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Via Technologies has unveiled a chipset to usher in a line of advanced PCs that can fit in your pocket or purse, packing a lot of power into a very small package.  According to the company, the new VX700 chipset will enable manufacturers to create computers that are some 40 percent smaller than current UMPCs

Designed specifically for superthin notebooks, UMPCs, and other mobile devices, the VX700 breaks new ground, according to Via, by packing several traditional motherboard functions into a very small space.  These functions include a video-processing engine, high-bandwidth memory, high-definition audio, and the ability to handle up to six USB 2.0 ports and four PCI slots — all on a package that measures 35 x 35 mm.

The chipset could be used in future versions of UMPCs. The first crop of UMPCs have begun to appear in retail outlets already, but consumers and analysts alike have given the devices a mostly lukewarm reception.  But if UMPCs were to get smaller, they might be able to live up to their initial billing as a new format of computer that can bring together the capabilities of a laptop with the portability of a PDA.

"The idea of an Ultra Mobile PC is an important one," said Nitin Gupta, a Yankee Group analyst. "However, at their current price points and form factors, they will garner limited appeal from the consumer market."  UMPCs are competing with smartphones and laptops to meet portable-computing needs, Gupta said. And for entertainment, UMPCs will have a difficult time holding their own against devices that were built for those specific applications.

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Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.