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Asus R2 UMPC in details - updated: R2E 3G Vista model now available









The R2H is Asus' current model complying with Microsoft's Ultra Mobile PC platform.
Although several high-ends models such as the Sony UX use a comparable form factor,
the UMPC tag applies to machines sticking to specific requests:


-run Windows Vista Business
-use a 5" to 7" touch screen instead of the magnetic stylus used in larger TabletPC's: 7" display
-the new R2E model now includes a 3G phone
-include some specific utilities tailored for these small screens tablets, mainly the simplified launcher.
-wear a price tag equal or less than a thousand euros: 999 EUR (ex-VAT)

 





A fairly large number of goodies are included: a built-in GPS receiver and software, fingerprints recognition, a webcam, expandable RAM plus a truckload of accessories included in the basic package.



 

Ultraportable


The R2h using its built-in stand, GPS receiver deployed


The R2H weighs in at only 870 grams battery included in a body which is only 23.4x13.3x2.8 cm.






With its 7" 800x480 display, its volume is roughly twice that of a PDA or an OQO. It's definitively not a pocketable device but it's small enough to be slipped into a briefcase without needing one of its own.
Both hands are needed to hold it but it leaves two free thumbs so the area around the screen has been filled with thumbs-controlled buttons: a trackstick, a shortcut to the launcher menu, another one for the main settings menu, left/right mouse buttons and a directional pad.




The included carrying bag


A carrying pouch is included. It does not entirely seal the R2H, leaving the power and earphones connectors accessible.




Interface and user interaction



 Windows' Tablet functionalities are present such as the floating input bar and some extra softwares like Windows Journal.

Entering data's in this unit can be done in several ways:



 

The floating virtual keyboard, not very different from a PocketPC's virtual keyboard.
The floating menu icon appears everytime you click on an area that'd need user input.







The same input menu supports natural handwriting recognition. TabletPC handwriting recognition is way better than the one used in PDA's, allowing for a greater tolerance in the variation of the writing style.








Microsoft had the idea of including a thumb-based on-screen keyboard in the UMPC software package. However, these Dial Keys are mostly useless,as the current touchscreens won't detect multiple simultaneous inputs. The contact area of most people thumbs is too large for an accurate detection.
It doesn't mean that it is impossible, but screens supporting multi-touch would fit better for that, as demonstrated by (no, not Apple but) Jazzmutant's Lemur programmable touchscreen for pro audio applications.



Jazzmutant's Lemur 12" multitouch remote control






The R2H version of the Program Launcher


The Program Launcher starts by default when Windows boots and hides the XP desktop until you close it. But who likes to use interfaces designed to make cool gadgets look as dull as ATM's? Users who want to think of them as serious no-nonsense tools?  That could do it, but sooner or later the truth will show up: this is a fully featured computer, not a PDA... Our advice is to quietly terminate the Program Launcher unless you need to start the same set of applications when on the road.



                                  
XP in Italian and in English


The TabletPC Edition of XP allows users to download language packs. With those installed, the graphical interface of XP can be completely switched to the language selected in the extra menu located in the regional settings.






Secure Delete

Security features include the fingerprints recognition software and a secure delete extension to the bin.
Files deleted with that function will be totally unrecoverable.








Easy Sync is a truly useful accessory: it comes as a USB2/USB2 cable containing its own software and drivers. Once the R2H is plugged into another PC via the cable, both computers will detect Easy Sync as a CD drive. Opening it will fire up a simple FTP-like managing interface. It provides easy files transfer without the hassle of setting up a network file sharing, which might be prove difficult i.e. in a company's intranet.





The R2H as a Skype device


With its built-in webcam and Skype compatibility, the R2H can serve as an office desktop standalone TCP/IP video phone. Bluetooth headsets can be used instead of its own microphone and speaker.








Finally, the Speedstep settings of the 900MHz Celeron-M can be accessed via a pop-up menu. Users can select on-the-fly the speed/power consumption schemes that will fit their needs best. 8 schemes, from "Super Performance" to "Battery saving", are available, each with two variants (AC mode / Battery mode) and they are reconfigurable. In battery mode, the "Super" mode is disabled, the top speed profile being "High Performance" .  This power management utilities can be bypassed by using an alternate one such as the excellent Notebook Hardware Control.



