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?

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