It is kind of funny that I can’t find the handheld device I want given all the diversity in the mobile PC world right now.  We have UMPCs of all shapes and sizes, from the standard 7-inch screen models down to the diminitive OQO.  The bigger devices are too big for the kind of mobility I am referring to.  I really want a device that will fit in one hand for ease of mobility and use.  Standard sized UMPCs just aren’t mobile enough for me.  After a lot of thinking about this I decided to list what I want in such a device:

• fit in one hand for usage
• screen size around 5 inches
• resolution of at least 800×600 (depends on screen size)
• full Tablet OS (XP or Vista)
• good buttons and controls on the front of the device optimized for hand usage
• rotatable screen
• at least 1 GB of RAM
• at least 60 GB hard drive
• good processor power
• decent touch screen that works well with inking
• integrated 3G (EVDO preferable)
• Bluetooth for use with peripherals (keyboards, etc.)
• WiFi of course
• dockable for use on a desktop

I look at this list and it seems to me that this shouldn’t be so hard to find but my investigation proves otherwise.  Every handheld device I’ve examined falls short, sometimes woefully so, in one or more key areas.  Let’s look at the current choices:

Sony UX- I used one of these for a while and I found the integrated keyboard to be near useless.  I also had trouble using the screen with the extended resolution (1024×600) as I found prolonged use to be tiring.  Too bad because it fits nearly all other criteria with the exception of the Tablet bits.

OQO Model 02- the OQO has a nice keyboard but I think the lack of a touch screen would make this handheld less convenient to use.  It’s pretty pricey too, although that’s not on my list.  I have been playing in the handheld realm long enough to realize that you have to pay to play.

Digital Raon Everun- this innovative device comes as close as any to meeting my criteria.  Unfortunately, until a Vista version ships there is no Tablet functionality which is important to me.

Nokia N800- I include the N800 even though it’s not really a PC because it delivers a lot of the functionality on the list.  I do feel I need a real PC so I can do anything that I might need to do on the fly and the N800 just doesn’t deliver.

Fujitsu U1010- this mini-UMPC looks really interesting and might be a good fit.  I think that the keyboard will be too small to be truly useful for someone like me who writes a lot and if that’s the case I’d rather it not be adding weight and bulk to the device.

FlipStart- too heavy and bulky plus the lack of a digitizer screen renders it useless to me.

Sadly, this is pretty much the entire list of available gadgets that I have to choose from, and as you see none of them really hit the mark.  Of all of these devices the OQO comes closest to fulfilling my needs, but I’m not sure it’s close enough.  Having a screen that rotates to portrait orientation is very important to me and I can’t recall anyone mentioning the OQO can do that.

Anybody got any suggestions for me?

Once we saw refurbished Sony UXs for around a grand, I thought I had seen it all for the UX. Nope, not by a long shot. One adventurous owner decided that he wanted Mac OS X on his handheld device and he was kind enough to document the entire process, step-by-step. sev7en as he goes by, has pages of documentation to get that little Sony running; he’s even got the touchscreen working with ink and a third party on-screen keyboard! Bear in mind that if you plan to try an OS X install on non-Apple hardware, you might be skirting some legal issues, but allegedly, it’s OK for an Apple developer to do so. You’re on your own there….here’s another shot:

I wonder if Sony actually agrees with that: Micro PC Talk found a Sony UX bundle that gets you a Sony UX-280P and includes a fold-up Bluetooth keyboard for $1,799. The keyboard looks like a re-badged ThinkOutside keyboard, which is a solid piece of equipment.

My question is: when is enough essentially enough? Why have eleven or more models with different designations? Is that helping or hurting sales? Does it add confusion to a niche market that’s already confused by the purpose of these devices? I’m no marketing genius, but I’d consider just a few products in the same line and allow for consumer customization. You know it’s bad when you need this kind of comparison chart to tell the difference between all of these UX’s!

Vista is about to be released commercially and the new version of the operating system will change all of our thoughts about devices like those mentioned above.  When Vista is installed on a touch screen enabled device then the Tablet bits are installed and available just like on "real" Tablet PCS.  It is because of this that Vista will result in a lot of new Tablet PCs and UMPCS simply because these devices will work just like the bigger Tablet PCs, and we will be the better for it.  I never thought I’d see the day when Sony shipped the UX with the Tablet Edition but that’s exactly what we’ll get with Vista, the best mobile device operationg system anywhere.

(Autoblog via Steve French)