Compare Prices : Samsung Q1 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Intel's new Steeley processor and McCaslin platform make for a solid UMPC

Pros: Touch-screen gives good control ; Sharp and bright display ; 52 hours of music on a single charge ; Built-in slide viewer, FM radio and recorder ; Good software support

Cons: Viewing stand is a bit flimsy

Verdict: Microsoft and Intel's joint Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) concept has almost solely been carried by Samsung on the manufacturing front.

Review summary: Samsung's Q1 Ultra helps strengthen the case for the UMPC platform.

Verdict: The Q1 Ultra is a big improvement over the original Q1. The screen is superb, the interface far more intuitive and the whole package is simply more usable. Despite this, I'm still not convinced about the UMPC platform itself, and I fail to see why ...

Review summary: I'm a Windows user who loves skinny laptops. My Lenovo-IBM ThinkPad X60 is the Apple of my eye and only willpower keeps me from adding the teeniest Vaio and maybe one of those cheap Asuteks just for the hell...

Pros: Takes up less space in a briefcase, fits in a purse. Operates with stylus, mini-keyb, dial, or fingertip.

Cons: Vista slows it down. Text input is about as much fun as jamming the stylus into your eyesocket.

Verdict: C+ Hate to slag off an unorthodox product category, but despite heroic efforts to make this product gorgeous and clever, it's still not as ergonomically hip as virtually any notebook PC.

Review summary: The ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a relatively new form factor that was originally designed to fill the small niche that was developing between notebooks and smartphones. While the concept was, and still is, an interesting one, the original models never ...

Review summary: Even with a keyboard and a dazzling screen, the Q1 Ultra, Samsung's second-generation UMPC, is still a work in progress.

Pros: Pointing stick and mouse buttons are a pleasure to surf with. Compact size. Sweet screen.

Cons: Integrated keyboard is welcome but needs work. Processing power is not up to speed with Vista's demands. Only 1GB system memory. Needs higher screen resolution. Still pricey.

Verdict: The second-generation Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC adds a keyboard and pointing devices, but it's still a work in progress when it comes to usability, performance, and price.