They have launched a Tablet PC of the year award for 2006 and included some very bizarre devices. I’m not so much upset with what they included but with what they omitted! Here is their list (with my comments in brackets)…[Update – it seems as though the readers pick the entrants. (Can someone confirm this?) If this is true then the previous comment applies to the ones that nominated. Next year I will follow it more closely!]
- Fujitsu P1610 (Correct)
- Gateway CS210 / M285 (If price is your only concern, and Tablet features are secondary)
- Kohjisha SA1F00 (Not sure it deserves to be there – if you speak to Chippy I'm sure he’ll tell you otherwise)
- Lenovo X60 (Be more specific Engadget!)
- Toshiba Portege M400 (Not for me – nothing award winning other than its great consistency towards Tablet manufacture)
Here’s my list:
- Fujitsu P1610 (Best small Tablet with PCMCIA…um…only small Tablet with PCMCIA.)
- Fujitsu T4210 (Best package specs and accessories for MSRP)
- Motion LE 1600 (For best Slate design)
- Lenovo X60 (Specifically the Multi-Touch for its all purpose functionality)
- Motion LS800 (Best small slate – other than UMPC)
Then Engadget decides to place UMPC in the category of Handhelds! Up against DS Lite and PSP! What the…are they not listening to what we are trying to do!!! UMPC is UMPC, nothing else.
Here is my list:
- Samsung Q1B (Best value for money and features)
- ASUS R2H (Best all inclusive UMPC that support Pen features)
- EO i7210 (Most capable UMPC for replacing a desktop)
- Motion LS800 (Best built, most capable of imitating a Tablet PC, UMPC) [yes, I would call it a UMPC here]
- OQO 01 (Best aesthetics and function in a UMPC) – NB. OQO 02 was released in 2007
So where does my vote go? For me it has to be the Fujitsu P1610 (for best price and features) on Engadget’s list…Lenovo X60 with MultiTouch (for best features and neat package) on my list…and Q1B (for value for money) on my UMPC list.
8 comments:
I also was very surprized that the UMPC was not considered with the Tablet PC. I for one think the Q1 should have been in, with the Tablet PC. If users really look at the Q1; it has many features that are very usable for been mobile, and is not only mobile its very portable. It's the only UMPC that has the brightess screen out there; also like the organizer pack which is great.
HG
Umpcs should be as umpcs.They are not tablet pcs.
And the war continues! If you read my post I defend both. When it comes to best Tablet I think that should be an Active Digitizer device. When it comes to UMPC then it should be anything sub 9 inches. This would include Motions baby slate and the Fujitsu for me.
Well, I am fine with seperating tablets and UMPCS when the idea is to make a poll and attribute awards to a category of devices. UMPCs, I think, merit a category of their own and putting them aside PMPs and PDAs is not adequate in my opinion.
If the idea was to have people suggest devices for a category and apply no guidelines whatsoever, it's even worse. It's not because you have a group of people who thinks a notebook with a twisting screen is a tablet that it makes it a tablet.
We can't just redefine what is and what is not this or that type of device with every personnal and highly relative point of view.
If the point is to attribute awards for the best Tablets of 2006 then the Engadget staff should have done their homework and establish and comprehensive list of those tablets worthy of mention.
I agree with Hugo that it is misleading and quite strange from a well respected techno blog not to see the T4210 and any of the Motion slates in the list of teh best Tablets of 2006. Personally, I would've put the Asus R1F in there as it appears to be enjoyed but quite a few.
I'd like to add that I think Engadget has just revealed a weak link: I believe this is where it shows the limits when you are happy with reporting headlines without any substance to it. Or maybe it just shows that Tablets and UMPCs are still not fully understood by even some geeks out there.
Make no mistake though, I read Engadget every day and I love the blog! :)
I voted for the ASUS in the Handheld poll. Built-in GPS is cool!
And to start a new paridigm... Sub 5 inch devices are UMPCs too. Look at the OQO2. Not the OQO, that a pub in Islington.
Thanks Robert and ELO,
Your feedback is always valuable. I think the Sub 5" is definitley a contender. If you look at "umpc list" I inlcuded the OQO too.
We should remain focused on the fact that these are Ultra Mobil PCs. By being termed Ultra Mobile I think it is only natural that they get smaller too!
Thanks Robert and ELO,
Your feedback is always valuable. I think the Sub 5" is definitley a contender. If you look at "umpc list" I inlcuded the OQO too.
We should remain focused on the fact that these are Ultra Mobil PCs. By being termed Ultra Mobile I think it is only natural that they get smaller too!
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