OQO Model 02

Why? The OQO is one of the smallest UMPCs available. Its designed for handheld operation and has a slide-out keyboard which is not as fast as the Kohjinsha SA1. Processing power is better than the Kohjinsha. A docking station is available that turns the OQO into a low-end desktop PC.
The high price and small screen relegates it to second place. Available with Windows XP or Vista. More info here.

Third Choice: Dialogue Flybook V33

Why? The Flybook V33 is a fully capable notebook PC in ultra-small form. It has one of the best keyboards of any ultra-mobile PC and is quite capable of running a full suite of office applications. A swivel touchscreen allows the device to be used as a tablet and built in 3G cellular modems are also available on some models. More info here.

Notes

Two new devices (announced but not available at the time of writing) will be available soon from Samsung and Fujitsu. The Fujitsu U Series looks to be aimed at traveling professionals but the timescale for European and North American roll-out is unknown. The Samsung Q1 Ultra combines a high brightness 1024x600 screen in a tablet format with a split thumb-board as an input option. Will be suitable for short emails but not document writing.

 

Posted by Steve Paine of Carrypad

The mobile bloggers most important requirements are keyboard and Internet connectivity. Every possible type of Internet connectivity must be possible so BT, WiFi, USB2.0 are minimum requirements. Integrated 3G cellular modem would be an advantage.
The keyboard is obviously very important along with a very good battery life and a good quality screen. Preferably outdoor readable.
A ruggedised UMPC should also be considered. Price could be an issue as most mobile bloggers would be doing it part time.

Top Choice: Q1b

Why? The Samsung Q1B is available with the keyboard pack at a great price. The LED screen and VIA processor provide double the battery life of all the other Q1 models and the price is very competitive. The only disadvantages are the lack of SD and CF card slot and the limited availability (Jan 07 - US only.) In Europe a version is planned which will include a 3.5G cellular modem making this the #1 choice.

Second Choice: P1610

Why? The P1610 offers one of the best near-desktop experiences possible. It has a LED back-lit screen and a very good keyboard. Battery life isn't as good as with the Samsung Q1b and the price is high. Again, in Europe, a version is planned with a built-in 3.5G modem. A PCMCIA card slot enables input from camera memory cards or the addition of the 3G modem if this is not available built in to the local model.

Third Choice: VAIO UX Series

Why? The Sony UX series combines an extremely small form factor with high resolution LED-back-lit screen and slide-out keyboard. Although the keyboard is small, it can be used for thumbing. There is a version of the Sony UX that includes a 2.5G modem. The price is high and the card slot is for memory sticks but this could worked around with a USB multi-card adapter.

Notes:

The Medion RM 1000 is not currently available but could offer many of the advantages of the Sony UX at a reduced price.

Also consider: Kohjinsha SA1. Low-end UMPC. Great battery life. LED-backlighting. High speed CF and SD slots. Tiny form factor. Keyboard quality is not perfect.

Posted by Steve Paine of Carrypad

The Digital Photographer requires a mix of particular interfaces, a bright display, a long battery life with exchangeable batteries and enough power to perform basic photo editing. In addition, a 3G connection and ruggedisation might be advantageous.

Top Choice: Kohjinsha SA1F00A

Why? The Kohjinsha SA1 provides a very good range of interfaces including SD, Memory Stick and CF interfaces along with the usual USB2.0 connections. The 80GB model provides enough storage for most photography tasks and the 3.5 hours battery (and more if you are not using the WiFi) gives class-leading life. In addition the Kohjinsha SA1 has a LED backlit screen without touch layer. The processing power is low-end so batch image processing will be slower than on most other UMPCs. Ruggedisation is not catered for and availability is only via importers as this is a device built for the Japanese market.

Second Choice: ASUS R2H

Why? This popular device is available worldwide at a very good price. Battery life and screen brightness are not the best but there is an extended battery available. (In the U.S. the R2H is delivered with the extended battery as a standard feature.) The R21H has a built in SD card reader and USB2.0 sockets and a GPS receiver which makes geo-tagging easy.

Third Choice: Samsung Q1b

Why? Available in the U.S. with a very good battery life and high brightness LED backlit screen for a reasonable price. The Q1b does not have any card reader slots so you will have to use the USB2.0 interfaces with an adapter. There are a range of cases available which can help to protect the Q1b. An extended battery is available which can push the battery life to over 6 hours.

Notes:
The ideal digital photographers UMPC device doesn't exist yet. Ideally it would include the features of the Kohjinsha SA1 with a Ghz class processor and be available worldwide.

Posted by Matt Propst of Propstm
College students have a strict budget, even stricter deadlines. College students also are usually going from class to class needing a device that they can carry easily with them, and that has a battery that can last as well... Price - Less than $900, Battery - The longer the better.

Top Choice: Q1b

Why? The device sells for $899. It has a 3 hour and 35 minute battery life with WIFI on! It works great for taking notes and weighs only 770g! (Device is new to market, there may be a waiting period to get the device.)

Second Choice: ago 7

Why? For $799 this is the cheapest out there. This device is basically a EO v7110 clone, it has the same Amtek T700 model and is $100 cheaper than the TabletKiosk version. It weighs 860g and has a battery life of 2.5 hours.

Third Choice: Vega

Why? Currently the only other UMPC under $900, however this isn't a tablet. 4.5 hour battery life. Only two UMPCs were listed because currently those are all that fall into the criteria I described. Price is currently the limiting factor.