OQO Model 01+ Review

The OQO Model 01+ is not quite a handheld computer, not quite a tablet, and not quite a laptop, but mimics functions of all three. It's a 1 GHz desktop PC crammed into a package 5 inches long and 3.4 inches wide.

Design & Construction

Upon opening the package, I was a little surprised by the OQO's size. I was expecting something closer in size to the Sony Vaio U50 that I had for awhile. The U50 was close to the size of a paperback book, while the OQO is halfway between the U50 and an average Windows Mobile Pocket PC. Of course, the expectation of size wasn't diminished by the OQO's packaging, which was a large black box more suitable to a pair of sneakers than an electronic device. The purpose of that box, though, is to house the massive pile of accessories that comes with an OQO review unit.

Left to right: Cingular 2125 smartphone, OQO, Dell Axim X51v

Included with our device was a second battery, docking cable, stand, car charger, and a variety of other little sundries.

Along the bottom of the device we have the power plug, docking connectors, a scroll wheel, and the one internal USB port.

The left side is adorned only by a 4-pin FireWire port. Don't ask me what the silver block is, I don't know. Topside is the stylus, a lanyard eyelet, and the exhaust port for the cooling fan. The right side is host to the headphone jack and speaker, along with an identical odd silver thing.

If you press up on the screen, the device slides apart to reveal the keyboard, complete with a Trackpoint-style mouse controller on the right, and a numeric keypad.

The OQO can also be used in portrait mode.

The design of the OQO is highly unremarkable. It resembles nothing so much as a large, flat brick that you might use to pave a walkway. It's inelegant, but at its size and weight, there's only so much that you can do with design.

Hardware

Processor:	1 GHz Transmeta Crusoe processor
Operating System:	Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Display:	800 x 480 WVGA LCD; 8 MB integrated video accelerator
Memory & Storage:	512 MB RAM; 30 GB hard drive
Size & Weight:	4.9 inches long x 3.4 inches wide x 0.9 inches deep, 14 ounces
Expansion:	1x USB port; 1x FireWire port; optional docking cable
Docking:	Optional docking cable
Communication:	802.11g WiFi; Bluetooth; optional ethernet
Audio:	3.5mm headphone jack; one internal speaker
Battery:	3.7 volt, 4000 milliamp-hour rechargable Lithium Ion battery; optional replacement battery
Input:	EM digitizer; thumb keyboard</TD< TR>

Processor

Don't mistake the 1 GHz Crusoe processor in the OQO for being the equivalent to a 1 GHz Pentium or anything else. The Crusoes are built from the ground up for devices where low power consumption is a top priority, mainly ultraportable notebooks. But this low power consumption has a severe cost in performance. At maximum speed, the 1 GHz Crusoe is roughly equivalent in maximum power to a 600 MHz Pentium 3 Mobile processor. That's not a lot of power to be pushing Windows XP. Complicating the situation is the fact that the processor often scales back its speed in order to further reduce power draw--in testing, I almost never saw it go over 800 MHz, and it frequently dropped as low as 300 MHz. In case you don't want to do the math, that's the equivalent of running Windows XP on a 200 MHz Pentium 2.

All that said, the Crusoe does a heroic job of staggering along under the weight. For light usage, Windows XP actually does well. It's not entirely speedy, but it is responsive, and you can do things like web browsing with a reasonable degree of comfort.

But light usage is one thing. Once you really get cranking, the wheels don't exactly come off, but they do start to wobble ominously. On an irregular basis, the system will start to hitch, slowing down to the point where the mouse input starts skipping, or even refusing to respond to input at all. In these cases, all you can do is wait a couple of seconds until the system has caught up. I have yet to see a crash result from this, but I wouldn't rule it out either.

On the bright side, the Crusoe produces vastly less heat than the Celeron processor in the Vaio U50 that I had. The device's metal casing rarely becomes more than moderately warm, and it's even rarer that the internal cooling fan would have to kick on. This is much apprecciated, since the U50's heat production was a major drawback to its portability. Unlike the U50, you could put the OQO in a small bag or pouch while it was running without worrying that the machine would overheat and fry itself.

