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Yesterday, Bink.nu reminded us of “Eiger” now known as Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs. It’s based on Windows XP Embedded, available only to Microsoft System Assurance customers (i.e. business customers), and designed to be run on legacy PCs that don’t have the oomph to run Windows XP. The advantage is better security and maintainability which would be nice in view of the imminent, inglorious end of service of Windows 98. The unfortunate answer is that despite initial plans to ship Fundamentals in June 2006, it has been pushed back to later in the year. I wasn’t too enthusiastic about it before, but with Windows 98 left hanging with a large security flaw, Fundamentals is turning out to be very late to the party.
Nate Mook at BetaNews reports that Windows Fundamentals, which had been expected to ship this month, has been delayed until late 2006 for no stated reason. If you’ll recall from when it was announced last year, Fundamentals is rather an odd duck. It’s based on Windows XP Embedded and designed for aging PCs that don’t have the oomph to run regular Windows XP and it’s only available to members of Microsoft’s Software Assurance licensing program. It’s not clear whether any Software Assurance customers will be discomfited by the delay.
Microsoft’s Origami viral marketing scheme continued to unfold today as Reuters reports:
The veil of mystery surrounding Microsoft’s secretive Origami portable device lifted just a little on Thursday after the firm updated the project’s cryptic Web site, hinting that all would be revealed on March 9.
The web site is www.origamiproject.com and it says we will “find out” on March 9. I expect it would be impolite to observe that a week ago it said we would “learn more” today. In any case, theories abound:
It may be coincidence, but March 9 is also the launch in Hannover of CeBit, the world’s largest annual trade show for the information and telecommunications technology industry.
GottaBeMobile points to a Intel viral marketing site (it must be catching), www.umpc.com, which seems cut from the same ultramobile PC cloth, but promises details on March 7. More on the Intel UMPC at TG Daily. Either Microsoft and Intel are each going to have their own ultramobile gadget or they need to synchronize dates.
Of course, you can’t control the message with viral marketing and it sometimes mutates in unforeseen directions. Valleywag’s Microsoft’s Origami: a “niche product for women” extracts maximum mileage from an analyst quote in Anne B. McDonald’s Today @ PC World column. Also there:
“Peter Pawlak, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, agreed: “Microsoft is trying to do some viral marketing. We’re not sure that’s a great idea. . .when it finally comes out it’s like the Segway scooter–where are they today?”
Matt Rosoff, also with Directions on Microsoft, told us his firm will not even be attending Microsoft’s analyst meeting on Thursday in Redmond. The meeting, he said, will be run by the research department, “For us, research is interesting as an organization, but our customers are interested in stuff that’s coming out in the next 18 months.”
Ouch!
Update: Ina Fried at CNET:
Although Microsoft continues to play somewhat coy, sources have provided a pretty clear picture of the mini-tablet devices. They will carry Microsoft’s software, but be made by several other companies, sources have said. They will also be larger than a typical handheld computer, with at least some of the devices using a roughly 7-inch screen.
Microsoft refused to go into details, but offered up a statement saying: “As promised on the OrigamiProject.com website, we are offering more details today about Origami, including that it is a new category of mobile PCs that will run Windows XP. We’re excited to share more information with you on March 9.”
The only departure from what had been expected is the presence of Windows XP instead of Vista. Either they are going to ship before Vista is ready or it’s going to be Windows XP Embedded.
Update 2: Ben Ames and Elizabeth Montalbano at InfoWorld:
Despite the buzz being generated by its Origami Project, Microsoft plans to give it only brief mention at the upcoming Cebit trade show, even though that event coincides with when the company has said it will offer more details.
…
The company will discuss Origami for “only 30 seconds” during its main press conference at the Cebit trade show next week in Hanover, Germany, according to a spokesman. Frank Mihm-Gebauer, who is coordinating Microsoft’s press events at Cebit, said Microsoft partners Intel and Samsung Electronics will provide the most information to Cebit attendees about Origami, since Microsoft has not designed any new hardware for the project.
Ina Fried at CNET has been doing some digging and that’s what her sources say:
As rumors unfurl about a new gadget upcoming from Microsoft, the company’s Origami Project is starting to take shape as a very small tablet computer, one perhaps affordable enough to appeal to mainstream consumers.
The concept, which Microsoft plans to detail next month, is built on top of the Windows XP operating system but aims to be a new kind of device, rather than a replacement for existing PCs, according to sources familiar with the effort. With a screen bigger than that of a handheld but smaller than a notebook PC screen, Origami devices won’t fit in the pocket, but they’ll make it into purses and even the smallest of backpacks, sources said.
Microsoft’s goal is to create a blueprint for devices that could sell for $600 or less, although the actual prices will depend greatly on what manufacturers decide to include. Origami is capable of supporting features like GPS, Bluetooth, 3G cellular technology and Wi-Fi, though each of these adds to the cost of the device.
That answers my main question as to whether Microsoft was going to build Origami itself or provide a specification for OEMs to build as it did for the Tablet PC and the Portable Media Center. Of course, some will argue that Microsoft would be better off building it themselves as Steve Jobs has observed about the Portable Media Center which has done poorly against the iPod.
As for the Origami box itself, there really aren’t enough details for me to offer much of a critique, but one odd note is the Windows XP operating system. Why would Microsoft launch a new form factor using an operating system that is just about to be obsolete? My guess is that it is actually Windows XP Embedded which would be a natural given the form factor and the inevitable delay before an embedded version of Vista becomes available.
