Patrick Santry of Santry Technology Solutions, and owner of the popular gadget site: Redmond Gadgets.com says: "The year 2006 brought the computer world a new form factor, this was the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). The idea behind this venture backed by Microsoft was to create a computing experience that anyone could carry around with them and access at any time. Weighing in at just around 2 lbs. and with a seven inch screen it was going to make life a bit more portable."
Could 2007 be the year that appraisers have been waiting for? Could there finally be a convergence of hardware, software, value and utility next year? Could the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) be the key to that goal?.
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For early adopters in 2006 there were a few drawbacks . . .
Low Battery Life - With new technologies on the horizon like flash based memory and better power conservation on the CPUs, we should see battery life to continue to lengthen in 2007.
High Cost - 2007 should bring lower prices as memory costs continue to dip as well as efficiencies in manufacturing costs. Once costs come down into the $700-$800 range, I believe that appraisers and home inspectors will begin to find the UMPC an attractive alternative to the Pocket PC (PDA) that they have been using.
Confusion in the Marketplace - After the UMPC was launched there was confusion over what the device actually was. Was it a Tablet PC, or was it a laptop? The UMPC is meant to be a mobile device, something carried in a messenger bag or cargo pocket, not something to do heavy computing on the desktop. Think "mobile data collection" . . .not report preparation.
Where do we see the UMPC going for 2007? We can only expect it to gain in popularity as a platform as new UMPC hardware and software is released. What will the new devices hold for us?
New Hardware: Microsoft employee and member of the UMPC team Dustin Hubbard recently posted on the OrigamiProject.com community site that:
"But alas, all will be explained on January 8th*. All I can say is to expect an all new experience. It's the best product work my team has ever done!"
*January 8th is the date of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What features do appraisers want in their UMPC?
- Minimum 4-6 hours of "working" battery life
- Daylight viewable display (all conditions)
- Dual digital camera (front & rear) video & hi-res photos
- Digital voice recorder (mic)
- Expansion slots: CompactFlash & PC Card
- Optional cellular -- CDMA, GSM
- Optional GPS receiver
- Bluetooth connectivity to laser measuring device
- All-weather bump case protection
What software do appraisers want on their UMPC?
- Integrated UMPC/Tablet optimized sketching application - video
- Integrated UMPC/Tablet optimized field data collection application
- Wireless Internet access to data, email, Skype, & orders
- GPS/GIS software for routing and comparable identification
- Synchronized to office network or desktop files
I'm looking forward to the future of the UMPC and what 2007 brings.
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