Tuesday, January 16, 2007

My Samsung Q1 Story (Video)

Recently, before Christmas to be exact, I sold my Fujitsu T4210. “What” I hear you yell! My logic was this: If I move my gadgets I will all remain ahead of the pack and knowledgeable enough to warrant anyone reading this blog. What ended up happening was the deepest exploration of my personal views on mobility and what UMPC really means to me.

Because I moved my T4210 on pretty quickly I was faced with the dilemma of which machine to choose next. I am bit lucky though in that I had “almost” anything at my finger tip. So what did I reach for and why??? That is the million dollar question.

The following is a succinct three-part video documenting my thoughts and feelings towards Ultra-Mobile PC today and why I was able to replace my desktop, and therefore increase my productivity! So grab some popcorn and sit back and watch another episode of the UberTablet blog; or is that vlog?

Once again keep the feedback and questions coming. I value your thoughts and opinions and always look forward to playing a role, or you playing a role in my Ultra-Mobile Story! This is Hugo Ortega asking you to have fun with me!



Part One
View it on MyYouTube




Part Two
View it on MyYouTube





Part Three
View it on MyYouTube

50 comments:

Unknown said...

Man you make me laugh every time.

"its on there very securely"

Classic.

But besides that, a great set of videos Hugo. Well done mate.

Steve.

propstm said...

Good to hear you getting a Q1b! I just earlier this week got Vista on my Q1b. It's certainly interesting.

Thanks for that bit on the organizer pack. I'm still waiting to get one though.

ctitanic said...

You are the man Hugo, instead of MVP you should be working in Origami Team!

Anonymous said...

Great stuff. Very informative and explanatory without being boring.

Anonymous said...

Does that strap come with the Q1 or did you get that somewhere else?

propstm said...

@anonymous

The strap comes with the Q1 and seems to be fairly sturdy.

Anonymous said...

excellent yet again!!

I think they call that move in "Mobile Tech" terms a "reverse James Kendrick".

Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Great Videos Hugo! But, you've convinced me that a UMPC is NOT the way to go. The flexibility you get requires you to carry - and pay for - the Q1, keyboard, organizer pack, optical drive, and phone. I think you would be better off with a Fujitsu 1610... one unit, all these functions, nothing to carry, nothing to connect/disconnect, and most importantly nothing to drop. I also get the feeling that the full set of devices is just as expensive as a more complete clamshell convertible.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hey Chippy!

You know me well enough to know that I'm a "One Take" only guy - so all the good stuff stay in my videos, and the "funny." Thanks for your support dude!

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Hey Matt!

I've been reading your posts about the Q1B and think it's great that you're running Vista. Maybe you can help Gordon understand the benefits of Vista on the Q1 vs. Q1B?

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Hi Ctitanic,

Thank you mate. Your vote of confidence means a great deal to me. I appreciate the support and love to teach - maybe one day Bill Gates will comment on here! LOL

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Hi Anonymous (first one)

VLOGs are the trickiest form of Blogging. Because of the limited attention span of the average Internet browser, and the limit of one’s resources in the editing room; if I manage to entertain and inform then it is all worth it!

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Hi Anonymous (second)

As Matt has stated the strap does in fact come with the Q1. Honestly I didn't use it for two weeks but now find it to be irreplaceable.

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Hey Gordon! You need to get out more! LOL.

Thanks...

I think the Q1B will always be a better option as the device has a better battery life and that will unquestionably benefit Vista. I will be installing Vista on the Q1 and the Q1B and will let you know.

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Hi Neil,

Thanks mate! JK is one of my favourite blogs so I'll happily take the comparison!

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Hi MSfromthe OC (cool name)

I think the Fujitsu P1610 is unquestionably the right solution. It is all-in-one, and all inclusive. It sports reliability and readability outdoors and has the infamous PCMCIA slot we are all seeking. My decision however to use an Ultra-Mobile PC was to support this new and innovative platform that stems from the Microsoft Origami Project.

I had all the devices available to me including the P1610 however I tend to think the Origami Project and its initial guidelines offer a lot more to the end consumer than does a P1610. What I mean by this is the potential growth that PC development will experience by pushing the boundaries of the Origami devices is far more valuable (long term) to our industry than that of the P1610. If this wasn't the case then the Toshiba Libretto would have taken the award as Ultra-Mobile many years ago.

