Microsoft Prepares to Unveil the Mystery Surrounding Its Latest Project: The Lifestyle Computer, Also Known as the Next Generation of Super-Mobile PCs.
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Source: TabletPC Review |
The software giant plans to launch a new line of lightweight, multifunctional computers that are battery-operated and extremely user-friendly. Users will be able to access the internet, download emails, make VoIP calls, and manage their photo, music, and video libraries while still utilizing a full version of the Windows operating system.
Despite the fact that many other companies have failed in attempts to create a mini computer running standard Windows (as opposed to a scaled-down version for Pocket PCs), Microsoft remains confident in its ability to succeed, thanks to significant advancements in chips, screens, and the product itself.
The pioneering name for this new type of computer is “Origami.” The first mobile device prototype under the Origami name is expected to be unveiled by Microsoft on March 9 at the CeBIT exhibition in Hanover, Germany.
In fact, rumors about Microsoft’s plans for a super-mobile PC have circulated on the web since late January, coinciding with the Lunar New Year. However, it has only been in the past week that this event has truly gained momentum and appeared widely in the media.
So far, Microsoft has declined to disclose the objectives of the Origami project, only using the website www.origamiproject.com to tease the curious. According to the limited information released on this site, the new device will be smaller than the smallest existing Tablet PCs, yet slightly larger than Pocket PCs and smartphones. Given its compact size, it is likely that Origami will not come with a keyboard but will feature a touchscreen and stylus.
It is also predicted that Origami will be available in various shapes and designs, including a tablet-style device codenamed “Kinesis.”
Kinesis will be “ideal for Outlook, note-taking, and gaming (though not on the level of Age of Empires III or World of Warcraft, it should still be perfect for casual games),” said Nickolas Landry, mobile business director at Infusion Development, a Microsoft partner. “However, it will definitely be an ideal mobile media device for photos, music, and digital movies, especially since it will be equipped with a hard drive.”
Analysts predict that Origami will come pre-installed with Portable Media Center software, which means it will have a new competitor for the iPod, named… winPod. The starting price for Origami is expected to be no less than $500, potentially reaching up to $1,200 at the high end.
At this point, the biggest question for everyone is: Will Origami allow you to carry everything from data, videos, music, and photos to email addresses and calendars, all while remaining lightweight? Will you choose an all-in-one device, or lean towards an iPod + mobile phone + Blackberry combination? Surely, Microsoft wants to answer all these questions with a resounding “YES.”
The software giant’s ambition is not to compete directly with the iPod, nor to replace laptops. What Bill Gates envisions is using the Lifestyle PC to simultaneously replace multiple types of devices.
“Life has changed. Previously, people distinguished between work and home, but now that boundary has blurred. You can still work from home and connect with devices at home from the office. However, until now, no device has been able to handle this ‘contextual mobility.’ The vast majority of users still need to carry at least two devices. In Microsoft’s view, Origami is like a piece of paper that can be folded in many different ways for use in different contexts. But of course, this is a significant challenge that no company has yet overcome,” commented analyst Joe Wilcox from Jupiter Research.
The first Origami computers are expected to hit the market in 2007, running on the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. By 2008, the super-mobile devices will be equipped with Windows Vista, operating as a “companion” to laptops and notebooks.
Looking further ahead, Microsoft’s Touch technology will be integrated into Vista, allowing you to command the device just with your finger, eliminating the need for a stylus.
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