Operating System

The OQO comes with the user's choice of Windows XP flavors. XP Home is preinstalled on the "cheapest" OQO model, at a mere $1900. XP Pro is available for an extra $100, and Tablet PC edition for just $200 extra. Our review unit came loaded with Tablet PC edition, which includes handwriting recognition out of the box, as well as various interface tweaks designed for a pen-driven system, rather than one operated by a mouse. Of course, none of these editions of XP include Microsoft Office--to get that, you'll have to either supply it yourself, or pay another $300 to get it included with the unit. Assuming that you get both XP Tablet and Office, that totals up to $2400.

Ironically, the stock version of Windows XP on the Vaio U50 felt more comfortable than did the Tablet PC Edition on the OQO. The Tablet edition is designed for larger, higher resolution screens, and didn't take all that well to the oddball resolution used by the OQO, which is below the usual minimum. Several times, dialogs would end up being jammed into the vertical space of the screen, resulting in bottom-tier buttons like Okay and Close being hidden by the Windows taskbar. To prevent this, the OQO has the taskbar set to be hidden by default, but this makes it nearly impossible to bring up with the stylus. So you're faced with something of a trade-off.

Other than that, there's a definite learning curve to using XP on a small-screen device. With the interface elements being smaller, you have to be much more precise in how you tap. This fact is further compounded by the OQO's digitizer, which I'll discuss below. The truth is that desktop operating systems aren't as suited to micro-mobile devices as a purpose-built operating system is, because the latter is designed for ease of use on a small screen. Windows XP does best on a larger tablet or laptop, and shoehorning it into a 5" screen with a nonstandard resolution causes problems. It's adequate for some things like web browsing, but I wouldn't want to try and use it as a personal information manager the way you would a handheld, or for things like word processing.

Display

The OQO's display is highly eclectic. Rather than being a more standard 800 x 600 SVGA resolution, the company opted for a 800 x 480 screen, dubbed "widescreen VGA." Most standard Windows applications adapt well to this sort of resolution, displaying more or less as they normally do. You get less desktop space, of course, but that's to be expected.

Web browsing comparison: left, OQO & Internet Explorer 6. Right, Axim X51v & Opera Mobile 8.5

When a program wants more space than the OQO's screen provides--say, a game hard-coded to 800 x 600--the device compensates by allowing you to scroll up and down in order to see the full screen. While useful for some things, it makes others virtually pointless. Still, they had to do something, and this is probably the best and most practical solution, even if it does rule out some applications.

Rather than use a touch-sensitive digitizer for pen-driven input, as most handhelds and the Vaio U50 do, the OQO opts for an electromagnetic pen system, as seen on larger tablet PCs. If you're not familiar with this type of interface, it's relatively simple. The device ships with a specially-constructed pen, to which the sensors under the screen are sensitive to. These sensors can track the pen when it's in proximity to the screen, and thus cause it to move the mouse cursor. Moving the pen in to touch the screen is interpreted as a click. A button mounted on the pen allows you to perform a right-click, and can also be used for specialty applications like drawing.

The big downside of this is that you can only use the standard stylus. No fingertips, no combination pen/stylus widgets, just the standard stylus, and replacements designed for the EM digitizers of tablet PCs. While this does mean that you don't have to worry about brushing up against the screen and causing it to do something, it also means that you can't easily replace a lost stylus.

Memory & Storage

The OQO includes the sort of specs for memory and storage that you would expect to see on a decent but not Earth-shattering laptop computer. The main impressive thing here is the fact that it's using a 1.8 inch hard drive, the kind seen in most iPods, rather than a larger laptop style drive. Out of the box, the OQO has about 23 GB of free space on it. With its battery life, though, a jukebox it does not make.

Size & Weight

The OQO is impressively minimal in size for everything that it packs in, beating out its main competitor by a considerable margin. But that doesn't mean that it's small.

Allow me to explain. The OQO is in no way pocketable. Not even the biggest of jacket pockets could comfortably carry this thing without it becoming an inconvenience. It's strictly intended for a bag or briefcase. It's also heavy, much more so than any solid-state handheld. You start packing in all that hardware, and the thing gets rather weighty rather quickly. On the other hand, it's far smaller and lighter than any notebook or tablet PC. While I'm sure that there are people out there who want to carry a one pound laptop, I think most people will be better served by going sticking a regular laptop or tablet in their bag, and keeping a smaller device on their person such as a handheld or smartphone.

