To recap, we are looking for the smallest Windows Notebook. The requirements are that it has to at least be able to run Windows XP.

After much research and some Googling, the winner is the OQO , the smallest full-powered, full-featured personal computer, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was around before the term UMPC was coined – the first model was called a “ultra personal computer (uPC)”

So, what is the OQO? Wikipedia has some details, so does CNET.com. There have been a number models of the OQO, with the first OQO, the OQO Model 01 released in the fall of 2004 with the computer shipped with a 1 GHz Transmeta Crusoe processor 20 GB hard drive, and 256 MB of RAM. It also had integrated 802.11b wireless, Bluetooth and a USB 1.1 port. It ran Windows XP.

Now the Important part - size and weight: 4.9 by 3.4 by 0.9 inches and it weighs 0.9 lbs. Apart from the weight, the size is closer to a PDA than most UMPCs.

The OQO is very much a PC though, as newer versions (the OQO Model 02) can run Windows Vista. The OQO can also run modified versions of Linux.

We’re looking for the smallest Windows Notebook here folks. The requirements are that it has to run Windows XP. I have to put that in, otherwise some Linux machine smaller than a Sharp Zaurus C-1000 would win.

Our first contender is the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 (already superseded by the U820, but never mind). This mini notebook, size 6 inches by 6.73 by 1.26 and weighing only 1.56 pounds, has a screen which swivels to convert the mini-notebook into a mini-tablet PC.

The LifeBook U810’s specs are as follows:
A 800MHz Intel A110 Processor, with 1GB of RAM, it has a 40GB hard drive, integrated Mobile Intel Express 945GM Graphics card, a 5.6 inch touchscreen (measured diagonally). It includes Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g wireless as well as wired 10/100 Ethernet. There is also a fingerprint reader, microphone, a VGA (0.3 Megapixel) camera and card readers which for Compact Flash and SecureDigital memory cards. There is only one USB port.
The LifeBook U810 can be purchased with Windows Vista Business. Since this entitles you to a downgrade to Windows XP, you also get a restore disc for Windows XP tablet Edition 2005 along with the other discs – I just had to mention that.

As some of my eagle-eyed readers may have noticed, one of the iPhone links from my previous blog entry showed an “unlocked” iPhone on sale. Yes, you can get a legally unlocked iPhone, but at a price. These are not cheap though, ranging from almost $900 to over $1000.

So what is the difference? In some countries, Apple is forced by law to make an unlocked iPhone available to customers who ask for one. This “unlocking” does not involve Jailbreaking, and is most likely a very closely guarded where the actual “locking” mechanism is permanently disabled or undone. An iPhone unlocked in this way would not be affected by firmware updates (although this has happened).

A large number of cellphones and smartphones are available in unlocked versions. Most of the Palm GSM smartphones are available in unlocked form, which is several times more expensive than the locked phone which is subsidized by a mobile network operator.

Continuing from my previous Blog entry, I won’t repeat the dire warnings of my previous posting.

When I got the 3G iPhone, although the upfront cost was relatively expensive, the actual cost of the contract over two years was really expensive. It was probably the fact that I have to keep this iPhone running at least until the two year contract is up that has made me cautious. So cautious in fact that I would be very reluctant to try to Jailbreak it, just in case I messed up.

Not too long ago I picked up a used first generation locked iPhone – a 2G iPhone (very easy to understand) for a decent price. It seems a lot of people are upgrading to 3G iPhones, possibly as their contracts for first generation iPhones come to an end. The idea was that if I could jailbreak and unlock that iPhone, I could safely do it with my 3G iPhone. (For an a description of Jailbreaking and unlocking, see this Wikipedia article) I’m more interested in jailbreaking the phone, as that allows for some customizations you cannot get otherwise – for example changing Battery on the charging screen to show a percentage, or giving each tab its on background.

