Microsoft and Qualcomm are working on a version of Windows 10 that will run on devices with Snapdragon 835 processors. But what kind of devices?

Smart money is on tablets and compact laptops, to start. But the folks behind the KS-PRO and KS-PROID Indiegogo campaign have a vision for a device that brings back the concept of a UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC).

I’m not entirely convinced that this campaign will ever lead to a real product. But it certainly seems like a plausible vision, given the current state of technology.

Here’s the idea. The KS-PRO is a portable Windows 10 computer with an 8 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 835 chip, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 10,300 mAh battery, Qualcomm Quick Chage 4.0 support, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, and multiple ports including USB, audio, and microSD card ports.

It has a clamshell-style design and features a QWERTY keyboard with a pointing stick in the center rather than a touchpad, in order to save space.

The KS-PRO isn’t the only device with this category to hit a crowdfunding site recently. But it’s still not exactly common to see tiny laptops with this sort of design.

Since the system is powered by  Snapdragon 835 chip, it should be able to run the upcoming version of Windows 10 designed for that platform, but it can also handle other operating systems. So the developers are offering Windows 10 models for a pledge of $600, and an Android-powered KS-PROID for a pledge of $450.

If the campaign raises at least $300,000, the team hopes to ship the first Android units by November, with the first Windows 10 models going out in January, 2018.

There’s a lot of ifs though:

  • The crowdfunding campaign shows a bunch of concept imagery, but no real products. There doesn’t seem to be a working prototype yet.
  • The page says the campaign comes from a London-based startup called Khiron-Sigma founded by “an X Microsoft Employee,” but there’s little additional information about the company.
  • There’s no guarantee that the $300,000 goal will be met, or that the hardware will be produced or software optimized on schedule even if the campaign does meet its fundraising goals.

That said, whether the KS-PRO ever makes it to market or not, I suspect it won’t be long before we see some company produce hardware that looks a lot like the imagery produced for this crowdfunding campaing.

via WalkingCat

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9 replies on “Crowdfunding campaign shows what a Windows 10 UMPC with an ARM chip could look like”

  1. Seems like a nice netbook. However, what’s with the curved display? Seems like pure downsides to me.

    While the renders are nicer looking than what GPD has, it’s still a crowdfunding campaign by some guy. If this actually came out, I doubt its build quality would be decent. Even an actual small company that has released products like GPD has several quality issues with the GPD Win and I’m sure the Pocket will have quality issues as well.

    For now, I’m betting on small companies like GPD actually releasing something usable.

    Is this Adnan Jamil-Mir person the same as this https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adnan-jamil-mir-a51213a person who is from Microsoft? Would be great if MS was making this instead as the next Surface (not Pro). Or this campaign is a scam.

  2. I want this but I’m part of the very few who do. Plus I don’t do the crowdfunding thing.

  3. That’s a netbook, not a UMPC. Or at least not the UMPCs I know and love.

  4. The thing is huge, it’s more like a small laptop. It’s a huge stretch to call it a UMPC

    24.6cm wide x 15cm deep ie 9.7″ x 5.9″

    1. It’s closer in size to the beloved Vaio P form factor than the other little Kickstarter clamshells we’ve seen. The Vaio was the about same width, but 4.72″ inches high, which is the difference between a 16:9 aspect ratio and the Vaio’s 25:12 (16:7.68) ratio.The Vaio P was the largest thing that could possibly be considered pocketable (in a big coat pocket), and the smallest thing that could be a working laptop. I love that we’re finally creeping back towards it in these (probably vaporware) devices on Kickstarter.

  5. 8 inch? at that size it would make more sense to use an Atom? how long until you can use a Core M class CPU on a device this size? I’m typing this from a two years old 11 inch Core M 2in1 and for my next upgrade I want to go sub 10 inch but without sacrificing CPU performance

    1. GPD is already working on their Win 2 gaming UMPC, which they intend to have a Kaby Lake Core M in a similar form factor and size as the first GPD Win (which was about the same size as a 3DS XL). It might release early next year or late this year.

  6. Used to be a huge fan of UMPCs and even love the look/feel of this device. The problem is that these small laptop makers need to take it to the next level. These touch-enabled devices need to flip into tablet mode too. That’s what’s missing for me in order to bring out the full features of modern. mobile-friendly (spyware) OSes (D*mn you, UbuntuMobile… where are you?)

    The only other issue I have is the aspect ratio, in landscape mode, on such a small device. Seriously… 16:9 needs a quick and painful death.

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