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A so-called ¡°ultra-mobile¡± PC to be released next month is garnering some attention for being the brainchild of three giants in the business, Samsung Electronics, Microsoft and Intel. They are throwing their full weight behind the device, which they explain is bigger than a personal digital assistant but smaller than a laptop, giving users easy access to Internet, games and multimedia wherever they want.
The UMPC is equipped with Microsoft¡¯s Windows XP, including the various applications that comes with, but only weighs around 800g. But there are serious drawbacks. The screen measures a mere 7 inches, while the price is a hefty W1 million (US $1,000). For that, customers get a battery life of a paltry two or three hours.
By contrast, so-called mini laptops also weigh no more than 1 kg and can thus compete on an equal footing with the UMPC in terms of portability. Mini laptops too provide users with all the features available on existing PCs. But mini laptops, too, come with a minuscule screen of less than 10 inches.
Then there are tablet PCs. They have in common with the UMPC that users can operate the device without a keyboard. They can use it just like a laptop but also separate the screen from the body and carry it around on its own. Fujitsu¡¯s tablet PC released last year was equipped with an 8.9-inch touch screen and weighed only 0.99 kg.
UMPC, mini laptop and tablet PCs all have their own peculiar features, and potential customers need to think carefully about the use they will put it to. Intel, one of the developers of the UMPC, recommends it for entertainment. Those who need keyboards or use the device for business purposes will be better off with a mini laptop. Anyone who has used a laptop can easily get accustomed to mini laptops. But when you need to type plenty of information, a tablet PC is probably better. Even though it is a little bigger than UMPC, it gives users a proper keyboard and comes with a notepad. Tablet PCs may yet emerge as the most suitable tool for students or researchers to take notes with.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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