Expansion

The OQO doesn't have much at all in the way of expansion capabilities native to the device. Unlike the Vaio or most solid-state handhelds, the OQO doesn't include any kind of standard expansion slot on the body. If you want to add a peripheral, you have to do it via USB. For obvious reasons, this could become rather difficult, and it also prevents the user from taking advantage of services like aircards. If you want wireless internet, it has to be via WiFi or Bluetooth.

Docking

Instead of having a docking station that integrates all the extra ports that the device can support, the OQO relies instead on a docking cable. This is a roughly 4-foot long affair with various plugs placed along the length. These include power, ethernet, Firewire, VGA, USB, and audio out. While I thought it was pretty stupid at first, I've come to apprecciate the design more. It spreads out the connectors, making it easier to attach various things, rather than having many different plugs all coming into the back of a docking station. Still, I'd like to see the two designs combined, and have a proper docking station that can also support the cable. As it is, the OQO is likely to fall out of its stand if you attach that cable to it, and even it it doesn't it looks very funny.

Communication

The OQO combines both desktop and mobile communication options. Wireless ethernet, USB, and Bluetooth are available directly, with wired ethernet and yet more USB ports available via the use of the docking cable. WiFi range was about at good as you could expect from a small antenna, packed into a metal case, with all the other electronics in proximity. The Bluetooth implementation is a little finicky, but I managed to get it working well enough to transfer files to and from my other devices.

Audio

The built-in speaker on the OQO is decent, but not extraordinary. For more than basic beeps, headphones are advised. That said, quality over headphones is typically good, and if you wanted to stock two or three batteries, you could probably use the OQO as a reasonable credible movie player or jukebox.

Battery

Due to it's ultra-low-power CPU and hard drive, the OQO gets along on far less power than its larger siblings. It runs on a single-cell, 3.7 volt Lithium Ion battery, rated at 4000 milliamp-hours. According to the manufacturer, it goes up to three hours on a single charge. I've found this estimate to be pretty accurate, with the OQO lasting between 2 and 3 hours depending on usage. Not great, and not up to the level of most handhelds, but roughly in line with a marginal notebook computer. I'm not particularly happy with this. If you're going to sacrifice so much in terms of processor speed, you should at least get enhanced battery life by way of compensation.

Input

There's really no way around it--the OQO's keyboard is bad. It's a membrane-type keyboard, meaning that there aren't actual buttons so much as there are raised rubber spots that you press. Each of these is depressingly small. You can press them with decent accuracy, but speed is severely compromised.

To add insult to injury, the keyboard has no form of lighting whatsoever. Trying to find a button in the dark is quite impossible, because there's no backlight and no light shed on the keyboard by the screen. Eventually, I had to pull out a USB flex-light that I happened to have in storage and plug it into the OQO in order to shed a little light on the keyboard. For obvious reasons, this just won't do for serious use. I'd say that the OQO's keyboard is so far gone as to present little benefit over a device like the Vaio that has no keyboard.

Unfortunately, the digitizer on my review unit seemed to lack precision. Even after calibrating it several times, I found that it just wandered too much to be reliable. The problem is that the mouse cursor as directed by the pen tends to "wobble," meaning that it moves around a little bit even when the pen is relatively still. This makes it difficult to tap accurately, because half the time the cursor interprets your tap as a click-and-drag command rather than a simple click. I'd hate to try and edit documents on this thing.

The digitizer's focus also tends to wander around the right hand edge of the screen, making it difficult to tap on the scrollbar in a reliable manner. At first I thought it might have been just my unit, but after checking around I've heard other people'saccounts describing the exact same thing. It may still be a limited problem, but there is a chance that you're going to get a device that doesn't tap correctly.

Conclusion

The OQO seems like a great idea going in, but the controls, the usability, and the simple engineering realities do a lot to knock it down. I think that the OQO would have been better off, rather than the slide-out keyboard, using a twist-and-flip design along the lines of the Sharp Zaurus C-series, or the various "convertible" notebook/tablet PCs. This would have allowed for a larger, more comfortable keyboard, lighting, and better controls, without excessively compromising the small size.

Even so, it wouldn't have been an ideal device. I think the truth is that the micro-tablet is simply not a device whose time has come. The processor requirements for running a desktop OS are far too high, the power needed to drive that processor is too significant. A near-pocketable device just doesn't have the resources to do it--you end up deficient in either battery life, or speed, or both. The OQO comes about as close as possible to threading the needle, but it's not very practical yet. Looking over the device, my overall impression is that for it's adequate for basic tasks. For $3000 worth of hardware, "adequate" is very bad indeed.

