Will anybody actually want a UMPC?

Microsoft's Origami project appears to have died before it ever even got off the ground, say industry analysts.

I think the problem lies in inventing a new "level" of computing. Currently we have Desktop, Notebook/Laptop, and Handheld/Palmtop, which pretty much cover the needs of computer users today. The new Ultramobile PC (UMPC) is trying to occupy the space between Notebook and Handheld, but I think the gap between the two is two small to fit a whole new style of product.

The UMPC is too big to fit comfortably in a pocket, but it has too little power to really be worth carrying around in a case. If the makers plan to market it as a multimedia device (rather than a full-featured Windows computer in a small form factor), its price is no match for the iPod and PSP.

Basically, this is a nifty little niche-market style of product that's finding all of its intended niches already filled. Sorry, Microsoft and Intel, your UMPC doesn't work. I'd rather carry around a tablet PC than own one of these things.

(Ultramobile PC Is Already Teetering, Analysts Say - PC Magazine)