How Microsoft Botched Marketing The Ultra-Mobile PC -- And Why You Might Want To Buy One AnywayHow Microsoft Botched Marketing The Ultra-Mobile PC -- And Why You Might Want To Buy One Anyway

Early this year, Microsoft and Intel conducted a viral marketing campaign promoting an entirely new class of mobile computer. A Web site mysteriously called the Origami Project leaked video teasers over a few weeks that demonstrated a device that would meet everyone's lifestyle needs. The code name, Origami, caught the attention and imagination of a global market.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has since failed to capitalize on the earlier campaign.

The Origami was described as kind of like a Tablet PC, but much smaller. It had all the advantages of its larger cousins, but with a smaller size and price tag, to appeal to a more mainstream market. Microsoft and Intel attempted to convince the public that these small Origami devices were lifestyle computers that could be taken virtually everywhere and able to do anything that could be done on any mobile computer.

Interest in Origami fizzled when the product actually came out and was renamed the Ultra-Mobile PC, or UMPC. It seemed that Microsoft and Intel's marketing failed to explain what these devices are intended to do and who might benefit from them.

But there's lots of good reasons why you might want to buy a UMPC -- even though the device's manufacturers are doing a lousy job explaining what those reasons are.

Who Should Buy A UMPC?

UMPCs are versatile little computers. I should know, I've been using ultra-portable computers for several years. I could see early on that the benefits of having a full computer small enough to take everywhere would revolutionize my ability to capture productive time that is normally lost. What makes UMPCs so appealing is the ability to use a full Windows XP-based computer virtually anywhere I go.

As a consultant, I spend most of my workdays going from one client office to another. Having a handheld computer means I can access, manipulate, and, most importantly, share my information no matter where I am. This is not as easily done with a laptop computer as with the UMPC, because of the size of the laptop. I would not be able to pull out a laptop in many of the places I find myself, because it would be too distracting. Using a laptop in meetings is considered inappropriate behavior at most companies I deal with, but I can use an ultra-portable with no problem.

On more than a few occasions, I have received a pertinent piece of information on the handheld via e-mail that affects a project being discussed at the meeting I'm attending. I wouldn't have gotten the e-mail in time if I were using a paper and pen to take notes, like everyone else.

UMPCs provide utility in places where other computers cannot be used.

Professionals shouldn't discount UMPCs out of hand just because they look too cute for serious business. These are full computers and can do anything that needs to be done in a business setting. Sales representatives can use UMPCs in the field because they are so light and small compared with full notebook computers. They are easy to carry. Since they run same programs as a desktop PC, there are no compromises when the need arises to access important customer information.

A friend of mine is a field sales representative for a company that produces medical devices. He takes his ultra-portable into operating rooms where he pitches medical devices to surgeons actually performing surgeries. He has to work standing up, so a laptop just won't do.

Executives like nice, shiny gadgets, so an ultra-mobile lets them be different from everybody else, and also gives them a computer that does everything they need, in a nice portable package. Many times I have received e-mails with PowerPoint attachments that I need to review and have done so while standing in line at the airport Starbucks or a similarly inconvenient location. I find I can capture those bits of lost productive time so frequently it's like gaining an extra hour each day.

IT staff can use a UMPC to support a large infrastructure. The UMPC is a full computer IT staffers can carry with them at all times, even when having a bite to eat with friends. The UMPC can run all the troubleshooting software needed to check the status of the network and fix problems. The UMPC runs full Windows XP, with Tablet capabilities added, so it will run any software that is thrown at it. I routinely run remote desktop sessions from my handhelds to troubleshoot desktop computers that are exhibiting problems. I have done this in many different locations. I've done it in the stands watching my kids play baseball or soccer. I can only do this because the computer is small and unobtrusive. Let's face it, even I'm not a big enough geek to carry a laptop to a baseball game.

