Will UMPCs run all Vista apps?
UMPC enthusiasts like Kevin Tofel have been installing Vista on their UMPCs and delighting in how well the new OS runs on the under-powered PCs and we're starting to see a lot of them blogging about how well Vista is running. There is no doubt that Vista adds a lot of functionality to the UMPC with advanced tablet and touch features that work very well on touch screen devices. These folks have been running Vista long enough to start testing all areas of the new OS and reality is beginning to set in regarding the graphics capabilities of UMPCs running Vista. Two of the websites, jkkmobile and CarryPad, are reporting that some of the graphics apps included in Vista will not run on most UMPCs running Vista. In particular, Windows Movie Maker and DVD Maker generate the following error dialog box when they are run on UMPCs with under-powered graphics:
Their investigation has turned up that some of Vista's heavy graphic applications apparently require a PC with Vista Premium Ready components, something that most UMPCs do not have. Vista will install and run on these UMPCs but any attempt to run one of the affected programs will generate the dialog box shown above. Most of the UMPCs available today use either the Intel 915 graphics controller or earlier and do not meet the Vista Premium Ready designation because Intel has not produced WDDM drivers for the chipset. UMPCs with Via processors are probably even worse off as their integrated graphics do not even support DirectX 9.x. This may even affect the soon to be released OQO Model 02 as it uses the Via processor so even if you get the great new dock with the integrated DVD burner you may not be able to burn DVDs with Vista's DVD Maker.
UMPCs (and other devices like the Fujitsu P1610) that use the Intel 945 graphics controller should be OK as Intel has produced WDDM drivers for this controller. I can vouch for that as the P1610 even runs Aero Glass natively out of the box, although I must admit I never tried the two programs mentioned above. It is not clear at this point how many other Vista programs will not work but it is something to consider for UMPC owners wanting to upgrade to Vista as soon as it's available.
This is exactly what I've been saying about Tablets and Vista for a while. It's not all about Glass but if you haven't got Glass then you won't get some of the other stuff as well!
Movie Maker and DVD maker are the only two I've come across that won't work if you haven't got the hardware.
Posted by: Colin Walker | January 21, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Hello,
Put WindowsBlind 5 and a Vista like skin (many availables).... And Aero and his transluent edges are ready on your Tablet PC / Origami for 20 $ !
Yes a small entry ticket :
System Requirements:
* Windows XP/2003 and Windows Vista (when available).
Windows 2000, ME, 98 users can use WindowBlinds Classic (v4.6).
* 1GHz or faster processor recommended
* 60MB free drive space
* 256MB RAM
www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/
Many skins at
www.deviantart.com
Tested with succès on Samsung Q1 with standard OS...
Posted by: Lorie Ghamy | January 21, 2007 at 12:05 PM
I don't understand. Under what circumstances would someone *want* to run these two apps with a UMPC? They seem like something you'd want to use a *desktop* for. Besides, which UMPCs have DVD burners inside them? Even the 1610 doesn't!
Posted by: Mike Cane | January 21, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Mike,
In a perfect world the UMPC would be capable of being the primary PC. One where you could dock it with a big monitor and keyboard and external media drive when at a desk and the ultimate in portability when away from the desk.
Posted by: Jayson Billington | January 21, 2007 at 03:10 PM
Forgive me my ignorance, but what special graphics hardware requirements does DVD Maker have? Burning a DVD doesn't seem like a graphics-intensive operation.
Posted by: Oliver | January 21, 2007 at 05:01 PM
Hmmm... what about the OQO and Sony UX?
Posted by: Mike Cane | January 21, 2007 at 07:52 PM
This reflects the experience I've had with Vista Premium RTM on my X41 tablet. It has the Intel 915 graphics, and just doesn't have the juice to run Movie Maker or DVD Maker. Oh, well. I didn't really expect it to run them well, and I guess it's a matter of preferring an application to start and run really poorly, or just stating up front that it's not going to run.
Posted by: Josh Bancroft | January 21, 2007 at 09:33 PM
http://www.umpcportal.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=457
Microsoft heard us crying!
WMM now working under Vista for 'old' UMPCs.
Steve.
Posted by: Steve Paine | April 07, 2007 at 03:32 PM