Performance




**UPDATE**

The current version of the R2H, the R2E, now includes a 800MHz A110 processor


How fast is it? We used the OCB benchmark. It only cares about processor performance and makes it easier to compare wildly differing ultraportables. The processor's computing power doesn't describe the overall power of a computer (it should include graphics and hard drives speed at least) but nonetheless it represents the larger part of the user's real life experience. It's also free to use and simple, meaning that you can download and use it on your existing hardware and start comparing. The computers are tested using their highest speed mode in the case of a mobile CPU.

In these conditions, the 900MHz Celeron-M of the R2H reaches 555 OCB marks.
It's nearly twice the 285 that the 1GHz Crusoe (which emulates the Intel chips) inside the OQO 01 can do. To put that in perspective, a 2.2GHz Pentium 4 desktop computer from 2002 logically scores 1093.

But an Intel T5600 1.83GHz dual core, currently found i.e. in the TC4400 12"/ 2kg Tablet, simply goes to 3307 OCB marks. There's still a price to pay in terms of speed to reach that level of miniaturisation.

Autonomy



Backside of the R2H: battery and GPS


The included battery will last 2 hours if the R2H is in  high performance/high brightness mode. This capacity is comparable to that of similarly-powered notebooks. The Celeron-M is more power-hungry than a Centrino.
An optional double capacity battery is available.

 


Booting



BIOS screenshot


The R2H boot devices can be the internal HD, external USB devices and the network.


Connectivity and built-in features


This PC contains many connectivity features:



The GPS receiver in its operating position, just turn it down when it's not necessary anymore.



Microsoft Autoroute Europe is part of the software package


GPS navigation is integrated and relies on Microsoft Autoroute.





One of the USB2 port next to the audio I/O and the power input


Three USB2 ports: 2 full-sized ports plus one mini USB with a mini to full-size adaptor included.



The SD reader next to the wireless on/off switch, the login shortcut and the power switch


An SD cards reader








The webcam and the microphone.





The LAN and SVGA output


LAN, WiFi 54 Mbits and Bluetooth 2.0





The AV output


AV and SVGA outputs, for docking to an external monitor or a presentation projector.



Included accessories




The carrying bag




A foldable USB keyboard





...and its proprietary connector to mini USB adapter





A mini USB2 to standard USB2 adapter





A miniature universal power supply




A monitor output adapter cable






The Easysync USB2/USB2 autosync adapter






An external USB DVB TV tuner turns the R2H into a digital TV set and recorder.









The battery with the built-in stand.





Options


A few options to consider:






There's no DVD but CD/DVD emulation softwares, such as Alcohol 120%, can help you by storing disc images on the internal hard drive.

Adding extra RAM: since the updated version's release, the RAM has been maximised to 1280MB: 256 MB on-board + a 1GB chip. It's not extensible.


The included keyboard is fine but the Stowaway Bluetooth foldable keyboard is more compact, better looking and wireless.





Optional wireless Bluetooth foldable keyboard and mouse 



The same is true for the mouse: Trust's mini Bluetooth optical mouse is one of our favourites.



Good and bad news


Pros:





-comfortable 7" display
-now powered by a Pentium-M 1GHz instead of the original 900MHz Celeron
-1280MB of RAM
-highly portable
-built-in GPS, webcam
-very affordable at 799 EUR+VAT
-many bundled accessories
-80GB hard drive
-Vista capable
-can be used as a video player or a presentations playback machine


Cons:



The screen in direct sunlight


-The battery life could be better if the processor wasn't a Celeron.
-The screen is not readable under sunlight.



Conclusion

 

 

Looking at Asus promo pictures, it seems they don't quite know where to go with the UMPC form-factor.
Surely you are not going to use an R2H while at the gym. Would business people buy it to play Sudoku on a 7" screen while waiting for a plane?  We have some doubts about that... And speedwise, other (but larger) ultraportables can go faster.


So the marketing is a bit fuzzy but what then? Well, these are niches but think of outdoor data gathering, industrial prototypes, presentations devices, small aircrafts navigation softwares or even interactive art  galleries installations... There are many markets for which a lightweight fully compatible PC at that price and with this collection of features is an incredible bargain.




R2H as a virtual sound design studio walkman




A pile of high-tech: The R2H in its carrying bag with optional Bluetooth keyboard and mouse on top





Continue to:

The R2 section: full specifications and gallery
The R2 online shop