Project Origami

Project Origami, launched under the name "Ultra-Mobile PC" (UMPC) in 2006, was a small tablet PC form factor and specification developed as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and a few others.

Pre-launch marketing campaign

In February 2006, a viral marketing campaign was quietly launched for the UMPC, then still referred to by its codename, "Project Origami". Speculation over "what is Origami?" and pictures of the rumored prototypes were passed around and covered extensively on Engadget, Scobleizer, Thatedeguy and other technology sites. Finalization of the Origami project was announced in time to keep the excitement level high for CeBIT.

Much speculation positioned Origami as a portable gaming device that would directly compete with Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP. This rumor gained credibility after videos were leaked showing Halo: Combat Evolved being played on a UMPC. While the movie was quickly taken down from its original source, mirrors exist on many other sites. Later in the week, the Associated Press confirmed that "Origami" was actually to be a regular PC with "limited gaming capabilities".

Features

thumb|250px|The Wibrain B1 UMPC is a UMPC based on the VIA Ultra Mobility Platform featuring a 1.2 GHz VIA C7-M processor, 4.8" touchscreen, split thumb keyboard, touchpad, and webcam. Project Origami defines a specification for computers with a 20 cm (8-inch) or smaller touch sensitive screen at a minimum resolution of 800 × 480. To make it more suited for the small form factor, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is used with slight tweaks to the interface. In addition, a software suite known as the Touch Pack Interface is included to make the interface more suitable for use of a stylus as well as hands. When the UMPC was disclosed at CeBIT 2006, Samsung, ASUS, and Founder had near-complete devices on display.

UMPCs with Windows XP installed are able to run any software that has been written for the Windows XP platform, though the small form factor often mandates some changes to the interface. The standard Windows XP interface is the default, though a choice of having an interface more suited for the small form factor is available with the Touch Pack Interface. As the units are so small, many UMPCs do not feature a physical keyboard, but an on-screen virtual keyboard provided in the Touch Pack Interface (such as the DialKeys, below). Also, since the device has standard USB 2.0 connectivity, external keyboards and mice can be attached.

UMPC devices include either Intel or VIA processors, 256 MB to 2 GB of RAM, and a 30 to 160 GB hard disk, depending on the manufacturer. Other ultra mobile devices feature AMD or Transmeta Crusoe CPUs. Ultra-Mobile PCs can also feature Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, webcams, fingerprint readers, stereo speakers, TV tuners, and memory card readers. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and WWAN connections are sometimes included as well.