Samsung's 'Origami' PC Makes Debut

Samsung on Monday announced the U.S. availability of the Q1, the company's first device to fall under the Ultra Mobile PC platform. The unit would retail for $1,099 USD, just above Microsoft's target of $599 to $999 for the "Origami" line of devices. UMPCs largely resemble a small Tablet PC with 7-inch touch screen, and run a full version of Windows XP with special software.

However, the high price limits the appeal to a small segment, say analysts. "Clearly, the goal is a toy for boys," says Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox. "With Q1 the S isn't just for Samsung, it's for "status symbol." Everything about the Samsung Q1 is uptown." Another company, Founder, will release a UMPC model later this quarter, with a device by ASUS expected over the summer.