I appreciate your comment and will love your feedback throughout the blog. It also helps me personally clarify my stand point.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the others. Hugo, the quality of your videos are the best in the blogging world. You truly look natural at presentations and very professional with that bit of humor that made me watch them to the end.

I have to admit that you have not convinced me to try to go ultra mobile just yet. I just cant justify working all day on such a small screen. But I can see and perfectly understand how the setup you have shown can be excellent for a road warrior.

Now, since you brought on the subject yourself in this video trilogy, let's talk about your next phone. Are you a Treo 750 or a Dopod 838 pro kind of guy ? I think that will tell us a lot about you!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Hugo -

So I saw the review on the Fujitsu P1620, and I'm curious as to your thoughts on it vs. the Q1.

I am predominately deskbound, so this 'move' that I'm looking to make is basically to have a full tablet/laptop vs. a Pocket PC (mostly to take notes at church with Pocket e-sword or e-sword, depending on the choice).

My other choice is the HTC TyTN.

Basically, unless it is REALLY worth it, I intend to go to a single device, since I'm not away from a desk that often, and I'm tired of carrying a phone (SMT 5600) and an iPaq.

OTOH, I could see this being useful, since I am also a full-time telecommuter (C#/.NET developer) and I could 'go places' and work. :)

I value the input, and thanks in advance for keeping up the good work!

Joel D. in Phoenix, Az.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Elo,

You made me laugh mate - first you started the comment with gue.a box of chocolates, then you brought me crashing back down to earth! I love it. Thanks for your thoughts.

I will do my best to convince you that UMPC is the way and boy do I have lots of tricks up my sleeve for that. In regards to the phone war you can tell that I avoid it like the plague...having said that though between the two you have given me I have always favoured the look of the Dopod 838 Pro. It's screen layout and hidden keyboard are much nicer (to me) than the Blackberry look a like Treo. [Oh Shit, now I've gone an opened a can of warms I was never wanting to open! LOL]

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Joel D from Arizona! Nice to hear from you mate.

You've given me quite some comment there and I'm afraid I will need to tackle each subject in coming posts and VLOGS. At the moment I believe I am seperating the P1610 from the Ultra-Mobile PC Pack (Origiami Origin) and placing it in the Ultra-Portable range with Motions LS800 and the Raon Digital Vgea, etc.

All I can suggest is this, the P1610 is the best Portable notebook replacement that exists. I would never look past is at a flybook given the history of the two companies and the shear experience that Fujitsu has in this space - it will always be better.

I hear what you are saying about processing power as that is the only reason I did not keep the Q1 as my main machine. I cannot multi-task the way I am acustom to on these UMPC at present. So the dilema is not which device, but more so, how are YOU going to use IT. Lets work on it together and as a community we will all benefit...

Luv you guys!

Anonymous said...

I really like this Samsung Organiser Pack. Hudo do you have any information that Asus R2H would fit in there?

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Igor,

I will try as son as it comes back this morning as I lent it to a friend. I will post an image back here for you so come back and visit in the next 24hrs. :-) FYI I know that the EO V7110 does.

Anonymous said...

Is there a UMPC that allows the use of a wireless card? I am looking for a UMPC and the Samsung sounds like the perfect one except I want to use it strictly with a wireless internet card versus via a mobile phone.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi ANonymous,

Regrettably ALL UMPC at present do not support PCMCIA (PC Card you are after). TabletKiosk, as part of their ToughTab range have just announced a rugged UMPC with a PC Card slot. This should be deliverable in March (I mentioned it here Contact them directly to find out more and tell them Hugo sent you! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello, Hugo !

Q1 does not have a trackpoint. What do you think about it?

Best regards.

Anonymous said...

Great to hear that Hugo, it's all about practicing what you preach.

Way to go.

-Joe.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mate
Thanks very much for posting this. I have read your stuff for the last few months and it really helped me to make the decision about which UMPC to buy for Christmas, so thanks a lot. Before I read your blog I wasn't even sure what a UMPC was, and your practical guides were excellent. Just a quick question regarding connectivity on the Q1, I connect through a broadband ADSL Modem, and have a wireless router, and have no problem with getting on the net through my PC. However my Q1, will only connect maybe once in every ten times, and I can't work out why-it doesn't relate to signal strengthor anything else that I can think of. Is this an issue with Q1's?
Sorry to bother you, I know this isn't a techie forum, but I thought that you may have an idea.
Thanks a lot
Paul from Wales

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hey James!

