Samsung and Microsoft have come together to launch a new device that combines a Laptop and a Media Player. Called Q1, it uses a special edition of Windows XP and is an output of Microsoft’s Origami project.
The device weighs just 1.7 pounds (779 gms) and is 9 inches by 5.5 inches, just about an inch in thickness. Roughly translated it is half the size of an ordinary copier paper.
Like a PDA, the Q1 can be operated by using a stylus and writing and clicking on the touch-screen. It has 512 Mb RAM, a 900 Mhz Celeron M ULV processor and a 40 Gb hard drive. The screen is 7 inches diagonally.
The device has two wireless technologies; WiFi for connecting to the internet and Bluetooth for connecting with devices like keyboards, mobile phones or printers. The battery lasts for about three and a half hours on a recharge.
This new device was unveiled at the CeBit technology fair in Germany on Wednesday. Patrick Pavel, Samsung’s product manager for Germany said that Q1 was a powerful but small product that is a laptop computer and also a sophisticated entertainment device.
The new device is expected to compete in the crowded market of sophisticated MP3 devices and Hand-helds as well as in the Tablet PC and Laptop market.
