Guest Editorial - UMPCs are PCs

OrigamiProject user Opus wrote some excellent replies to my post about whether UMPCs should be treated as PCs or Consumer Electronics devices. Although his views opinion of the market differs a big from mine, his justification for it is well researched and presented. I asked him to compile his replies as a guest editorial and the result is what we have below. Thanks, Opus!

Should the UMPC be treated as a PC, or as a consumer electronics device like a phone, MP3 player, or television and offer a great out-of-box experience but one that cannot be improved?

I can't see how UMPC’s would be considered a consumer electronics device when their primary function is as a PC capable of running most common software, in a small mobile form factor capable of going anywhere and used anytime you want. Also, unlike PDA's, MP3's, & Smartphones, there is no dependency on a host computer to sync new programs and files from.

Although most are limited in upgradeability, they support most PC accessories through docking stations or standard ports such as USB, VGA, and memory card slots. Although support has not always been as responsive as desired, most of them do support operating system upgrades.

Some vendors also provide several configuration & price tiers so the consumer can decide how much performance & capacity they need for CPU, RAM, and hard disk space. Some of the early adopters have been able to use their UMPC as their primary or only computer, keeping a more powerful and expandable notebook or desktop PC if needed to handle software and tasks that the UMPC is not capable of handling.

Why I feel strong about not dismissing it as a consumer electronics device is because software & hardware vendors should not have any excuse in making the UMPC closer in ability to the desktop or laptop platforms. They have a challenge and people have voiced their expectations, some fanned by the original hype of the Origami project (inexpensive, long battery life, runs any XP software – will support Vista, goes anywhere).

The UMPC was never meant to be for a specific purpose, it was meant to take the PC experience anywhere you wanted, not tethered to a desk or having to lug some monstrosity around like a boat anchor.

Some early adopters in defense of the UMPC’s misunderstood purpose have insinuated that the general public is the problem rather than the device, but the consumer did not define the UMPC. Microsoft and the CPU & UMPC manufacturers came up with that puppy, and boy did they get a reaction.

Here are a few quotes from their sites, including my favorite. Check them out and then you tell me who is the problem, although I would have to say from what I've read of current UMPC owners and how I'm sure I'll feel about my OQO 02 when I get it, these products might not fit all of our requirements but they come pretty darn close, and we're good with that.

origamiproject.com FAQS - ..."Ultra-Mobile PCs have the full capabilities of the Windows operating system in one of the smallest packages yet."

intel.com Mobile Computing Platform - "The Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) category offers consumers small, ultra-mobile devices with full PC capabilities, uncompromised Internet access, anytime connectivity, and the ability to recognize and adapt to its environment virtually anytime and anywhere."

samsung.com Q1P Ultra Mobile PC - "Samsung's Q1P represents a new standard for mobility and portability while providing all the robust functions of a PC notebook."

asus.com R2H - "7-inch LCD touch screen with handwritten input support and solid security protection - The R2H offers full PC functions and more!"

tabletkiosk.com - "Part of Microsoft's Ultra-Mobile PC initiative, eo features a compact, lightweight design that packs the power and compatibility of a traditional PC and runs Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet Edition 2005."

oqo.com - "The model 02 - with its robust processing power, Microsoft Windows operating system, application compatibility, memory and storage capacity, and unparalleled connectivity options - is everything you need to meet your total productivity requirements."

Response has been great for products from Asus, Samsung, Tablet Kiosk, OQO, Sony, and anything remotely resembling a UMPC, and the reasons has been as diverse as the people and their use has been. The first wave set the mark on what the manufacturers were capable of, the second wave was in response to what they found out with early adopters (bumping up CPU, RAM, & HD), going into the third wave we'll see more improvements, more players, more interpretations, and more hype on what is next.

So what should be done to market UMPC’s?

1st - UMPC vendors must build trust w/consumers with ongoing support for current products. Typical consumer hopes to get 3-5 years of life out of a PC, so support such as drivers & patches for current & new OS during their lifecycle should be readily available. Almost all of the current UMPC products are less than a year old with XP at the end of its lifecycle and already there is rumor some will not be supported for Vista. This really needs to be a high priority to support the early adopters, who lived on the bleeding edge of technology and should be rewarded with proper support of their 1^st & 2^nd generation UMPC’s for sharing their valuable experiences with those waiting for the fallout, especially since they did this at no cost but as a significant benefit to the vendors.

2nd - Microsoft needs to step up to the plate. Someone from MS saying they have almost every UMPC product working fine with Vista is very pathetic considering they don't have an official website page to provide UMPC owners a full summary of UMPC tips & tricks plus links to specific forum & blog posts to make theirs work as well. I'm not impressed with the thought of having a USB thumbdrive sticking out of a UMPC to help with performance as one feeble recommendation to improve Vista. I think some early adopters would even appreciate trying beta drivers the MS staff must be using until vendors get their act together. MS also need to back pedal and get Vista optimized to scale to the lowest supported base models and perform adequately as advertised, maybe even including a scaled & optimized Aero Glass interface for UMPC's.

3rd - vendors need to market to the 3 tier options as some already have started, plus make sure users are aware of the alternatives to purchase one that fits their use at a price they can afford. The good, better, & best versions look like good cost models that could match typical personal, professional, and high end use. When Microsoft did their March 2006 Origami announcement, I really believe the mention of a possible $500 price tag caught a lot of consumers' attention. Even if an entry model doesn't meet their needs, they'd be willing to shell out a little more if they have to for the better or best version. We've already seen the reaction to sub $1,000 UMPC's and to rumors of even lower priced ones coming out.

Last - vendors need to continue the pursuit of more high-end performance balanced with price & additional bells & whistles. Professionals and even PC gamers are just starting to look at this form factor as a much better solution than the PDA's & Smartphones that are a little too small and the full size laptops & tablets that are much too big.

Eventually the use of UMPC’s will become mainstream, especially as prices drop. For some owners it will replace their desktop or notebook PC’s, for others it will supplement their more powerful PC’s. The “killer app” for these small mobile PC’s will not come in the form of a certain software product, it will come in the form of self discovery by each owner’s personal application of using these devices to enhance their everyday lifestyle.

Thanks again, Opus, for such an in-depth market analysis. I hope the manufacturers and marketers take note.

Additional guest editorial spots are welcome. Send a message to my Gmail (thoughtfix@) and pitch me your ideas.