Smart & Wired: Going Mobile
01/01/2008
Peter Lord, who works in Los Angeles during the week and commutes home to his Wailea, Maui, residence on weekends, has a Crestron home automation system that controls everything from the copper fire sculptures in his garden to the pool jets and waterfalls in his backyard. While his system might be similar to one you have in your home, the way he controls it is probably very different. Lord uses an Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) running Windows XP to turn everything on or off. And when he’s not utilizing the eo UMPC to turn on the lanai lights, Lord can use it to do something your typical Crestron controller probably can’t: He can surf the Web and check e-mails, too."I didn’t intend to use my UMPC for anything else but home controls, but as it turns out, they are just wonderful to have around," he explains. "We use it as much as we would a PC. We don’t even take it out of the house because we’d miss it if one of us took it away."
UMPCs are a cross between a laptop and a handheld device. They can do pretty much everything a laptop computer can, but with a form factor that resembles a BlackBerry. UMPCs such as the Samsung Q1 Ultra, Fujitsu LifeBook U810 Mini-Notebook and the Seamless S-XGen weigh from less than one pound to two pounds and feature touch screens with handwriting recognition—so you can write directly on them, searching the Web without having to type a single URL or taking notes as you go about your day. They also include full multimedia support so you can listen to music or watch videos.
Most important, since UMPCs run the Windows operating system, you can install the same programs you use in the office and sneak work in whether you’re at dinner, on a plane or standing in an elevator. Moreover, you can download books, using the UMPC as an e-book reader or connect to a Sling Media Slingbox and watch TV even if you don’t have satellite or cable television connectivity. An added bonus: WiFi and 3G cellular network compatibility allow you to go online wherever and whenever, says Steve Paine, founder of UMPCPortal.com.
"It’s all about mobility over portability," Paine says. "The UMPC gives you the chance to work, communicate, and play in places you haven’t even thought of—the car, standing up in a crowded train, even on holiday—all with the advantages of a full Internet experience, just like you see on the desktop."
Of course, with a small form factor comes several compromises. The most obvious: a truncating or outright lack of a physical keyboard. The majority of UMPCs have an on-screen keyboard, although some have a tiny keyboard as well. For example, the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 has a tiny QWERTY keyboard that’s just big enough to tap out short e-mails or notes. That said, you can connect a UMPC to a mouse or full-size keyboard, which makes them perfect for use at a vacation home, where you can leave a docking station set up, but still take your data and personal information via the UMPC’s hard drive when you leave. But Linda A. Epstein, editor and publisher of TabletPC2.com, says the handwriting recognition is solid enough that you never really have to use a keyboard.
"There’s a huge advantage to using the handwriting recognition and touch screen," she says. "For example, if you have a document that needs a signature you can sign it and e-mail it from your UMPC."
Battery life can also be an issue, says Gail Levy of Southern California’s TabletKiosk. "UMPCs are wonderful with multimedia," notes Levy, "but if you download a movie, I wouldn’t trust that I could watch a three-hour movie on a plane without recharging the battery or being hooked up to a power supply." Using the menus can be a little awkward, too.Choosing a UMPC isn’t as simple as choosing a laptop or desktop, because most UMPC manufacturers aren’t household names. Your best bet, says Paine, is making a list of what you will be using your device for and matching it up with what’s available.
"It’s not a simple case of comparing specifications and choosing a known brand. You should be thinking about whether you need a keyboard, a thumbboard, or even no keyboard at all," he says. "How much Internet connectivity? How much battery life?"
You can go for a bells-and-whistles model that features a built-in camera, fingerprint reader, docking station and GPS navigation, or choose a more bare-bones model. UMPC prices range from $1,000 to $2,400.
Peter Lord enjoys his UMPC so much that he’s currently shopping for a second, which he intends to use almost exclusively outside, he says. "The screens are so bright, it’s easy to use them outdoors to control everything, and keep up with what’s going on in the office."
TabletKiosk, www.tabletkiosk.com
TabletPC2, www.tabletpc2.com
UMPCPortal, www.umpcportal.com