Prediction #6: The UMPC will have limited penetration into vertical markets/applications
Plenty is being written on the topic of the UMPC’s potential play in different vertical markets — from education to hospitailty to healthcare. And, sure, the system seems tailor made for certain applications. In retail, it would make a great point-of-sale device where cashiers could ring you up as you shopped instead of waiting in line. It would seem a natural for caregivers to boost their productivity by utilizing Ultra Mobile PCs that are loaded with mobile rounding applications from the likes of PatientKeeper or Mercury MD.
But, the spec that Microsoft and partners have developed for Origami isn’t going to allow for too much verticalization or specialization with the platform (beyond what some very creative consumers will come up with). The platform is capped at around two-pounds… this is the major bottle-neck for it’s success as a vertical workhorse.
The options for tough, ruggedized casings are extremely limited at that weight. Extended life and double-pack batteries are also limited due to this weight cap. No medical facility, school system or retailer is going to invest much in a platform that may begin showing some wear-and-tear after a few mis-handlings. And few businesses are going to rely on a device with such limited power reserves for mission critical processes such as medical applications or payment transactions.
It’s just not worth the risk or the cost.
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