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Rumored ‘Origami’ tablet might sell for less than $600
February 28, 2006 | 5:42 am
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By David Rothman
The Origami rumors are heating up. CNet reports:
With a screen bigger than that of a handheld but smaller than a notebook PC screen, Origami devices won’t fit in the pocket, but they’ll make it into purses and even the smallest of backpacks, sources said.
Microsoft’s goal is to create a blueprint for devices that could sell for $600 or less, although the actual prices will depend greatly on what manufacturers decide to include. Origami is capable of supporting features like GPS, Bluetooth, 3G cellular technology and Wi-Fi, though each of these adds to the cost of the device.
I wonder how low the price might be with volume discounts. Could the Origami be a serious possibilty for schools and libraries in the near future? And I continue to be curious about screen quality. Are we deep in e-book territory?
Related: Microsoft wireless tablet rumored: Boost for e-books on the way? Other links–including Mitch Ratliff’s post. Also videos, plus the Syncing Apple‘s warning to Nokia about the Nokia 770–and rumors of a forthcoming 880.
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Comments:
Wow, I’m way behind on this one. It’s the first I’ve heard about it. Looks good though.
It’s too early to know, but at least the ‘official’ announcement is not too far off.
Unless something major is going to change, however, it may be months, years, or never before we actually see these devices in the market. Microsoft does not make hardware (XBox and keyboard/mice sets notwithstanding). Intel has been trying to drag computer manufacturers kicking and screaming into making new devices based on their technology, and Microsoft has always had certain product visions that the manufacturers just don’t go anywhere with. Maybe someone in the announcement will cure my pessimism, but Microsoft can have all the hardware goals they want, but if they don’t make the device themselves, they are stuck with whatever the rest of the PC market decides to do.
There’s a lot of promise here, but not much delivery yet. I really, really want to see some specs.
A comment at Scobleizer by Christopher Coulter:
[H]ere’s what’s already out there…
Cost – around $500, well under Tablet PC $2,000 ranges.
CPU – ULV Pentium M
Avail: Dec 2006 to Jan. 2007
OEMs – Samsung, LGE, Acer, Founder, Averatec and ASUS (to start). Toshiba and Sony already flirted off per past attempts? (But Tosh’s M400 a dream).
Breakthrough Period – mid-2007-2008 timeframes.
Battery Life – around 8 hours.
Connectivity – WiFi, EVDO, HSDPA, GPS
Touchscreen, no Active-Digitizer
Could be a long wait.
That’s NOT origami! Now, maybe if you could fold it up some… LOL!