Ultra-mobile computers are tailor-made for enhancing the digital lifestyle. The UMPC can be taken anywhere and used for a wide range of activities because of the functionality that's integrated into the device, and its extreme mobility. The first time I was able to watch my TV at home while sitting in a taxicab 3,000 miles away was a real epiphany. Besides watching TV you can surf the Web, listen to music, or just hang out on YouTube for hours watching videos of strangers doing things that make no sense.

On a more serious note, if you're a dedicated employee who regularly takes work home, the UMPC is ready in a few seconds to work on a spreadsheet or answer the endless stream of e-mail that you never have time to get around to at work.

And there's nothing like sitting in the old easy chair in front of American Idol and chatting via Skype to your buddy in Poland.

Feeling artistic? You can put the stylus to the screen and create personal works of art to share with friends. A UMPC can unleash the creative beast in anyone.

Why not just get a PDA instead? PDAs are full-featured, but there's no substitute for having a full Windows XP computer in your hand. While most PDAs make it easy to view documents (albeit on a tiny screen), most of them fall short in document creation. Unless you're a masochist, you're not likely to create a big spreadsheet on a 3.5-inch screen.

And many corporate IT departments are more likely to allow a full Windows XP computer to access the network than a PDA, at least in companies that don't provide PDAs to employees.

What Makes UMPCs So Special?

In addition to small size and low weight, most UMPCs have 7-inch screens that are nice and bright. Unlike some of the tinier ultra-portables and PDAs, they can be used for hours at a stretch without causing eyestrain. The touch screens make interaction with the computer as easy as pointing and tapping on the display. The Tablet Edition software pre-installed on all UMPCs brings all the special functions found on full-size Tablets to the small screen. Writing on the screen in digital ink is as simple as writing with a pen on paper--but, unlike a pen and paper, the UMPC will translate your writing into digital text if needed. Some programs can even search the digital ink without having to convert it to text. Handwriting personal e-mail is a nice touch when you want to thank Aunt Lilly for the ugly lamp that is now safely stationed in the attic. Some UMPCs have array microphones that cancel out background noise, so dictation into the PC requires nothing more than firing it up and talking away. The text that appears as the dictation occurs is so accurate after a little training that dictation is a fun and practical way to create notes and other documents. And some UMPCs have built-in Webcams.

With all this great functionality, the UMPC is the ultimate computing device, right? Not entirely, at least not the first generation of devices appearing now. Because of size and space constraints, the hardware components are not as powerful as those in notebook computers, so most UMPCs offer less performance than other PCs. Some users will find the lack of a physical keyboard to be unnerving, and they won't adapt to the on-screen virtual keyboard. OEMs will no doubt address this problem by producing units in the future with some sort of slide-out small keyboard for those that deem them essential, or do what Sony did and include a folding keyboard with the device.

Battery life for most UMPCs is about two or three hours, not long enough for all-day use. Battery life must improve, and is likely to, as hardware advances generally produce lower power consumption. UMPCs are currently too expensive when prices are compared with budget notebook computers. This may not be a fair comparison as ultra-mobile devices can be used when notebook computers cannot, but it is the comparison that many make. Microsoft is calling for devices in the $600 to $900 range, which should satisfy the harshest critics when that price range is reached.

Some devices on the market are like UMPCs, but don't fit the official specifications that Microsoft and the OEMs put together. These include the OQO and Sony UX Micro PC. They are much smaller than UMPCs and typically much more expensive -- out of the price range for the consumer that the UMPC design is intended to reach.

Tablet PCs are bigger than UMPCs but are related since they run the same Windows XP Pro Tablet Edition 2005 operating system. They come in two flavors, slates without keyboards (like the Motion LE1600) and convertibles that are notebooks with a swivel screen (such as the Toshiba M400). Tablet PCs can be found in different sizes, from the Motion LS800 with an 8.4-inch screen to the Toshiba Tecra M4 with a 14-inch display, and they can fit anyone's requirements for a good notebook, with handwriting and speech recognition thrown in for good measure.

