Word is starting to spread across the internet that HP will be entering the market with its own Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC). If this phrase is new to you then you may want to check out the Wikipedia page on Ultra-Mobile PC’s or just go with the concept that it’s a small form factor tablet PC.
The new HP Ultra-Mobile PC appears to be targeted as a “lifestyle accessory” and aimed at those who might otherwise buy an iPod, or even a small PDA. Though success at this strategy will undoubtedly hinge on the units pricing, unnamed sources at HP have said it will be priced so competitively that you “won’t even need to consider this purchase”.
The rumor is that the HP UMPC will run either a Windows Vista or Linux OS, feature an 8.9” display, and include other components such as a: 1GB Ethernet Jack, a webcam, Wi-Fi support, and a 1.8” HD with optional Solid State Drive.
If the rumors are true all this goodness should hit the streets this spring with a weight of under 3 pounds and a length of no more than 10 inches.
Subnotebooks have always been overpriced and under-performing. But suddenly that niche has become a lot more interesting.
It began with low-priced laptops such as the Asus Eee PC, which has been a surprising success since its introduction last October. Then, at the opposite extreme, we got the ultra-thin Apple MacBook Air earlier this year and, coming next week, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300. Now it looks like HP, the world’s largest computer company, is ready to take another stab at subnotes.But the most interesting take came from UMPC Portal, which claims the HP Compaq 2133 will actually use a Via Technologies chip. Via is a distant third in processors, but it has been getting some press recently with the announcement of its next-generation x86 processor of another low-cost laptop, the Everex Cloudbook.
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Angelina
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