Well, the last few months have been interesting. After some evaluation, I have replaced my 12" screen Acer laptop (fairly decent for travel) with a Samsung Q1P UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC - excellent for travel). Not only is it space-friendly on cramped coach-class seats, but it has a 1GHz Pentium M and 1GB RAM + 60GB HD and Fast Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SVGA out, Compact Flash slot and two USB 2.0 ports. I have no problem running MS Office 2003 Professional, Visio, Ethereal, Photoshop, IE, Firefox, etc.
It truly is a capable PC. It also provides a GREAT video out selection of resolutions so I can connect it to my 26" monitor for home use while using Visual Studio or developing Flex applications. When meeting with customers, I am able to adjust the resolution to match any LCD projector and I use a wireless pointer/control so customers tend to wonder where the source of the presentation is. It's always a conversation starter when they see that the PowerPoint presentation is being run from a device that is much smaller than the projector itself!
I'm not sure what Samsung was thinking when they added a CF slot to the top - but someone was definitely having a flashback to a time when we cared about the squarish-looking large form-factor cards. I've purchased a CF->SD adapter card on eBay for less than $20 so now all I have to do is pop a little SD card (standard/mini/micro) into my adapter! (The latest model (Q1 Ultra) actually includes an SD slot. It's nice to see that Samsung "got it" this time around.
While this may not be the final "next-generation" form-factor (primarily due to the lack of a built-in keyboard for most people) I am sure that we're now well on our way. This UMPC has been my constant companion while on the road (and I travel a lot).
I also use the 6-cell battery which gives me just under 7 hours of use along with the standard 3-cell battery which gives my about 3 hours of use. For long road trips or international flights I also bring along my Battery Geek BG-15-21-130 external battery pack (130WATT hours) which includes the proper tip for the Q1 UMPCs and will run it for close to 10 hours (I've already tested this). So between the 6-cell (approx. 6.5 hours), 3-cell (approx 3 hours) and the Battery Geek external battery pack (approx. 10 hours) I can run around for 19 hours without plugging in. That's enough life for constant computing from San Diego to Tel-Aviv! My next trip to Israel will definitely be seeing all three batteries (although I'm not sure I REALLY need to be working for the full flight - I also have my digitized movies in addition to the in-flight movies).
I'm not sure what Samsung was thinking when they added a CF slot to the top - but someone was definitely having a flashback to a time when we cared about the squarish-looking large form-factor cards. I've purchased a CF->SD adapter card on eBay for less than $20 so now all I have to do is pop a little SD card (standard/mini/micro) into my adapter! (The latest model (Q1 Ultra) actually includes an SD slot. It's nice to see that Samsung "got it" this time around.
While this may not be the final "next-generation" form-factor (primarily due to the lack of a built-in keyboard for most people) I am sure that we're now well on our way. This UMPC has been my constant companion while on the road (and I travel a lot).
I also use the 6-cell battery which gives me just under 7 hours of use along with the standard 3-cell battery which gives my about 3 hours of use. For long road trips or international flights I also bring along my Battery Geek BG-15-21-130 external battery pack (130WATT hours) which includes the proper tip for the Q1 UMPCs and will run it for close to 10 hours (I've already tested this). So between the 6-cell (approx. 6.5 hours), 3-cell (approx 3 hours) and the Battery Geek external battery pack (approx. 10 hours) I can run around for 19 hours without plugging in. That's enough life for constant computing from San Diego to Tel-Aviv! My next trip to Israel will definitely be seeing all three batteries (although I'm not sure I REALLY need to be working for the full flight - I also have my digitized movies in addition to the in-flight movies).
Here's my Q1(P) for size reference:
in the hand...
in the hand...
in its carrying case (w/keyboard)
in its ruggedized protective rubber "glove"
Q1P + case & keyboard - a truly portable solution
the BatteryGeek BG-15-21-130 external battery pack
What a great little workhorse - the best (and most compact) I've had so far. Looking forward to a dual-core version with 2GB RAM & 160GB HD (my personal wish-list).
/jd
/jd