Marketing Failures

If UMPCs and Tablet PCs are so capable, why aren't they selling more? It's only recently that many television ads have starting appearing that show what a Tablet PC can do. A year ago, you could show a Tablet PC to someone in a meeting and they wouldn't even know what it was -- and that was two years after the product launch. That's a failure of marketing, pure and simple. This is improving with major OEMs like Gateway and Lenovo jumping into the Tablet PC market in a big way.

With Tablet PC marketing so anemic, it's no surprise that the UMPC -- an even newer and more difficult-to-understand product -- is getting off to a slow start. Microsoft and the OEMs have not even started major advertising, and typical consumers have no idea what these devices are and no desire to buy them. Microsoft needs to make consumers aware of what the UMPC can do for the buyer. There must be a clear message that addresses two questions. What are the UMPCs good for (in the customer's terms)? Who is the intended customer? Microsoft assumed the buying public would figure it out with Tablet PCs, but that didn't work and it won't for UMPCs, either.

Microsoft had the right idea when they called the UMPC the Origami, and then they muddled it up with the official name of UMPC -- the Origami was a much more appealing name, and the moniker UMPC is just confusing.

Microsoft also needs to reassure buyers that it will make a second-generation UMPC that runs Vista, the next version of Windows. With Vista on the verge of shipping, customers are wary of buying a new product that runs Windows XP. That's not hard to figure out.

Hardware vendors can help insure the success of the UMPC by running TV ads, and lots of them. Make sure the devices are shown doing the everyday things that people do. Don't assume that customers will figure it out for themselves. Make the UMPC (or better yet, Origami) a household name. Get the UMPC into retail stores in the United States, like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Target. These are the kind of electronic devices that must be seen and held to be appreciated.

What UMPC Is Right for You?

The rollout of UMPCs started out slowly but is beginning to pick up steam. There are a number of models available for purchase now from companies like TabletKiosk and Samsung. TabletKiosk has three models available at prices from $900 to $1400. The more you pay, the more punch you get in a small form.

Samsung has jumped into the UMPC fray with both feet and is now selling the Q1 device in retail outlets like Best Buy and Fry's. Samsung has put a multimedia emphasis into the $1,099 Q1 with outstanding audio and video features that make this device unique. Other OEMs are getting ready to release their first UMPC devices, and we should see this space heating up as the year unfolds. ASUS has recently released the R2H with integrated GPS and a camera, which makes this UMPC a perfect mobile video conference device. I like the TabletKiosk eo i7210 with the Pentium M and 1 Gbyte of memory, but the Samsung Q1 and ASUS R2h look really nice, too.

Where Is The UMPC Headed?

Ultra-mobile PCs will benefit from advances in hardware technology. Solid state disks already are being prepped that will allow UMPC devices to forgo the need for a hard disk, resulting in much improved battery life and-just as importantly-"instant-on" devices, eliminating the need to wait to boot up. Imagine pushing the On button and finding your PC just where you left off when you shut it down, instantaneously. This technology is much closer than many realize, and the UMPC is a natural platform to put it to best use.

Recent announcements from Intel concerning very-low-voltage Core Duo processors, due in production in less than a year, are exciting for mobile enthusiasts, potentially leading to further improvements in battery life, reduced heat, and improved performance. And Vista includes several mobile-device-enhancing utilities and synchronization features that will make mobile devices work better with other PCs. Microsoft has incorporated better touch screen and tablet technology into Vista and implemented a new Sync Center that makes it easier to synchronize data between PCs, servers, and mobile devices. Since UMPCs are not usually a primary computer for most owners, these new features will make it much easier to stay up to date with all of your information on multiple computers. Vista will also include a HotStart mode that makes multimedia functions start up at a touch of a button without having to start the entire operating system.

Microsoft has stated that the second generation UMPCs will support running the Vista operating system so coupled with all of the hardware advances next year will be a very exciting one for the UMPC. Get your credit card ready -- but don't blame me for spending the money.

James Kendrick is a Microsoft MVP-Tablet PC, journalist, and consultant, and an early adopter of mobile devices. He is co-author of the blog jkOnTheRun, tagline: "... using mobile devices since they weighed 30 lbs."