Editor's note: This is a condensed version of a more comprehensive review published on the MobileTechReview Web site. Our thanks go to Lisa Gade, the author of the review and Editor in Chief of the Web site for allowing us to publish it. If you're interested in the HTC Shift, you should read the complete review (mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/HTC-Shift.htm).

Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) have been around for a couple years now, and three major design camps have emerged: the pure slate/tablet device like the Samsung Q1 Ultra, the compact model with a slide-out keyboard like the Sony Vaio UX, and more recently the mini-notebook design like the Fujitsu U810. HTC, perhaps the largest manufacturer of Windows Mobile phones, has entered the game late with a design that's truly their own. In fact, the HTC Shift looks more like a large HTC Tilt than anything else, giving it the flexibility to be used as a slate, a flat device with a slide-out keyboard, and a conventional mini-notebook with the display upright. And thanks to its relatively large display and borderline touch-type-able keyboard, the Shift comes closer than most UMPCs to bridging the gap between the mobility of a PDA and the power of a notebook PC.

Windows Vista and Windows Mobile 6 Pro

The HTC Shift is available in two versions: one with GSM/GPRS and 3G HSDPA data capability and another CDMA version with internal Sprint EVDO rev. A. The price varies between $1,400 and $1,600 and the devices are available from expansys-usa.com, Amazon.com, and other online vendors. This makes the Shift one of the more expensive UMPCs available, but HTC is betting that a few of its features will sell you on the device.

First of all, the Shift is a dual-OS device running Vista Business Edition Ultraportable and a pared-down version of Windows Mobile 6 Professional that HTC calls "SnapVUE." To handle this, the device is powered by two processors: a 400 MHz Qualcomm chip for the Windows Mobile portion, and an 800 MHz Intel A110 (Stealy) processor for Vista. The machine has 1 GB of RAM and a 40 GB internal microdrive.

The Shift measures 8.15 x 5.08 x 0.98 inches and weighs 1.76 pounds, making it about the size of a deluxe paperback but a bit heavier. It has a 7-inch display that run at 800 x 480 and 1024 x 600 resolutions with a button that switches between the two so you don't have to fiddle with the control panel. SnapVUE runs at a VGA resolution with a black border (you can stretch VGA only so far). The Shift runs about two hours under Vista and two days under SnapVUE (Windows Mobile) with push e-mail on.

The device ships in an attractive, high-quality package that contains the device, battery, spare stylus, USB hub with three ports and Ethernet, a screen protector, a manual and other printed material, and what has to be the world's smallest power adapter. Extra points for the latter—we've seen UMPCs come with chargers that are nearly as big and heavy as the actual notebook. HTC also includes a very nice brown leather slip case.