Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/14/s...c-down-to-580/

Thats a real good price!!

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

Ha! More likely it'll still be enormously frustrating.

UMPCs are such a complete failure. They never abandoned Windows, most of them still have spinning hard drives, and they still haven't got the price down (even at $600 bucks, you still don't get a built-in keyboard like the N810 has.)

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

I'd call the EEE PC superior in every way to the current crop of UMPCs, honestly.

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

We'll see the remaining 1st generation UMPCs unloaded at even lower prices real soon now - they did not even sell when they were new, and by now they do not only face the fierce competition of more usable micro notebooks and non-Windows small devices, but 2nd generation UMPCs as well.

Once the holiday shopping season as the last possible time slot where it might be pushed onto the clueless is past, just about any price will be welcome to rid the shelves of them.

Sevo

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

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.
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Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

eeePC 2G model is MSRP $499.99, $300 more than the initial announcement in 6/07.



bun

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

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.

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

You know, for all the flack that Hildon (not specifically Maemo) gets, it's a pretty nice interface. Certainly better than the current Pepper Keeper - that interface is one of the most brain dead I've seen. I think Hildon would look fantastic on a 7 inch screen.

Pepper supposedly is coming out with a 4.0 release that looks pretty nice too, though.

As it stands, since the PP3 basically runs Fedora Core 4, I've put IceWM on it and it's much easier to navigate. It's also x86 compatible, so pretty much anything out there installs without any hassle.

R.
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Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

Wow i'd rather buy a Nokia n810 that has a keyboard and $100 cheaper!

Re: Samsung's Q1 UMPC down to $580
 

Actually its 249 for 2G Surf, 299 for 2G, 349 for 4G Surf, and 399 for 4G.

I picked up the 399 Model and haven't looked back! Can't wait for the Intel MIDs... They look amazing, with a full firefox implementation.