The OQO's pricing starts at $1900, and a model configured the same as our review unit is well over $3000. Given this, I really don't know how Intel and Microsoft can claim that they're going to have devices with much superior specs selling for under $500 in the timeframe they say. Until and unless there's a massive breakthrough in certain technologies, these devices will for the time being remain an extremely niche item, for people who absolutely cannot live without having full PC functions, but refuse to tolerate the size of a conventional tablet or notebook PC. Given the compromises, I'm afraid that's going to be a pretty small market.

Pros:

• Micro-laptop specs
• Small compared to other tablets and mini-tablets

Cons:

• Incredibly expensive
• Awkward controls
• Slow

Bottom Line:

A cool concept, but desperately in need of refinement.

 

This device looks so 80's.
I wonder if the transmeta can manage to do better (at least by much) compared to the P-M ULV.

And that keyboard doesn't look like something one would want to use other than for a short urgent email (much like the Nokia communicator).

BTW how many inches is that screen?

 

wow, thats cool. nice review.

 

... it into a 5" screen with a nonstandard ...

 

Well, as an OQO user...for a long time now...I, as we all, will agree that it is not a perfect machine (then again, nothing ever will be).

I do not agree with several aspects of the review...many, I do though, especially in terms of the CPU, and a couple other tech specs.

the 01+ is very pocketable. Mine is daily in my jean pockets...in my inside jacket pockets...it goes everywhere I do. I am the head IT/IS 'person' at a major medical institution...and my OQO has been mission critical on more than one occasion.

...and the design is "unremarkable"? Likely misinformed and/or no personal experience besides this review.

"The purpose of that box, though, is to house the massive pile of accessories that comes with an OQO review unit."

...just as every OQO product-purchasing-consumer receives.

"It's inelegant...."

"...and didn't take all that well to the oddball resolution used by the OQO..." (Apparently he isn't up to speed on the new UMPC's yet, either. He'll be dissapointed)

The author bashes the keyboard, which I believe most of us like...once you master the 'Blackberry School of Typing'. Do you expect more from such a small device? The entire keyboard design is actually well thought out...and I wouldn't want it any other way...including the numeric keypad that is 'opposite' of standard keyboards; instead, we now have numeric keys in the same format as telephones/mobile...things to come? Possible 3G, or future wireless, integration? http://www.oqo.com/company/jobs/display/sf/job-wirelessint

The design is clearly the best in its class, which has virtually no competition, right now...and even the future spec designs of similar devices (Origami projects, etc.) are unflattering to this design, which has been on the market for nearly two years. Yes, I would agree that the resolution...at least 1024xX+ would be ideal. This will likely be addressed in the 02 model, as well as other overall specs (including, the sometimes dealbreaker CPU...possible flash/mem slots...additional USB port(s), etc.)

He also keeps comparing this to a "handheld"...in terms of battery life, etc. Listen, this is not a PocketPC/Palm/PDA/etc. You can't relatively compare the two on the same scale. Physical size...sure - and the OQO design would still win handsown, due that it is an actual, full-fledged personal computer.

A different beast altogether. Wow. I'll watch for his name next time I read any reviews. Clearly misinformed on several things, and late in the game for a review anyhow; however, I understand, perhaps, the deadlines and the possible rushness (yes, I know) of the review time with the product.

 

A nice review by Adama. I fear that OQO is going to be dealt a death blow by the Origami devices that have a slightly larger screen...this is assuming they make it to market anytime soon of course, which they are supposed to (although Samsung is waffling as to whether they will / will not release the Q1 Origami device they have to the American market).

 

Samsung will likely not bring an Origami device to the states, mainly due to the NCA with Dell; however, as with the X1, etc...it might come through stateside via Dell.

Otto Berkes (main architect/gen. manager for the Origami project) admits as much in his interview that these devices aren't even in the same class.

From another...with additions...

"The price point is great, and that in and of its self will draw many, but those folks weren't going to by the OQO anyway. They've been whining about the price of the OQO since 2004 - saying things like "I could five high-end pda's for the price of one of these." Which of course hoplessly misses the point.

If you want a pocketable pc, there's still only one place to go (and will be only one place for the next year+). These (Origami) devices will have similar specs (sans CPU, 2.5" HD, and 2" more in physical screen size, but not resolution) to the 01/01+ and be, physically much larger. Some folks will like that. I'm not one."

