Origami vs. Smartphones vs. Laptops

I've seen a few articles now where invariably there is a line that reads, "...but with smartphones doing most of what Origami is rumored to do why do we need Origami?" or something like, "...if you want to run a full OS just use your laptop."  Those comments honestly baffle me.

Perhaps I'm showing my age but no way I want to take notes on a smartphone nor have something with a numeric pad get in the way of a clean interface.  They seem too big to just shove in my pocket yet too small to be versatile for a wide-range of uses.  I'm sure not going to take meeting notes on one nor squint to read my e-mails that are wrapping weird because of the small screen.  That size of screen is the same reason I find the video iPod silly. 

On the other hand a laptop is too big and bulky for when I dash into an impromptu meeting.  Even when you have time to grab it I dislike meetings where everyone has their laptops flipped up, nothing tells your client that you are disconnected more than a flipped-up lid.  It doesn't travel well if you want it displaying a map while you're wandering from Temple Bar to the Guinness Storehouse.  Plus if I have serious work to do then I'm parked in front of my two wide-screen flat LCD's in my office.

Again, it's probably my age and I've finally hit that point where I just don't get smartphones and PDAs but what I do get is the concept of Origami.  Big enough to be useful, small enough to slip into my messenger bag, running an OS I know (and can develop for).  I don't want a keyboard, that's what I hate about the hybrid tablet PCs and PDAs, they always try to shove a keyboard on there.  I'll just stylus my way around thank you. 

It seems like I could do a lot more fun things with a device like this; nice sized slide shows, a remote to control my media center, have it propped up in my kitchen with a recipe, maps for when I'm traveling, a secondary remote for my Sonos system, offload pictures from my camera, doodle with a stylus, mirror it's output to a large projection so I can quickly sketch diagrams during a meeting, use it on the plane instead of a laptop (if you are one of those people that whip out your 17" laptop in coach... be warned, I am going to have to stab you with a shiv I'll be forced to make by rubbing the free toothbrush they give you against your dense skull).

So, do others agree that there is a spot for this concept or is your life well-served by a SmartPhone/PDA and laptop combo?

For me it's not just a question of personal preference but also one of practicality.

I specialise in recommending mobile technologies for one of the UK's largest energy utilities and it is clear that we need a solution that is larger than a PDA and smaller than a tablet or laptop purely to make it safer and easier for people to have the benefits of these devices in the field rather than a paper-based solution. So I'm especially excited about the prospect of machine that sits in that middle ground.

The Origami/Ultra Mobile PC exists in a sweet spot between PDAs and Laptops.  I've outgrown the PDA that I've been using for the past two years (you can only install so many programs onto 128 MB) and it does me no good to add a flash memory card since I have to use that slot for peripherals too.  Surprisingly I can't find any other PDAs that have specs that are significantly better that what I have.

The Origami PC looks that it will both be able to provide the extra capabilities that I am looking for without the bulk of carrying around my laptop.

I was having this conversation with my housemate yesterday, he couldn't see the point of an Origami because he has just brought a PDA. Although personally I don't 'need' an origami and so dont see the direct benefits to myself of owning one I came up with almost the same list as you have mentioned as to why people would need one.

Though just because I don't need one doesn't mean I don't want one

My answer is colored by the gadgets I already carry:

• Cingular 8125 - 320x240 screen, keyboard (on order)
• IBM Thinkpad - 1024x768 screen, keyboard
• Apple iPod

And by the times I need a device away from my desk:

• Walking the dog (playing MP3's, taking pictures)
  
• Going to meetings (giving presentations, taking notes)
  
• Commuting in the car (playing MP3's, doing email in traffic jams)

Looking at the Origami form factor, I can't understand where people are going to use it.  I can't carry it with me to walk the dog because it won't fit in a pants pocket.  I wouldn't carry it with me to meetings because I touch-type, and taking technical documentation notes with a stylus is horrendous.  I wouldn't use it in the car because it's not a vision-free interface - you have to look at the device to control it, as opposed to the iPod that can be operated blindly.

In a nutshell, where is it more convenient to use, that's my question.  The only answer I can come up with is in coach in an airplane, where the trays don't afford you the space to fold out a laptop with keyboard.  But as a guy who used to travel full time, I don't get that either - when I traveled, I got a TabletPC because I didn't want to lug around a small device and a big one.

I think the Origami made sense before the HTC phones with keyboards/Wifi/Bluetooth came out, like the Cingular 8125, but now - I don't get it.  Seems like too little - well, rather, too large - too late.