I discovered that there are numerous ways to Jailbreak and unlock. I took what I thought was an easy way and bought a “Jailbreak and unlock kit” – software with instructions on how to do it. Everything worked fine except for the unlock. A second try, from some free (and more detailed) instructions, also got me to the put of having a “Jailbroken” iPhone without the unlocking part working. I’ve realized that I need the unlocking part to work so that I can use my (3G) AT&T SIM Card with the 2G iPhone.

Some said you learn through your mistakes (”iFails”). The hard part is trying it all over again.

Okay, first things first : Jailbreaking or unlocking you iPhone may void your warranty. Jailbreaking your iPhone could be illegal soon, if Apple had their way (see “Apple says jailbreaking is illegal” from The unofficial Apple Weblog). Not only that, it is possible to “brick” your expensive iPhone or iPod Touch.  By writing this article I am in no way suggesting that anyone go out and attempt to jailbreak and unlock your iPhone or Jailbreak your iPod Touch.

Before I had an iPhone, I had an iPod Touch. This was also before the Apple App Store was announced, and jailbreaking was the only way to get third part applications onto the iPhone and iPod Touch. I decided to try jailbreaking my iPod Touch. There were large a number of Jailbreak applications around.  It seemed that Apple had given up fighting the jailbreaking apps, but they were actually busy with the App Store. I chose the easiest to use Jailbreak application, but was still cautious. Fortunately I didn’t try that application on an iPhone, because apparently it was not as good with unlocking. The next firmware update was the App store update and I didn’t bother to Jailbreak the iPod Touch after that.

Then I got a 3G iPhone…(to be continued)

Just a few days ago I managed to get my hands on a Samsung Q1 Tablet PC. Although I did not know it at the time, it was one of the original “Origami” Ultra- Mobile PCs. That didn’t stop me being blown away the first time I held it in my hands and booted up Windows XP. It is about the size of a large paperback book, with a 7 inch screen. I have played with all manner of devices, but booting up the familiar Windows XP on such a small device was really awesome.

Now I have booted up Linux on an Asus EeePC Netbook. That also has a 7 inch screen. Then there were a few of the VGA screen Pocket PCs – but they don’t generally “boot up”, unless they have been reset. Yet this booted into ultra-familiar Windows XP.

This particular Samsung Q1 has a 1 GHz Pentium M processor, 1 GB RAM and a 60GB hard drive. The graphics are from an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900. In addition it has built-in Bluetooth, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless and several ports including 2 USB ports. This model does not have a hardware keyboard (later models have a qwerty keypad with half on one side of the screen and half on the other). Fortunately a USB keyboard was provided which worked well.

Although the Samsung Q1 is not something you can carry in your pocket – you would need a really big jacket pocket, it is as portable as a Netbook. Even though I’m blown over by it, there aren’t too many advantages over a pricier Netbook, and the Samsung Q1 is relatively pricey itself.

It is all relative, the way the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) is referred to as old.

It was less than three years ago (March 9, 2006) that Microsoft finally reveled their Origami mystery project at the CeBIT conference in Hanover, Germany. According to “Pen Computing’s article “Microsoft reveals “Origami” Ultra-Mobile PC“:
“In the best Tablet PC tradition where Microsoft re-invented the pen computer that had been around for a good decade and a half, Origami-spec PCs use capitalized letters - Ultra-Mobile PC, making it look more like an official product category or even trademark“. Pen Computing also observed that “The UMPC was somewhere between traditional PDAs and Tablet PCs.”

The UMPC never really took off as Microsoft hoped, and today there are still only a number of UMPCs around, as there was a small section of the market who found them useful and could afford them. There was probably a larger section of the market who thought a UMPC would be very useful but just couldn’t afford one.

One of the first UMPCs announced was the Samsung Q1. Last year Samsung released the third  version of its Q1 Tablet, now called the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium. The specs have been improved to run Vista. It has a 1.33 GHz Intel Core Solo ULV (Ultra Low Voltage), 2GB of RAM and an 80GB Hard drive, 7 inch touch screen LCD.

