Fujitsu UMPC sports fold-out keyboard

I thought that Microsoft’s Origami project – now better known as UMPCs or ultra-mobile PCs – was designed to fill the gap between PDAs and tablet PCs, so a touchscreen was an absolute must. However, for those of us who are used to have a QWERTY keyboard before us may find the innovation a little off-putting at first. That is why Fujitsu has dreamed up a CD-sized UMPC concept that sports a fold-out keyboard.

Showcased at a Japanese design exhibition at Triennale di Milano, the Fujitsu UMPC has a form factor that is much more laptop-like, with the keyboard folding out to the side. I’m immediately reminded of the Game Boy Advance SP, and based on the specs, this Fujitsu UMPC isn’t going to be much larger than Nintendo’s handheld gamer.

In related news, Fujitsu is also demonstrating a “flexible-use PC” that is completely wireless. There are three components – keyboard, display and computer – that can act relatively independently, meaning you can grab the display and use it as a tablet PC while still wirelessly connected to the computer itself.