Thanks for hogging my blog! I mean giving great advice!

Luv your work dude!

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Hi Paul from Wales!

I think your only issue is the driver. Go to the Samsung webite and download the latest drivers, or go to the intel website and donload the WiFi driver tere. Let me know if you need more details.

By the way, if you haven't already noticed, this blog is all about you! So any question is a ood one.

Thanks for popping in/over. (PS. Lucky the English team managed to beat someone on the Cricket, even if it only was New Zealand! LOL)

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

HI Jeff,

Guess what! And this will come as news to most of you...the Q1 does have a mouse joystick - I will post a video soon and prove it.

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Hi Joe,

ou wouldn't read this blog if I didn't right??? (rhetorical) :-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Hugo for helping keep graduate students poor. ;) I've been on the fence about UMPCs and which to get and you've successfully managed to convince me that the Q1 is the way to go. I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion on the Via versus Celeron question.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Susie,

Regrettably I will take blame for all the empty wallets...and all the happy geeks! I love my JOB!!!!

Listen, maybe you should all read my Q1 vs. Q1B wrap up until I et a "proper" review done.

I hope you'll also thank me when I make you rich Susie!

Anonymous said...

Hugo,

Thanks for your message.

But, ok for the joystick, but the Q1 doesn't have a directly trackpoint, like the AMtek T700 or the ASUS R2H...

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Jeff,

Maybe I was too cryptic! It has a trackpoint. I'll show you soon.

Anonymous said...

Hugo,

Thanks for the quick response.

It did get me to thinking, and how I would use a UMPC would be like an iPaq on steroids. :)

1. Notetaking (mostly, as I said, with Bible software of some sort).

2. Reading PDF sheet music (I sing/VP with an A Cappella group - http://www.thesoundbytes.org). This is new, but I've played around with this on an iPaq, and the screen is just too small.

3. Occasional audio/video on trips - maybe 3-4 times a year, at least at the moment). I don't need an optical drive, I use Nero to re-code into manageable content.

4. Occasional email/browsing/Skype. Again, I'm near a desk/land line 90-95% of the time.

It's the handwriting that has me in a quandry, though. I like the Fujitsu line (I'm assuming they all have the handwriting enhancements so I can use it like a piece of paper) but we're talking an extra grand or so, unless I buy every Q1 accessory available (NOT!).

Looking forward to helping out, as this is where I live, and it would seem for most people that this device would need to be an adjunct to 'normal' computing.

Thanks again!
-Joel

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

HI Joel,

Sounds like you are a candidate for the P1610 with extended battery to me, of the Q1 with Organiser Pack and Car Charger! How's that - you heard it here - all you answers in one comment!

Either way stay tuned as throughout the year you will undoubtably get most of your questions answered.

Cheers, and thanks for the enthusiasm and suport.

Gabriel Gonzalez said...

wow mate, what three amazingly amazing videos! I really enjoyed them and learnt how I can improve productivity with UMPC!

Congratz!

Alex said...

Hugo, Great videos. I've learned a lot. In fact I am looking to make the switch myself and am blogging about the process. So far I'm leaning toward the Q1! http://umpcsearch.blogspot.com

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

THanks Gabi,

I was hoping that the "productivity message" would come across a the main point, and I'm glad it has. UMPC = productivity increase = good future!

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Hi Alex,

Thanks for the compliments. I am glad you are blogging (as that is vital to the community) and am pleased the with what you have written so far...well done. Keep up the great work!

Alex said...

Hugo. Thanks for kind words and the encouragement. Another posting will be up soon. Alex

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

NP Alex,

If you can maintain a few every month then this will keep solidifying the Tablet space. I think it is no secret that blogs play a vital role in evangelising technology so every post means a lot, and personally knowing that you're a reader here means I've assisted you in some small way too...

Well done.

Anonymous said...

Hi Hugo!

I hope you did not forgot about me and my question about Asus R2H and Samsung Organizer Pack. I would really like to buy the Organizer Pack, but I dont know if my R2H will fit in there.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Igor,

I haven't forgotten! Lets see if I can get it done with the Family video...

:-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post, although I am trying to avoid using the travel pack to keep size down; I have a smaller USB keyboard, and am just looking for the right soft case for the Q1.

Thanks for the U1-4 tips, I hadn't really found a use for them until I saw your vlog.

Cheers, keep up the good work. J.

Anonymous said...

