DualCor cPC-connectivity information now available
Outside of the recent news that the device will ship within 90 days, it seems like some time since we’ve had an update on the DualCor cPC, the first device of any size to offer both Windows XP Tablet Edition and Windows Mobile 5.0. DualCor has updated their web site with some interesting information and a new look at the handheld device, which will sport the Microsoft Touch Pack that ships with Origami devices. In the Download Center on the DualCor web site there is a cPC data sheet (PDF) that offers some new information about the connectivity options of the device.
According to the PDF all connectivity options are only available through USB or the CF slot which means no integrated WiFi, Bluetooth nor 3G. I find this decision disappointing, especially the WiFi and Bluetooth, as it has become fairly standard for devices to include at least WiFi if not both. There will certainly be a lot of CF card swapping to say the least. The PDF also indicates under the phone jack heading that it “enables VoIP and cellular through CF or USB”. It is clear that all connectivity options for the cPC will require an external adapter of some sort, which is disappointing. I am not aware of any CF EVDO cards from either Verizon nor Sprint so this would rule out the possibility of using EVDO on the cPC until the USB dongle starts shipping from Sprint, and even then it would be clunky.
-jk
What a disappointment!! No Wi-Fi or BT? That is so retro!
To me, one of the strongest selling points of such devices is the “all-in-one” design. Just pick it up and go, don’t worry about having all your “stuff” with you. With the advent of larger USB thumb drives I have had no trouble being without a CD-RW drive. But having to hang stuff off of a small portable device is, to me, self defeating.
JK -
Does Dave (from the MOTR podcast) have any ides of when they are shipping the DualCor with integrated BT, 801.11a/b/g or EVDO? Tell Dave that this is an outrage and that he must get that company to add integrated BT + Internet!
Bummer! I could understand not integrating a cellular option, but no WiFi?!
I think you guys are missing the point. 802.11b is top-end by PPC standards, but slow for a TPC. Even g is yesterday’s tech. Bluetooth is creeping along, but Wireless USB might displace it entirely. Phone carriers do not provide all the same services. Should DualCor lock you into just one? And don’t forget Wimax. Plus, not everyone needs BT, wifi and phone in one device.
In a device this small, you need to pick and choose what hardware to include and features that may not be used and are rapidly advancing are not keepers. Given the choice, I too would have taken the modular and upgradeable approach with the wireless tech (however I usually take the modular approach anyway).
I believe that WiFi (b or g) should be in every WinXP device sold. What is the last WinXP mobile device you remember without at least WiFi? I agree that they want to give choices but even so there are certain bare minimums that must be met to be truly useful. There are NO wireless connectivity options currently available for the cPC that provide high speed connectivity, and I am afraid they will be hampered by this.
Are there any CF WiFi cards that wouldn’t stick out of the slot (for the antenna)? If not, that would essentially mean that you’d have to take the card out whenever you put the device away to avoid breaking it.
When cheap ($200-$300) PDAs offer bluetooth and/or WiFi, it’s hard to see how this device would sell without it.
How disappointing. Scratch that off my list of potential new devices. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what dualcor is thinking? No built in wifi or bluetooth is a deal breaker for sure.
I agree with the necessity of wifi, but not integrated does not equal not available (is that too many “nots”?). If you only want wifi, you plug in that card. If you only want phone, you plug in the other card. If you want both, plug in the phone CF card and a wifi dongle. For the wireless trifecta, use the phone card and a USB wifi/BT combo dongle. In the future, perhaps there will be a single card for all three. But for the present, I think plugging in a dongle is an acceptable solution.
It’s a little disappointing that everything isn’t included, but if you think about the variety of communication methods that are going up and getting outdated right now, it does make sense in the long run. We’re about to go through a stage where every form of wireless communcation from IR to 3G cellular will be represented in the hardware market simultaneously. Every form of communication has useful functions, but no one requires them all simultaneously. However, it might have been nice if they had included more than just the one CF slot, maybe 2 CF slots or a CF and SDIO. Although large, you kind of benefit from the CF enough to justify it. But even miniSD would have allowed for wifi right now, and who knows what else later.
I think the overall design of the device suggests it is primarily for those few who benefit tremendously from a super PPC (it has 1GB of NAND Flash and shared access to the 30GB hard drive, which in a standalone PPC would be just ridiculous) combined with a simultaneously running, data sharing XP PC. And it has (relatively speaking) good to outstanding battery life. In a sense, it could eliminate an ultralight notebook/PPC combination, at the expense of a keyboard. But it does seem like people are moving more towards pairing a PC or notebook with a smartphone or PDA phone.
Mark,
I hear what you are saying, but the practical application of carrying around multiple CF and/or USB cards minimizes any UMPC/handtop device’s ability to be mobile.
I thought once like you when I first got my Sony U. I carried around USB adapters for BT, microphone, webcam, etc. but it became a PITA.
When I got my OQO and it was all integrated and pocketable, it changed my mind.
With the 4.5 hour double capacity battery, I can simply carry my OQO in my pocket and do a Tablet-style presentation anytime and anywhere.
