X-bit labs

Origami Project from Asus: Asus R2H Tablet PC Review (page 12)

Category: Mobile

by Alexander Britvin

[ 08/15/2007 | 10:03 AM ]

Conclusion

The R2G should not be criticized much just because the whole Origami concept doesn’t look mature as yet. The main downside is the short battery life. Why all this mobility if the device cannot last long away from the mains? Considering that the R2H is supposed to be held in your hands, its case getting hot at work is a problem, too. These are common problems of all UMPCs, however, not only of the given model.

The price factor is another problem because price may be much more important than the weight factor, for example. The consumer is more likely to buy a sub-notebook with much better ergonomics and performance or a PDA that is going to be much cheaper. And still, the Origami concept looks appealing to us. Perfected and modified, the UMPC will perhaps find its market niche eventually, offering more functionality than PDAs and being more mobile than notebooks.

As for the particular implementation, the R2H features ASUS’ traditionally high standards of quality, design, accessories. The GPS module distinguishes it from the rest of UMPCs and the wireless interfaces make it very mobile. If you need to run typical office applications and the weight and size of this UMPC suit you fine, the R2H is going to satisfy you.

Highs:

• Original metallized UMPC design
• Excellent size/weight parameters
• High-quality LCD matrix
• Rich accessories
• Handwriting input, stylus-based navigation, multiple positioning devices
• GPS module
• Broad wireless opportunities
• Fingerprint scanner
• Wide range of interfaces, ports and connectors for such a small case

Lows:

• Short battery life
• Poor ergonomics
• Case surfaces become hot at work
• Low display resolution