Samsung Q1 Organiser Pack Strikes Back

I just love how much passion everyone has put into my Q1 vs.Q1b article. I expect that thread to grow, and if anything it will become highly resourceful leading up to more VIA based releases.

Tonight I want to give you an update that I only realized recently. Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to be given a Samsung Q1 by Samsung Australia, with the lovely inclusion of the Organizer Pack [USB Keyboard and Leather Organizer]. Admittedly I was not as enamored with the Q1 when I met it in July this year as I am today (more on that in another post).

Today I want to share a development that we all might have overlooked, and it’s not PCB specs, but rather about a BAG! It seems that Samsung is being highly proactive, so much so that they have already reworked their Organizer Pack. How do I know this? Well, Dr. Neil, my good mate, came home from Redmond earlier this year with a Samsung Q1 and Organizer Pack. Not only were we both immediately taken by the shear practicality of this combo, but the benefits of owning a UMPC were now starting to become very obvious too. The only thing it needed was good battery life!

Dr. Neil proceeded to pull out his 6-cell battery (nice) but we both realized that the Organizer Pack was poorly designed and could not even accept both Q1 and extended battery at the same time. At that moment in time, 5 months ago perhaps, the Organizer Pack (OP) had a fault in it that did not allow the Q1 with Extended battery to be docked at the same time – futile I know! What was the point!!! Both Neil and I lamented the experience and past it off as another fuck up learning opportunity for Samsung.

5-months later and I have sat with my 3-cell battery, Q1 and Organizer Pack for 2 weeks and lamented the fact that my 6-cell could not be used in conjunction with my OP. UNTIL, I try it, that is!

To my surprise, and sheepish shock, it actually does fit. I called Neil; we compared OPs, and realized that Samsung, as one of the most proactive UMPC hardware developers in the world, had realized their mistake and reworked the bag. So this has been a rather long-winded way of giving Samsung a pat-on-the-back. I felt it was important to point it out as the Organizer pack is one of the compelling reasons to get involved with UMPC today.

I chose to outline the benefits of the OP here, my mate James Kendrick pointed it out here, and Denis Rice cleverly saw what I saw many months ago – that the Q1 lacks the Cursor joystick – on this video, which by the way is a non issue now with the advent of the Organizer Pack. Interesting.

Photographic proof:


Q1 with New OP sporting 6 cell



Close up 6 cell nicely in new OP



OP with 3 cell



Dr. Neil's CD Carry Case Q1 Carry Case.