 

Awesome review, I've always been enamored by the OQO but held off by the price. Your insightful comments and conclusion take off a lot of the sheen.

Thanks,
Hermit

 

Ok, The demand for a hand held fully functional pc is huge. One that has GPS, GPRS, GSM, WiFi and UMTS and can fit in a pocket will be the prevalent host for future computing. That is, of course, if it also has a powerful user interface that is also portable and fully functional, such as the FrogPad. Obviously we are tooting our own horn. The killer aplication for FrogPad is hand held pc's such as the OQO and the Flipstart. FrogPad is the answer. 'nuf said.

 

That's Debatable!!!

You left off CDMA.

There's no question that a killer application can drive a hardware market. Not a clue what FrogPad is, so I have my doubts.

Hermit

 

If it had Verizon EV-DO support, I would give greater consideration to buying it

 

Patience, young grasshopper.

If you re-read one of my earlier posts, and check the 'job link' for OQO, you will see that they are looking into the 3G+ technologies.

Also, if you check out their upcoming events page, you'll notice some strategically placed dates, set around the same time frame(s) that the 01 and 01+ were release the previous two years, respectively. Model 02 could be just around the corner.

http://www.oqo.com/company/news/events/

 

Yeah origami as big of a failure as I think it to will be will smash this little guy here as cool as it is. It has far more recognition than this product not just in its name but in the companies that develop it-origami will win. I don't much care for either and think they will both tank.

 

You are obviously not the target market...and that is completely fine.

Some companies may tank, but the Handtop and UMPC categories will continue to be around always now. It's good that more companies are getting involved...competition will only keep the quality, innovations, and costs advantageous for the consumers.

 

I got the chance to use a OQO and was not impressed. Its a cool gadet but its just to limited and awkward to use might as well get super light laptop. Its justa waste of money for its limited use. I think PDAs have become the reason these havent taken off and wont. You can do so much on things like an Axim for a fraction of the cost of this OqO i mean whos the target audience. Companys maybe but its to expensive. pdas are going to continue to do more and more. i think it will stay at PDAS and Super light laptops. Not much need for anything inbetween.

 

I also carry an Axim x51v (previously had an x50v)...it hardly ever gets turned on, or used, due to the OQO usage.

Pictures to prove, if you'd like. lol

It is what it is. How long did you get a "chance to use" it? A day? Week? Hour?

The price point is set high...but it will come down. When OQO cleared out the last of the 01 models, they hit $1,000...many people couldn't justify why the extra $900+ for the 01+ model existed. Why true, once some other players come in...and OQO also knows this...the price will drop to a little more, perhaps double of the high-end PDAs. I'd prefer a full-fledged computer over a PDA anyday.

 

Its a tough niche. Im not calling it **** or anything. But its like its nice to have a full pc in your pocket. But when its that small i think a major drawback is the screen. To small to do any real work. A 7-10 in laptop would be much better and they are not hard to carry. A pda is great for what it does. GPS word excel calander. Games. Web the pc functions are limited by its screen size. i just dont see the point in a full pc that is so tiny. a pda does more than enough for its size and gets great battery life. i cant think of anything the OqO would be useful for that a 7-10 in laptop wouldnt be much better suited.Its almost like its trying to fill a spot that doesnt exist. i dont think many people will find it useful. The origami might be more usefull and cheaper just because it is a bit bigger. battery life needs to be improved on them though. And even those are doom to fail at this point i think. i prefer a computer to a pda as well. But to me the OqO is just an expensive pda sure it runs winxp. But slower than windows mobile 5 runs im sure. and on the OQO what can you do pc wise with such a small screen? you might as well go super light and get a pda. Again im sure its great for you though just not for most. I am glad these things come to market though as they improve tech for other things. they will get better over time. maybe when the foldable displays come out it will add much benifit to something like this.

 

But slower than windows mobile 5 runs im sure. and on the OQO what can you do pc wise with such a small screen? you might as well go super light and get a pda. .

Right there...you aren't even sure if it runs slower than WM5. I have both right here. Two different beasts...completely different. If you are familar with the DualCor concept/palmtop...with dual processors for both OSes...that easily illustrates the point. You can run Linux...or virtually any OS that a PC can run. I have a partition for a Linux distro.

