First Impressions & Photos

From the Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC

Launch Event in San Francisco

May 1, 2006

Linda A. Epstein

Samsung's US Q1 launch event took place yesterday in San Francisco.  The well organized and informative event gave us a a first look at their new Q1 Ultra Mobile PC. 

Starting at $1099.00 with 512 ram and a 40 gig hard drive the Q1 and its accessories will go on sale at www.bestbuy.com/ultramobilepc begining on May 7th, and will be in select Best Buy retail locations this summer.  The Q1 will also be available from CDW.com later this week.   Included in the box will be the Q1 Ultra Mobile PC, battery, wrist strap, manual, case and usb cable to transfer data.

H. S. Kim, the executive vice president and general manager of Samsung's Computer System Division, used the Q1 for his PowerPoint slides during his demonstration.   During the demo he showed the top 5 uses for a UMPC:  Browsing the web- 84%, Checking e-mail- 81%, viewing MS office documents- 71%, Voice Telephony-69%, and writing documents in microsoft office-68%.

The slide below shows nine of the many uses for the Q1 UMPC

Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Platform Division, showed attendees the  Touch Pack," a software program Microsoft designed specifically for the UMPC platform.  The touch pack includes: Program Launcher, Dial Keys, Brilliant black media player skin, and the game Sudoku.

For More UMPC software please visit our sister site UltraMobilePCs.com

I look forward to bringing you a full review of the Samsung Q1 in the near future, but for now my first impression are below.

First Impressions of the Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC

Q1 - The Porsche of Ultra Mobile PCs... I waitied a long time to see the Q1 in person and it was worth the wait.  The Q1 is a sleek, sexy and feels comfortable in your hands.    And for the female population its fingernail friendly :~)

The Sound : I don't impress easily, and I was, without question, impressed by the sound quality coming from the speakers on the Q1

The screen: Although my photos may be lacking in showing just how clean and crisp the screen on the Q1 is,  those who chose to watch a DVD movie on it wont be disappointed.   We had the pleasure of seeing a movie clip on it and the picture quality was beautiful.

Accessories, Accessories, Accessories.. Kudos to Samsung for having a range of accessories ready ship with the Q1.  Battery's that run 3, 7 or 9 hours, a case with a keyboard, and a external DVD finished in the same high gloss black as the Q1.

The Built in Stand... Lets be honest here, just like our standard size Tablet PCs were not going to be holding our UMPCs 24/7 so a built in stand comes in handy and eliminates the need for carrying a separate stand in your bag.   I'm not sure I would do it but, Samsung reps using the stand like a strap on a bump case,  they were walking around with their hand between the Q1 and the easel like stand, and it seemed to work well for demo purposes. The Q1 also comes packaged with a wrist strap for that serves a dual purpose.  You can carry it by the wrist strap and it protects you from accidentally dropping the Q1 while using it.

Origami style, Unfold the case and the keyboard.... With its built in stand, access to the side ports and fold up style this keyboard/case combo keeps everything in one convenient package.

A little bulky when folded up, but this case with full size keyboard is great for those who have the need for a keyboard.

For those of you hung up on screen rotation ...... The Samsung Q1 is the currently the only UMPC device to offer screen rotation

GPS on the Q1: Shown below is the Q1 using Microsoft Streets and Trips with GPS - I look forward to trying this for myself.

In conclusion: If the idea of having a full fledged computer, a Tablet PC,  Media center capabilities and an internet device that can go anywhere you do....then the $1099.00 price tag on the Q1 is a small price to pay for having it all in a 1.7 pound package.

Photo Below courtesy of Samsung

 

 

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Q1 Press release

New Q1 Developed in Collaboration With Microsoft and Intel

Sales Begin May 7 at www.bestbuy.com/ultramobilepc

The company made the announcement at a San Francisco press event, where it also announced that the Q1 will be available at Best Buy's e-tail outlet, www.bestbuy.com/ultramobilepc , beginning May 7, and in select Best Buy stores later this summer as part of a collaboration between the two companies.

Samsung's media briefing included a live demonstration of the Q1, highlighting the ultra-portable product's performance, which is comparable to full-sized notebook PCs and makes up for certain shortcomings of PDAs and other handheld devices currently available. Mobility is what drives the Q1. With a wide 7-inch LCD with touch-screen capability and a weight of just 1.7 lbs., the device was one of the most talked-about new products in March at CeBIT 2006, the world's largest IT show.

"The Q1 is a good companion PC for the mobile professional that is looking for the freedom and flexibility of a small mobile device without having to sacrifice functionality," said HS Kim, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics Computer System Division. "This product marks the beginning of a revolution for PCs and PC use."

The Q1 is a collaborative project among Samsung, Microsoft and Intel Corporation and is the next generation of mobile devices to incorporate the functionality of a conventional PC with diverse mobile features.

"UMPCs such as Samsung's Q1 represent the beginning of a new era in mobile computing," said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of the Mobile Platforms Division at Microsoft Corp. "The Q1 Ultra Mobile PC is an easy-to- carry device with the convenience of a touch screen interface running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. It's a great product for anyone on the go to stay connected, entertained, and informed with the full power of the PC."

Bluetooth and wired/wireless LAN come standard and provide the user with easy Internet access. Samsung's AVS function also allows users to enjoy a variety of multimedia -- movies, music, still photos, video and navigation -- without booting up Windows.

In addition to the ultra-low-power Intel CPU, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and standard PC functions, the Q1 supports an "inking" function that enables the user to input data directly through the monitor screen, similar to a handwritten note. The data is then stored as an image file.

"The Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) platform is a good example of the collaborative innovation between Samsung and Intel. This companion platform allows users to communicate, access information, be entertained and stay productive on the go," said Gadi Singer, vice president and general manager of Intel's Low Power Technologies Group. "We are aggressively driving low power technologies to enable this exciting new UMPC category."

The Q1 is expected to generate synergy for Samsung as it begins bundling the UMPC with its award-winning line of printers, monitors and other IT products in the American market, and examines ways to seek diverse solutions through its more than 15,000 IT resellers. It offers a unique, practical alternative for mobile professionals whose needs continue to expand daily.

"Successful businesses are beginning to see their communication needs moving far beyond what their wireless phones have to offer," said Scott DeTota, a director of Product and Partner Development at CDW Corporation, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education. "Particularly in the real estate, legal and health care industries, deploying ultra-mobile devices such as the Q1 can provide organizations with competitive advantages by enabling them to securely and efficiently access, input, exchange and present corporate data."

The Q1 will retail for $1,099 in the U.S. Various options are available for purchase, including a USB keyboard, organizer, extended battery and additional band external optical disc drive.

About Samsung's Information Technology Division

Samsung Electronics America's Information Technology Division (ITD), located in Irvine, Calif., is a division of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. (SEC). ITD markets a complete line of award-winning TFT and CRT display products, color and monochrome laser printers, fax machines and multifunction devices for professional, corporate and SOHO users. ITD also markets large-screen plasma displays designed specifically for the professional and commercial markets.

SEA oversees the North American operations of Samsung's Consumer Electronics Division (CED) and Information Technology Division (ITD), as well as its subsidiaries including Samsung Telecommunications America. LP (STA) and Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. (SSI).

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