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Monday, 1 May 2006 | Levent OZLER
Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the official U.S. launch of the company's new Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), the Q1.
The company made the announcement at a San Francisco press event, where it also announced that the Q1 will be available at Best Buy's e-tail outlet, www.bestbuy.com/ultramobilepc, beginning May 7, and in select Best Buy stores later this summer as part of a collaboration between the two companies.
Samsung's media briefing included a live demonstration of the Q1, highlighting the ultra-portable product's performance, which is comparable to full-sized notebook PCs and makes up for certain shortcomings of PDAs and other handheld devices currently available. Mobility is what drives the Q1. With a wide 7-inch LCD with touch-screen capability and a weight of just 1.7 lbs., the device was one of the most talked-about new products in March at CeBIT 2006, the world's largest IT show.
"The Q1 is a good companion PC for the mobile professional that is looking for the freedom and flexibility of a small mobile device without having to sacrifice functionality," said HS Kim, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics Computer System Division. "This product marks the beginning of a revolution for PCs and PC use."
The Q1 is a collaborative project among Samsung, Microsoft and Intel Corporation and is the next generation of mobile devices to incorporate the functionality of a conventional PC with diverse mobile features.
"UMPCs such as Samsung's Q1 represent the beginning of a new era in mobile computing," said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of the Mobile Platforms Division at Microsoft Corp. "The Q1 Ultra Mobile PC is an easy-to-carry device with the convenience of a touch screen interface running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. It's a great product for anyone on the go to stay connected, entertained, and informed with the full power of the PC."
Bluetooth and wired/wireless LAN come standard and provide the user with easy Internet access. Samsung's AVS function also allows users to enjoy a variety of multimedia - movies, music, still photos, video and navigation - without booting up Windows.
In addition to the ultra-low-power Intel CPU, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and standard PC functions, the Q1 supports an "inking" function that enables the user to input data directly through the monitor screen, similar to a handwritten note. The data is then stored as an image file.
"The Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) platform is a good example of the collaborative innovation between Samsung and Intel. This companion platform allows users to communicate, access information, be entertained and stay productive on the go," said Gadi Singer, vice president and general manager of Intel's Low Power Technologies Group. "We are aggressively driving low power technologies to enable this exciting new UMPC category."
The Q1 is expected to generate synergy for Samsung as it begins bundling the UMPC with its award-winning line of printers, monitors and other IT products in the American market, and examines ways to seek diverse solutions through its more than 15,000 IT resellers. It offers a unique, practical alternative for mobile professionals whose needs continue to expand daily.
"Successful businesses are beginning to see their communication needs moving far beyond what their wireless phones have to offer," said Scott DeTota, a director of Product and Partner Development at CDW Corporation, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education. "Particularly in the real estate, legal and health care industries, deploying ultra-mobile devices such as the Q1 can provide organizations with competitive advantages by enabling them to securely and efficiently access, input, exchange and present corporate data."
The Q1 will retail for $1,099 in the U.S. Various options are available for purchase, including a USB keyboard, organizer, extended battery and additional band external optical disc drive.
Specifications
Processor Intel Celeron M ULV (900MHz)
Chipset & Graphics 915 GMS, Intel GMA900 (128MB)
Memory 512 MB SODIMM DDR2 400MHZ (upgradeable to 1GB)
Display 7" WVGA Touch Screen LCD (800 X 480), Auto Scale (800X480, 800X600, 1024X600)
Audio Two Stereo Speakers (4w total), H/P out, Array Microphone and SRS Sound
Storage 40GB Hard Drive
Communications 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth v2.0
Multimedia AVS Now (Multimedia Instant On)
I/O Port Two USB 2.0, One Type II CF card, H/P Jack, VGA, DC-in
User Interface Button: 8 Way Joystick, 4 User Key, 3 button (Auto Scale / Enter / Menu),
Hold, Volume Up/Down, Power/AVS NOW, Ctrl/Alt/Delete Key
Battery Li-Ion Battery
- Standard: 3-cell battery (up to 3.5 hours)
- Optional: 6-cell battery (up to 7 hours)
- Optional: Power Pack (up to 9 hours)
Dimension 8.96" x 5.49" x 0.97"
Weight 1.7 lbs. (777g) (w/o Optical Disk Drive)
http://product.samsung.com/micro_manuals/Q1/samsung_Q1.html
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