Horror of Horror's, I've noticed a small scratch on my Q1-P case just below the screen in the middle. I'm using the organizer case and suspect the plastic piece that is to help hold the keyboard in has done the damage. I may try some automobile polish to see if it will remove it. Maybe the pack needs the keyboard to keep everything lined up. I wonder if this would be subject to a warranty claim? I was also asking about the eo7210 bump case to see if the Q1 would fit in this. Come on Samsung, we need some protection.

Thanks,
Charlie Thomas

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hey J.

I'm really pleased the videos worked for you - I believe one tip is more than enough to make your time, and mine, affective...enjoy the Q1!

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Hi Charlie,

I believe you could call Samsung and Warrant the scratch. Normally this would be futile but perhaps with the Q1, and Ultra-Mobile PC in general, manufacturers are being a little more proactive about client needs. Just read Kevin C. Tofel in this post.

Anonymous said...

Hugo,you must be an early riser. Thanks for the reply. The scratch isn't deep and really looks more like a streak. However, I've handled this thing more carefully than my kids when they were babies, but I think I'll put a piece of duct tape on the plastic anyway to prevent any future injury.

Thanks,

Charlie Thomas

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

hi Charlie!

One of my New Years resolutions this year (2007) was to become an early riser. I am able to rise now at 5:30am and actually feel good...it sure beats what I've been doing for the bast 8 - 12 years which is getting in bed by 4am.

Did you see this post - I looked at the Samsung Q1 and Bump Case for you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Hugo,

Great stuff!! Most informative (and entertaining) review of the Q1 I've seen.

Quick question for you: I'm hoping to use the Q1 to jot down minutes at my meetings....how's the handwriting recognition?

Cheers.
Dave in New Jersey

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Dave!

I'm glad you liked the review. In regards to handwriting however you probably need to see this video "five different UMPC" as it covers off this topic. In short, the Q1 is not the best device for handwriting, look at the ASUS R2H, Fujitsu P1610 or the EO V7110.

Love to hear your thoughts! Cheers for the support by the way...

DirCom said...

Great Video Hugo!
Thanks to your videos I decided to buy my Q1. Looking forward to receive it.

Gracias,

Mario

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Cheers Pontiac!

I am so pleased I was able to help. I look ofrward to hearing from you in the future once you receive the beast. I am really excited for you and so happy to know that there is one more geek converted.

I'm trying to get to the world one geek at a time! LOL.

Cheers star! Well done!

DirCom said...

Hi Hugo,

I was very dissapointed when I received my Q1 and it was death on arrival.
I already sent it to Samsung for a check/repair so I still have not been able to enjoy it.

Anyway, this is going a good oportunity for reviewing Samsung US Tech Support.

I'll keep you updated.

Cheers,

Mario

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the nice post!

jfaust97 said...

Hugo...

I'd like to use a Q1 as a portable video (Divx mainly) viewer. I know that the Q1 states it comes with TV output capabilities. Have you tried these settings out?
What sort of quality does this setting have on a regukar 27" television?

Thanks

Jfaust97
jeremy@aheadofmytime.com

MinnesotaMom67 said...

Hi Hugo
i love your videos
they are very helpful
i have been tryin to pick witch umpc i wanted.... i mostly want to use a pen......you have totally sold me on samsung q1....
but not my problem is........

i have no idea what model is the newest.. or maybe least problematic lol i would love to know your views on all the models currently out thier
christine

MinnesotaMom67 said...

HI Hugo
while i was surfing around looking for info to pick witch UMPC i wanted i found your videos... and you totally sold me on samsung q1... has everything i want...mostly touch screen and small size but bigger than pda... anyway you have left im in a quandry.... whitch model is current.... and is one model of the q1 better than others etc.... so many choices... and dont even get me going on xp vs vista... anyway i would really like to know your take on the current models of samsung Q1

thanks for wonderful job with the videos from downunder

christine...upover :P

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Thank you Christine for a fantastic email.

I am not checking back on the blog as much as I wish I could but that is a circumstance of my love for these devices more than enything else.

With regards to your query I can provide some great feedback. Firstly I think it is a great device and probably still one of the best on the market.

The Q1U-XP is best value for money, and the new Q1UP-XP is the best (although it does cost more and that will effect some decisions)

The Q1U are great with XP. I AM a great advocate of Vista and in fact in my home and business do not run XP at all. The fact however remains that on the Q1U the XP experience is still best!

I hope this has helped.