I don’t have to carry a bunch of accessories with me, defeating the point of mobility.
Hearing about the lack of connectivity options bums me out a bit – it certainly puts a dent on their “UMPC vs cPC” comparison, considering the UMPCs ship with wifi. But hey, if that brings the price of the cPC down enough, I might still consider it, considering wifi is really the only wireless connectivity option that I would miss.
“…carrying around multiple CF and/or USB cards minimizes any UMPC/handtop device’s ability to be mobile.” –Yes, but that’s not necessarily the case here. You can get by with one CF card, which sits in the device, and one USB dongle, which can stay plugged in. You don’t need to swap anything. It is a grab-and-go solution.
Actually, you are much more likely to find yourself needing to use two CF devices at the same time and in this case you can’t. You would then have things sticking out of the cPC on several sides and would likely have to remove them for transport as they usually stick out too far to carry them that way in a bag. I do appreciate the ability to be modular, it’s one of the foundations to the way I work while mobile but in this day and age I do consider WiFi and maybe even BT to be a requirment and as such for me they need to be integrated.
On my Sony U71 I have integrated WiFi but no BT so I have to use a BT CF card when I am using my keyboard and mouse. If WiFi is not available then I tether the U to my Treo via USB and I can tell you it becomes a bit unwieldy pretty quickly. Integrated BT along with the WiFi would make this much easier, and it would be a nightmare if I also had to provide WiFi with an external solution.
James, if I have a CF card providing phone and a USB dongle providing BT and wifi, then what else do I need? This setup seems to hit the points in your example just fine. No, it is not ideal, but it is a no-swap, grab-and-go solution. Yes, phone is a low-speed Internet connection and EVDO would be preferred, but EVDO options in general are limited right now and I don’t hear a lot of good things about Verizon.
That said, I think we all need to keep this in perspective: one card in a slot and one dongle sticking out (which could even be repositioned using an articulated adapter) adds phone, wifi, and BT connectivity to an energy-efficient, 30GB Windows Mobile Pocket PC that can switch instantly to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition with Origami UI. That setup literally puts a smartphone and UMPC together in one pocket-sized device that can connect to your BT accessories and a wifi hotspot without swapping any cards. I can tolerate one dongle to get that.
I was just giving it some more thought – and I think I know where James is coming from. Being the forgetful person I am, if I don’t have bits integrated, I’m bound to have a day when I forget to bring the necessary dongles. I remember having an older laptop without wifi, so I bought a wifi pcmcia card for it. Because there is a bit sticking out, you have to take it off before you put it in a bag, lest you run the risk of having it snap off in transit. I don’t think I can go back to that. What would be really cool is if you can make the cPC to order, ie. you can choose what wireless options you want included prior to shipping.
I posted this on umpcsite.com, let me post here too.
…JK and Rob got disappointed of it , but it is not very shocking for me : It is hard to squeze two hardware systems in such a small box ; both C7-m processor and Xscale etc. and i believe cPC’s charm is in being so small and including both Windows XP and Windows CE in different hardware platforms in the same small box. If you want to have GSM or EVDO on a pocket-pc , there are already lots of options for that.
And i think like Mark Sumimoto too, it frees you and give possibilities.
Sumocat, having to provide third party radios means you will have to make sure that the particular device comes with drivers for both WinXP and WM5 which I believe will be difficult. You will not be happy if you plug in a radio and it will only work on one of the OSes and not both, and a lot of OEMs only provide drivers for WinXP. This would not be a problem if DualCor provided an integrated solution as they would also provide drivers for both OSes.
It’s interesting that this is just coming to light now.
What was the plan here? Either the device was designed with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth from the beginning, or the company has been perpetrating fraudulent claims since they revealed the device at CES back in January. It’s a lot of work to actually add or remove these networking components from the design. Personally, I think that they’ve been dishonest on these counts.
As for WWAN support, they’ve never claimed that they were integrating this, but have said that they were planning on pursuing deals with carriers before integrating a WWAN module. Granted, the way they presented these statements implied that they had room inside the case to actually add a module of this sort (along with an accompanying antenna), which seems unlikely at this point. In light of the fact that dualCor’s idea of “adding a module” was actually adding a PCMCIA card, I guess we should consider them dishonest on this point as well.
We’ve been sold some snake oil here, and it’s pointless to argue about whether the backpack full of adapter you’ll need to make it work are the right mix of things to carry around. Sony’s upcoming UX model is looking like a better choice at this point. I’d like to see DualCor succeed with the cPC, but then again, I’m expecting them to go back and put the stuff they promised initially into the package before I’ll buy one.
James, what’s the deal with the UMPC Comparison page on DualCor’s site? http://www.dualcor.com/umpc.php
Now they’re saying it’s going to have 3G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi? Please let me know, I’ve preordered the UX180P and now have second thoughts if I can get an extra 10GB and 512MB, not to mention PPC capability with the DualCor over the Sony UX.
The cPC will ship with no integrated radios. They will put a CF WiFi card in the box for buyers to have WiFi.