Depending on what you want to do...the 5" screen/resolution(s) is just fine. C#...remote administration...I could go on and on. Even Photoshopping is just fine after it's loaded. Now you aren't going to be doing anything CPU intensive that a Quad-G5 or dual-proc. PC is going to crunch...but it will get the job done, albeit slower. The fact the Transmeta is the current CPU is the problem there...that will change. No worries on that.

If you'd like to be better informed about just how many people are happy, as well as the various uses, pros/cons that have arisen since the introduction...feel free to visit: http://www.handtops.com (not my site...but a great source for the ultra-mobile PC/Handtop lifestyle devices.

...or directly to the OQO forums: http://www.handtops.com/show/forum/3

 

Ill check those sites out. i honestly didnt even think about trying to run linux on that thing. Makes sence though. I think it might be the price factor that turns me off. You are right remote administration is one of the things i though it would be useful for. but i was thinking about more main stream use. The cost doesnt add up to the benifit. i might to a extreme tech person. Might be good for smart home control which is what i do.ill check those sites out. wasnt trying to put you down or anything.

I have heard of the dual core palmtops that run both OS they are interesting. i still think the screen size really limits you. Yeah sure you can launch photoshop on it but what can you really do on a 5in screen with it. it might be good to brief surfing. remote administration where you need to check servers. or remote home security and control. It is cool though.

 

I see. Is your real name Andre the Giant?

It's unremarkable in the sense that the device is essentially a giant box. There's absolutely no effort made to make it more ergonomically comfortable to the user, or to make the controls easier to use. See keyboard, see sides, see cuboid design.

I am, actually, and I'm predicting that they'll bomb in the broader market. Historically, there has been very little demand for a device between the size of a solid-state handheld and a full notebook/tablet PC.

Yes, actually I do, particularly for $2500. Have you ever used the HTC Apache or Wizard devices? They feature a much better keyboard in much less space than the OQO has. More comfortable, faster to type, and it's backlit.

You wouldn't like backlighting on the keys for using the device in the dark?

Actually, I compared it to other mobile computing devices, including high-end PDAs, a similar mini-tablet device, and notebook style PCs. The comparisons against a PDA mostly worked in the OQO's favor, because it does provide great power in a small package. In a straight-up comparison against a real PC like a laptop or tablet, the OQO would have fared much worse, due to its slow speed, flakey input, and marginal display. But PC compatibility is only one piece of the puzzle. Others include speed, ease of interface, durability, battery life, size: all important factors for a mobile computing device. And while the OQO has PC compatibility going for it, it loses out in most other categories.

 

The point, I believe, is that if someone has well over $1000 to burn on mobile computing, they'd more likely spend it on a real subnotebook, something like the Thinkpad X40, than buy a product like the OQO which has inferior specs, short battery life, and is wildly expensive, in exchange for a little bit of size. If somebody absolutely needs an XP PC in less than the size of a paperback book, fine, they have somewhere to go, but that is an extremely small market, and I'm not at all convinced that the OQO can make it on that market alone. If someone wants just small size, they'll buy a handheld or a smartphone; if they want a PC, they'll buy a notebook or tablet; if they want low-cost or long battery life they'll buy either. But in none of these scenarios is the OQO the first line of defense.

 

That's assuming that the company survives to launch another model. Historically, startup companies like OQO that take a huge longshot on a single radical device tend to die off rather than prosper.

 

Andre the Giant? Jokes...I see.

I am 6'1"...granted I did play college basketball though...national tournament...all that good stuff; however, my size is modest/average at that height and the relative clothing that I wear.

Again...very pocketable...goes everywhere with me in my pockets...pants and jackets.

I didn't comment on the keyboard issue (lighting). Slipped my mind, although a glaring feature wanted by any/all OQO user I have ran across. I absolutely agree that it needs to be backlit, a-la Apple Powerbook/MacBooks...which is surprising it wasn't, considering the engineers came from Apple for this device. It doesn't take much to run fiber-optic through the membrane, but it was neglected from the end design, I'm sure due to other aesthetic reasons so they could just get the product out there. Once you get inside and OQO, you actually realize that there is still quite a bit of wiggle room inside to expand some functionality and physical areas for components - but you likely wouldn't know about that anyways, unless you tore one apart.

I am not completely biased, or a fanatic for this device that will defend it at all costs...I admitted it has its flaws, which it does. For instance, I never use the stylus and handwriting recognition. Hopefully the next revision will address most of these issues, and believe me...Jory has taken the market and recommmendations of its real users, installed user base, into account.

