Rob Beschizza's blog on wired.com takes an interesting look at UMPCs. According to traffic stats on UMPCportal.com, the five most popular handhelds are mini-me versions of laptops. High on the list is the HTC Shift, closely followed by the Asus Eee. Beschizza compares these with the official UMPC spec and finds them wanting. The VIA Nanobook from Packard Bell rounds off the list of top five.

In the end, the choice comes down to which of the main characteristics of a UMPC are you willing to do without: "pocket-small, high-performance, long-life battery."

For more, check out the blog here.