Hannover, (Germany): Microsoft Corp has unveiled its 'Origami' project, a paperback-book sized portable computer, which is a hybrid between a laptop PC and a host of mobile devices that the world's biggest software maker hopes will create an entirely new market.
It's everything a full computer or laptop is, minus the keyboard. It has a 7-inch touch-sensitive screen that responds to a stylus or the tap of a finger.
Two models from different manufacturers are expected to hit stores shelves by spring, and according to Microsoft they will be about an inch thick and weigh less than 2 1/2 pounds — about the size of a large paperback book.
The device is expected to retail for between $600 and $1,000.
It will run on a full version of Windows XP, the same operating system used on larger tablet PCs, and newly developed software called Windows Touch Pack will handle touch-screen functions. Future editions will support Windows Vista, a version of Microsoft's flagship operating system that's due out in the second half of this year.
Though Microsoft is not manufacturing the hardware, it took a guiding role from the start.
"We've done more than just provide the software. We've built the reference designs to sort of get the category started," he said. "We had the first prototypes about nine months ago and started working with partners early on." Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Platforms Division, said on Wednesday.
One of those partners is Intel Corp., which makes the Celeron M microprocessor that runs the device. Three companies have built working models — Samsung, Asus and the Chinese manufacturer Founder.
PAGE_BREAK
The Samsung and Asus devices are expected to be in stores by April, and the Founder device in June, Krammer said.
"I really would hope that it would be something that works," he said, adding that he had not seen one of the models. "Something that is wirelessly connected. Hopefully it will have a wide range of wireless options so that you would be able to use Wi-Fi when available or a (wirelesss) carrier's network if you can afford to pay through the nose," Mitchell says.
Origami, Mitchell said, sporting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless access. At CeBIT, he said they were using their models by connecting their cell phones to it via BlueTooth.
The screen is wide, bright and easy to see, even in low light. Mitchell showed a music video on one model and a film on the other. It doesn't have its own keyboard, but since the units are designed with USB 2 ports, one could be plugged in as needed.
For users who don't want to jot down notes with the stylus, the Origami has a built-in program called Dial Keys that splits a standard QWERTY keyboard into pie shapes on the lower corners of the screen so that input can typed — or thumbed in.
The battery power averages about 2.5 to three hours, and it will have up to a 60-gigabyte hard drive.
Comments
0 comment