OQO recently, just the other day, named a brand new CEO...job openings galore. They are expanding...and not to mention the multi-millions they have received from 3rd party support, added to what they have already, to keep them going. I'm sure you keep up on that news too - industry-speaking. You do realize they have been around several years now...have launched two product models in two years (granted, still using the Transmeta, but that will be addressed)...and there will be another launch. They will survive...please. How long does a company have to be in business to not be considered a 'startup' by you? They just didn't appear recently.

Not to take or demean anything from you...but people have been saying the same things about Apple, Inc. for nearly the last twenty years too. (they are doomed...will fold...won't survive...blah, blah).

The specs on the OQO are not mind-blowing...and much of this does have to do with the CPU. Again, that will change. Another issue would be an improved graphics chip and/or increase VRAM; however, I do have very near to HD-quality videos (TV shows and movie I keep handy...all HD-widescreen format) that I keep on the device, and they run just perfect, after they are loaded and playing. Great stuff.

The battery life will be better on the next model. If you haven't noticed, a double-capacity battery has been released (8000mAh vs 4000)...which users have consistently rated as giving them nearly 5 - 6 hours of continous, intensive use. The battery life issue has much to do with the Operating System, rather than the device itself. If you check the developement docs for MSDN/Microsoft...you'll see that any flavor of WinXP is considered to eat up ~2-3 hours of battery life for any device running it...relative, and respectively compared to the (standard) battery for the machine. That's pretty much what is 'guaranteed'...so to speak. If companies can squeeze out more life from it...kudos for them - but how long has XP been around (and/or 2000 Pro and below), and the battery life has been pretty much standard for any type of portable device (and again, referring to a full OS here, and not a Windows Mobile/Palm/etc. flavor of OS). XP was never, originally intended to run on such, small form factors.

The "Origami" project will address some of these issues, as Microsoft is tailoring a version of Tablet XP, and of course...a flavor of Vista to accomodate such smaller devices to increase the operating usage on a portable device. As much strides have been made in the industry over the past two decades...battery consumption and useage has been static. That is mainly due to the Operating System; we don't need to go into other marketing gimmicks, political/business-wise, to keep a battery industry thriving and selling.

The contour of the OQO "fits". Where you place your hands to hold the device is almost perfect for most people...in terms of grip, thumb, and finger placements for holding, TracStik/mouse operation...left/right-click buttons...thumb-typing. Sliding the screen up/down with your thumbs...it's all a natural, ergonomic feel.

I have seen many people that do wish the screen was brighter, although it is just fine, as it is. I believe many just wish they had the option to really light up the LCD for various reasons/situations. Yes, that would be nice if the display could be pumped up a little. The screen is also fantastic, as you can use it in direct sunlight. That was also part of the design.

Of course, if you only use the device for a review, and really don't use the device for anything else for a longer time frame...of course it will feel 'mechanical' and not so comfortable, as you have never used a device like that...it's alien to your muscle memory and whatnot. Much like the video game console industry when they change controllers on people. Some of the designs were so "out there"...they just never would look comfortable...but once people got them in their hands...wow, what a difference actual usage makes to change their minds.

You do realize, back in the day...people, and the industry, did not think there was a market for even "laptops". How quickly that changed. This market, although has been explored for several years now, is still in its infancy...but it will grow. Heck, "experts" did not think people would pay ~$500 for a 5GB, HD-based, portable audio player called an "iPod". That was written off real quick...well, you know how that has turned out.

People want multiple functionality in portable devices. It's evident by the amount of good stuff, and 'c r a p', that is out there right now on the market. Whether you are talking about your various iPod flavors over the years, iRivers, Zens, Blackberry devices, cell phones...etc. Manufacturers are giving them a taste each revision...people keep wanting more. They are teased, so to speak, with the functionality granted to them in a particular model...and eventually, it stems into them wanting a the full-functionality of a personal computer...that is not limited, due to the OS (Windows Mobile, etc.)...and can do everything they could do sitting at home on their primary workstation.

I would be sure that Apple could put out a killer iPod device with a complete OS, etc...but you don't make money that way. You 'improve' through each model, rather than letting the cat completely out of the bag with one swoop. Give'em a taste...and they'll be back for more. These UMPC's and Handtop devices are similar, but not really like that. They are shooting for 'everything'...and then improving on the small issues and gripes afterwards, and there always will be some.

