According
to TheRegister, Microsoft's
Origami is no
more than a new user interface for a tablet PC - Intel's mini-tablet form factor
Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), to be precise. Word is "Microsoft's Origami component is
not a new OS, merely a layer on top of Windows. But it seems all you have to do
is put up an empty teaser website to send pajama pundits into paroxysms of
anticipation."
According to CeBIT
News, the Origami will include a circular virtual keyboard as part of its
user interface. The Origami Touch Pack Interface, as the virtual keyboard will
be known, is designed for thumb-typing, and is sure to guarantee tons of
fingerprints on your Origami display. CeBIT News also confirms that a range of
external peripherals will be available for the Samsung Q1, including a GPS unit,
DMB TV tuner (which will be internal for units sold in Korea), Bluetooth
keyboard and DVD drive. CeBIT News also says that you'll be able to rip DVDs to
the hard drive, though we assume that this doesn't include CSS-protected movies.
In related news,
Macworld has the scoop on Samsung's upcoming Ultra Mobile PC based on the
Intel UMPC/Microsoft Origami specification. Dubbed Q1, the machine has a 900MHz
Celeron processor, 500MB of RAM, 802.11a/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and runs a "special
edition" of Windows XP. Anandtech also has some
photos of UMPC prototypes from IDF.