Samsung tries again with new ultralight PC

A file photo of a worker cleaning the sign hanging over the Samsung booth at the 2007 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada January 7, 2007. Samsung on Thursday unveiled an upgraded version of its ultra mobile personal computer (UMPC) in a move to boost disappointing sales.

HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) on Thursday unveiled an upgraded version of its ultra mobile personal computer (UMPC) in a move to boost disappointing sales.

Samsung, together with Intel (INTC.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O), launched the first UMPC, a very small portable personal computer, at last year's CeBIT technology trade show as a third computer design alongside laptops and desktop computers.

"We targeted 100,000 units, but so far we didn't reach that target yet," Kyuho Uhm, Samsung's vice president of strategic marketing told a news conference.

Samsung next year aims to sell 200,000 to 300,000 units of the new Q1 Ultra model which will be available in May for around 1200 euros or dollars.

Samsung said the keyboard, battery life, wireless connectivity and size had all been improved on the second generation model.

The device had also been given a higher quality screen as well as a GPS navigation chip, a mobile TV chip and two cameras.

H.S. Kim, chief of Samsung's computer business, told reporters at CeBIT that although first time users had no problem with the price of the UMPC, Samsung was thinking of introducing a low-cost version of the upgraded model.