If you look for flaws, whether it be in something or somebody...you will always find them.

This is an exciting year for these devices. It's great that other big names are helping to spur it along.

 

Good for you. I'm 6' 2", 220 pounds, and my preferred form of excercise is weightlifting. It's still too large and heavy to carry around comfortably, either for me or for most people. If you're different, good for you. But a 5" x 3.4" x 1", one-pound metal brick is more than most people can or will carry on a daily basis, particularly in a pocket.

Well, really they've launched one product after several years of vapor, then they launched a reheated version of the same product. Re-releasing what you already have doesn't inspire confidence.

They have to have more than one poorly selling, longshot product, driven by venture capital. I've seen too many companies end up in bankruptcy trying to create a market which doesn't exist. There have been many, many attempts to create a market between notebooks and PDAs. The OQO isn't the first such device. There's been many, many others.

The reality is that there just isn't the mass demand for a device which tries to do everything, and ends up doing nothing well. Slightly less ambitious devices do much better, whether you're talking about subnotebooks that sacrifice a little portability, or more mobile tech that drops software compatibility.

If that's the standard, than the OQO fails dramatically. In terms of screen size, input, speed, and specs, it's inferior to anything but the most basic desktop or laptop PCs. It certainly couldn't serve as the main computing device for most people.

 

I know several dozen people, of various sizes, that have zero issues with pocketability or carrying it around - and many live seditary lifestyles. Also, just came back from a hospital with my OQO in my inside jacket pocket. Couldn't even tell it was there (14oz...must be used to that 1lb. brick you were referring too)...even pulled it out for a quick use.

The "re-release" was an updated version of, yes, what they already have...but nothing different than what many companies do on minor updates...which is why it is called the 01+ (not the 02)...but you realized that, I'm sure.

Granted, it wasn't anything mind-blowing, but they listened to the critics, actual users, and the suggestions: doubling RAM, poor-but speaker added, different screen for better pen calibration/usage (although still not great), increased HD size, USB 2.0. The only faux paux was the CPU...but that was due to there was really nothing better at the time of production (for R&R and testing)...now there are newer VIA and soon-to-be Intel mobile chips on the way.

Vaporware doesn't exist with a company, just becaue they don't bring the product to market yet...and then finally does. They shopped around the idea at past CESes, with previous models that were on display for use, then nice and neat...cool concept...but compared to what the end-result...are ugly, huge, and very underpowered.

Speaking of...perhaps I should of threw in there that I was meaning 'common sense' would have to prevail when I said, "...and can do everything they could do sitting at home on their primary workstation." - I wasn't meaning 100% everything. I figured people, on here, would be smart enough to deduce it down to the average uses of most computer users' needs, which would equate to, my guess, at least 90% could be done easily...and are, as I personally know...unlike some. Just not possible (for 100% equality), and if it is...likely won't be for a decade or more - if we are talking about everything on a 1:1 scale (including graphics power, as well).

You don't even realize the demand for these units...let alone the numbers they have already sold...whether it be to consumers or the enterprise market (which are many). Every company has to start somewhere, yes? There will always be critics and bashers, and envy-greens. It's only natural in such a world.

I agree the mass demand isn't there...yet. Perhaps never...but the direction of the industry, and users...want chic...want mobility without the hassle. The market and end-user is changing, but this niche will likely never be the numbers these "startups" are clamoring for...but there will be plenty to sustain success and profit...and the numbers will, and are, growing.

Many of my points weren't addressed...so makes sense, doesn't it?

 

Well, it has been several days...

...another (better) review cropped up on the 01+: http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=796 - the review makes some great points, on both the Pros and Cons...the pictures are fantastic, except the "dock" picture...lol...the dock has been placed upside down, for use, and that definitely affected the response of the reviewer.

"I was impressed in some situations, okay, most situations. For example, I was able to start a web conference from my house, switch the connection from WiFi to my Bluetooth phone, and after the software recovered (a Microsoft issue), I was able to drive to my office, listening to the conference the entire way. At the office, I switched back to WiFi, and finished out the conference. Impressive. Or remote desktop connectivity to the office."

 

Mobilityguru.com now has a 12 pages long detailed review of OQO's Model 01+,
The World's Smallest Windows XP Computer For You!