14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung has just extended its Q1 Ultra family of ultra-mobile PCs it launched back in May 2007. Initially, the UMPCs came with Intel's A100 and A110 processors, and 40GB, 60GB or 80GB HDDs, running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista Home Edition.
The company's new model, the Q1 Ultra Premium, boasts an ULV Intel Core Solo U1500 processor running at 1.33GHz, which is quite a significant performance boost from the previous A110 with its faint 800MHz clock speed. Another significant improvement is an increase in the battery lifetime, due to the power-efficient processor, as well as a 6-cell, 57.7 watt-hour battery architecture. Previously, the battery could only offer an autonomy of only 4 hours of working time.
The manufacturer has refurbished the previous models' small keypad, as this was one of the most criticized aspects of the series. The Q1 Ultra Premium model features Samsung's "Split-QWERTY Keypad Version 1.5" with larger keycaps for easy and comfortable typing.
"Since pioneering the UMPC form factor with the introduction of the original Q1, Samsung has been unwavering in its commitment to the long-term growth and development of this fast-growing mobile computing product segment," said Bret Berg, Samsung's senior product marketing manager for mobile computing products. "With the Q1 Ultra Premium, Samsung has leveraged Intel?s Ultra Low Voltage Pentium CPU to deliver an even higher-performing solution for those needing to support the latest and most advanced applications."
The other hardware specifications of the Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC are untouched. The computer comes with a 7-inch 1024x600 display, 1GB of memory, 80GB HDD, dual-array microphones, dual webcams, 802.11g wireless, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and an SD/MMC slot.
The manufacturer will ship the new model with Windows XP Tablet Edition. While the other products in the Q1 series will be substantially discounted, the Q1 Ultra Premium is expected to hit the market at a retail price of $1,399.