SAMSUNG LAUNCHED AN ultra mobile PC (UMPC), called Q1, on 1 May in the USA. Microsoft has designed the hardware and written the code for this tiny touch screen computer. Q1 weighs 1.7 pounds and has a seven-inch-wide screen with few buttons around it. This device works without an external keyboard, mouse or CD drive. This small machine is priced at US $1,099.

 

Q1 runs on a software code called Origami, which has been created by Microsoft in collaboration with Intel. This small device uses the tablet version of Windows XP, which was launched by Microsoft in 2002. It can perform all the regular functions of a computer. Q1 has a 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV processor, 512 MB memory and a 40 GB hard disk drive. It utilises Bluetooth wireless technology for network connectivity. Wi-fi and bluetooth can be enabled on Q1 with USB 2.0 ports. Q1 also has a facility that allows the users to use a new type of virtual keyboard. The life of the battery is about 3.5 hours.

 

On the negative side of this UMPC, the absence of keyboard or optical device makes it difficult for the users to type text comfortably. The users are also coming out with complaints regarding the speed of the device and its RAM that cannot be upgraded. The resolution of Q1 is low and the size of the screen obstructs the users to see enough of a page at one time.

 

According to officials, Microsoft India Development Center in Hyderabad also contributed in the making of the software for Q1.