With so much focus on the four OEM’s that appear to be hogging UMPC glory, there seems little room for anyone else to get a word in. Once we saw ASUS, Samsung, Founder and then Tablet Kiosk, all touting UMPC and shafting their nearest peeks with glory flags, the blogosphere somehow seemed satisfied and content.
Now, I’ve been known to blow whistles in the Tablet PC space that actually come true, but this time I find it hard to believe that an Aussie Blogger has spotted a new UMPC OEM hiding in broad daylight amongst one of Australia’s highest selling Computer Magazines – APC.
In the article APC Reporter Dan Warne (Aussie Blogger too) gets Toshiba Australia Product Marketing Manager, Matt Codrington, talking about little white swans and folding paper cranes - albeit rather lethargically. The initial point of entry for a reader into this brief article is a title declaring “rumors coming out of a skunkworks in Silicon Valley.” The news-breaking, in Dan’s mind's eye, is that Toshiba has a mysterious concept product in the works.
What I find really odd is that this is occurring in the April 2006 edition of APC – way after the talk of Origami has taken place, and well into the era of UMPC specifications, dimensions and aesthetics.
Matt Codrington (Toshiba) is therein quoted: “…it will have Tablet PC functionality…” and “…to use something that’s smaller than a 7 inch screen all day every day is difficult…” and “…the screen may support pen entry, but I wouldn’t want to niche it into the current category of Tablet PC…”
In order to keep my Blog honest and innovative I visited JK, WC, GottaBe and the Toshiba Website – no luck! Help me out boys!
What is going on here??? Has APC and Toshiba had there internet access down for the last 3-weeks? Did someone from Toshiba forget to tell little press-release Sam, last seen downstairs chatting-up the Toshiba Receptionist, to inform the world of Toshiba's intentions to come join the UMPC party? I can only assume the article was written last month; perhaps no-one realized how silly it would look going to press 3-weeks after paper-folding websites had returned to their proper PageRank!
Come on Toshiba; let me know if there’s a UM400PC in the works!!! If someone else wants to help me, then Blog about it – we know they’re reading – and let’s get Toshiba to make the announcement we’d all welcome with open wallets.
- How much would you like to see a Toshiba UMPC device?
- Matt Codrington, if you're listening, leave me a comment, even a teaser!
3 comments:
Hugo ,
I did some writing for APC a while back and I can tell you that the time when an article is published vs. the time an article was written often are (were?) measured in months.
So it's entirely likely the article predates the Origami hype by a few months.
Hahah .. yeah woops .. what he said =).
Thanks boys!
Let me clarify by letting you know that I am an APC subscriber, and subsequently a non-for profit APC evangelist. I also know about timelines and deadlines all too well through my own marketing and so on...
My intention with the blogpost is to open up the conversation; so for your responses I thank you! So lets get to the point here, when can I order one??? LOL
Post a Comment