Daniel Robinson

When UMPCs were unveiled early in 2006, they were somewhat less than impressive. Those first models were lacking in processing power yet still suffered from short battery life because of their small size. Many of the first units also did away with a physical keyboard, effectively turning them into mini Tablet PCs – a format that is still largely confined to vertical applications.

Now, however, there seems to be a growing buzz about this type of device. OQO reports strong sales of its Model e2 system, while others are being readied for market over the coming months. Chipmakers including VIA Technologies and Intel are also preparing specialised processors and platforms designed to extend the battery life of such systems, while keeping the performance at a satisfactory level.

But where do such devices fit in the enterprise scheme of things? The devices are generally smaller than a laptop, but designed to be more capable than a smartphone. However, this also implies they are larger and heavier to carry than a smartphone, but have screen and keyboard limitations when compared with a full-blown laptop.

It is also fair to say that the key strength of the UMPC is also its greatest weakness: x86 compatibility. While this means that UMPCs can run full-blown Windows applications, which is a major plus point for potential enterprise buyers, it also means that they carry all the baggage of the bloated Windows software stack, which is one reason why such devices cannot match a smartphone on battery life.

The UMPC category is also somewhat poorly defined, as one analyst has noted. VIA, for example, breaks it down into three sub-categories: the OQO style of handheld device; a slightly larger mini-laptop format; and small appliance-like devices it has coined internet media players (IMPs).

With OQO now shipping an updated model that features HSDPA, users can potentially be connected to their email and other enterprise resources from anywhere. But before anyone gets the idea that this signals the demise of the smartphone, OQO’s mobile connection is strictly for IP traffic and does not support mobile calls – although there is nothing to prevent users running Skype.

Could the UMPC displace the smartphone? I imagine that a device the size and weight of a BlackBerry and capable of running Windows applications would be tempting to enterprise buyers, especially if it could double as the user’s mobile phone and last a full day on battery power. But on that last capability, we are years away from the technology to deliver such a device.