The Operating System is of course Windows Vista Business - the only Vista edition which allows you to downgrade to Windows XP.

As CNET said in their review of the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium:  “The new generation of similarly sized Netbooks do more and cost less than the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium, putting another nail in the UMPC coffin.”

After my previous blog posting about the small Sony VAIO P series LifeStyle PC, I was reminded about an earlier Sony micro PC. This one was not a clamshell device,  and it still sells today, although only in the “previously owned” market, where it  sells from around $800 all the way up to $1800!

Of course I’m referring to the Sony VAIO VGN-UX280P Micro PC,  and the other Sony Vaio UX Micro PCs. They were the Expensive Ancestors to the Netbook.  These UMPCs (Ultra Mobile PCs) were wonderful devices several years ago, unfortunately though few people could afford them.

According to Wikipedia and Pocketables.net there were six Sony Vaio UX Micro PC models released in the US. Three of them ran Windows XP Professional and the other three ran Windows Vista.

Currently, if you do a search for “Sony Netbook” on PriceGrabber.com, you will get results along with a message “The search was performed using the term ’sony notebook’. Your search term ’sony netbook’ had no matches.”

Sony announced the new VAIO P series LifeStyle PC in early January, and it is still on pre-order. The Sony P-series lifestyle PC is being referred to as the world’s Lightest 8-inch notebook is its smallest. It is about the size of a business envelope (9.6 inches wide by 4.8 inches high) and less than 1 inch thick. The screen size is 8 inches measured diagonally. As for the rest of the specifications, they would seem quite familiar:
It is powered by an Intel Atom 1.33GHz processor, has an integrated 128MB Intel GMA 500 graphics chipset. The hard drive is a 64GB SSD (Solid State Drive). The VAIO P also features Bluetooth and a built in GPS.

Unfortunately the Operating System Sony chose is Windows Vista Home Premium, which is rather bloated on this small system.

The Sony VAIO PC is rather expensive for a Netbook, with pricing somewhere between $899 and $1149 depending on the options chosen. Oops, did I say Netbook? Sony doesn’t refer to the P-series as a Netbook, rather a “Lifestyle PC”.

For pictures of the Sony Lifestyle PC see this CNET article “The Sony P-series Lifestyle PC: Just don’t call it a Netbook“.

In May 2007 Apple launched iTunes Plus (See Article from archive here), which meant that DRM-Free Tracks would be available from the iTunes store. Then the higher quality and DRM-Free tracks were priced at $1.29 instead of 99c. Last month at the MacWorld Expo, Phil Schiller announced that the entire iTunes Store is going DRM free.

So, what is the big deal about DRM Free, or what am I talking about? Also, what does this have to do with computers? Algorithms, I say, algorithms - and computer ones at that.

What is DRM? I’ll give the “Executive Overview” (and maybe explain it fully some other time). To “explain” it I’ll have to resort to acronyms unfortunately, as DRM is an acronym for Digital Rights Management. Basically DRM is what the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) had digital music distributors encode into digital music to try to prevent copyrighted music from being shared illegally. DRM basically “breaks” digital songs so they cannot be freely copied. It can also be a pain in the you-know-what if you have a legally purchased song or album in one format (for example the DRM Apple/iTunes AAC format),  and you want to load that music on a non-Apple MP3 Player - yes, there are still some excellent ones out there - and discover that they do not play. This limitation also applies if you try to copy the music track to an iPod which is not authenticated. They will only play is if  you have bought an upgrade to iTunes plus format, and the non Apple MP3 player supports this AAC format. This also applies to the Zune Marketplace and Microsoft “Plays for Sure” tracks.

Since the iTunes Store is going DRM Free, there is also an option in iTunes to convert music tracks from the Apple AAC format to the MP3 format, which the majority of MP3 Players support. The iPod Touch, being an Apple product, would play protected (DRM protected) AAC, DRM Free AAC and MP3 Music Tracks. The Creative ZEN X-Fi would play DRM Free AAC and MP3 Music Tracks.