Microsoft has lately been buzzing with a lot of activity and the much anticipated line of Ultra-Mobile Personal Computers formally known as the “Origami” has finally been acknowledged by the Big guns of Microsoft. The Ultra-Mobile Personal Computers or UMPCs are a whole new generation of mobile computing devices which feature a streamlined hardware designed while retaining the complete functionality of a Microsoft Windows-based PC and input capabilities like an enhanced touch-screen.

Microsoft like many in the IT world found the CeBIT, world’s largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions, the perfect place to unveil the UMPC. UMPCs combine the power of the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and other novel technologies for a truly portable digital experience. Like for e.g. the Touch Pack’s customizable Program Launcher for organizing software programs into genres. It includes a thumb-based, on-screen keyboard and multimedia tools like Windows Media Player, games like Sudoko. The UMPCs will be extremely lightweight and compact and will weigh around 2 pounds with a 7-inch (17.8 centimeters) screen.

It also features a QWERTY keyboard and a standard keyboard can be connected via Bluetooth or a USB port. Battery life would be about 3 hours and will feature a 0-60 GB hard drive with a choice of Intel Celeron M, Intel Pentium M or VIA C7-M processors. Optional features may include GPS, a web cam, fingerprint reader, digital TV tuners, and compact flash and SD card readers. It can be synchronized with a non mobile PC and connected via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet networks. More details would be released later but they would be priced between US$599-$999.