Gear Eye: The OQO hardware
posted Oct 14th 2004 12:00PM
The end game of some portable computing devices is eventually to become full-fledged versions of their desktop
brethren. The Pocket PC (now called Windows Mobile) is very Windows like, but users still need to learn a new way to do
the same tasks they've learned on the desktop on a phone or PDA; but what if there was a tiny computer which ran a
desktop operating system in a form factor close to a PDA? That's the
OQO (which you should know about long before now, as
we've been hyping this thing since forever ago) and we
have a series of Gear Eye articles about this new type of computing device, which ushers forth a new era in portable
desktop computing.
The first in our OQO series is about the hardware. But actually it's just lots and lots of photos we took playing
around with the thing.
If you want to jump to the photos, scroll on down now—or check out the specs.
Specifications:
1GHz Transmeta processor
20GB hard drive (shock-mounted)
256MB DDR RAM
Dimensions: 4.9 x 3.4 x .9-inches
Weight: 14 ounces
800 x 480 W-VGA 5-inch transflective display (indoor/outdoor readable)
3D-accelerated graphics with 8MB video RAM
QWERTY thumb keyboard with mouse buttons and TrackStik
802.11b wireless
Bluetooth wireless
4-pin FireWire (1394)
USB 1.1
3.5mm stereo headphone jack
Microphone
Digital pen
Removable lithium-polymer battery
Battery life up to three hours, depending on usage
OQO docking cable includes:
3D-accelerated 1280 x 1024 VGA video output
Additional USB
Additional FireWire (1394)
Ethernet
DC power
Audio out
Included accessories:
Power cord & AC adaptor
Docking cable
Desktop stand
Digital pen
Carrying sleeve
Price: $1,899 www.oqo.com
Next time (which might be in a podcast, so stay tuned) we’ll dive in to the use, applications and how we fared using the OQO as our full time device for email, web, blogging, writing, IRC, and instant messaging. If you have any specific questions about the device or what it’s like to use, post them up in the comments and we’ll do our best to address them.
Neatly packaged, looks great, every feature you could want. I want one. It seems to fill that gap between notebook and PDA very well. I have no need for a notebook and I don't see a future in PDA's but this thing I could use everyday!
Real nice work.
Wait for Model II, that iwll use the Efficeon, double memory (youll need/want it) USB 2.0, WiFi/G and the benefits of the new chipset overall, including DDR2, and better gaphics - that which is like in a notebook gamers class.
Cool, nice packaged, full of software, but... quite expensive... I hope it runs Linux, too. Too bad that is only sold with Windows XP (they force you to buy a license with the gadget).
How is the hand recognition in the software?
Is it like the tablet pc?
I have been looking for something just like this.
Will it run Cherry OS?
I beg to differ with the statement "the end game of all portable computing devices is eventually to become full-fledged versions of their desktop brethren."
I work for a PalmSource licensee and am no doubt biased, but I'll stick with an OS that recognizes I use a handheld device differently than a desktop computer. Show me a Treo with a hard disk and I'll show you a device that will kick the pants off the OQO.
David Pogue's NY Times review of the OQO seemed to have only one complaint, that text can be quite tiny on the device -- and that while there are ways to address this in Office apps or IE, there's no remedy in dialog boxes and the like. Would love to hear how much of an issue you think this is.
I used a Sony PCG-U3 for about a year in an attempt to bridge the gap between laptop and PDA. It had almost the same specs as the OQO, aside from size. I think the main problem with a laptop in a PDA form factor is power-up: For a PDA to be effective it needs to power on instantly for quick access to data. I know you can do this by 'sleeping' the OQO/Laptop/Whatever but battery life becomes an issue, and it looks like the OQO's battery life is already pretty meager, and you would also need to ensure the hard drive gets parked when put into this mode.
Were you able to utilize a sleep mode on the OQO in order to emulate a PDA's instant-on characteristic without killing the battery?
Were you able to carry it comfortably in your pocket? It must be awfully dense given it weighs almost a pound and is so small. This too, in my opinion, is a deciding factor in the success of the 'PC as a PDA' form factor...
Damn, it's cool. I feel kinda bad for talking smack about OQO for so long.
I'm sure it's not, but can you get more RAM for this thing? We all know 512 is the bare minimum for XP. Somebody needs to take it apart and see if there is a regular SODIMM in there. Even if it's sautered, (and if i actually bought this thing), it needs more RAM! Is that how you spell "sauter"? I have spell check on, but i'm not getting what i think i should be getting! hahaha
Now if this things starts selling at this price, will Apple bring a product like this? They won't do a tablet, but this thing is a little more "Apple-like". I wouldn't be surprised if they had a prototype super-?-deluxe-extreme portable like this floating around.
Unless they do something with the battery life this won't take off.
Specifically, Extended mode. ("Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor".)
I want to know if I can run the built in screen as my primary display and the external display as a secondary display, or if it is strictly a one-or-the-other thing.
since i probably wont ever hold one of these bad boys in my hand, it's nice to see the size comparison with all the other (more attainable) gadgets. good work
Regardless it is too pricey or short battery life, this is the geeky gadget of the year!
Quick, someone install CherryOS on it, followed by Mac OS X Panther and resell it as the Newton II
Just give my TREO a HD and a great screen. The OQO is 2 pricy to be a gadget. 1K maybe.
PS 3hr battery life, thats as bad as the PSP.
Fujitsu beat them to it two years ago with the Lifebook P1120. Touchscreen, full (small) keyboard that doesn't force you to use your thumbs to type, 8.9" LCD screen with 1024x600 native resolution, and 8-hour battery life with hi-cap battery. It sells for about $400 cheaper than the OQO.
I wonder what the battery life is for using it primarily as a mp3 player?
is it touch screen?
how does the screen feel?
I recall reading about that and some people were talking about how the screen felt a bit weak and that they were scared kinda when they were using the pen. ? is this so or what is it like?
wowowowow i'm gonna buy one!
What is the video processor?
Can it be used as the ultimate portable gaming machine?
Maybe ... the cost is pretty high for a laptop / PDA hybrid. Tablets are coming down in price, have a bit more kick, come with a larger screen and built in drives. Granted, they don't fit in your pocket (I LOVE THAT!)
Let's see the memory size upped, the video memory upped, the battery life upped and the price dropped!
I know it ships with either XP Home or XP Pro, and that they don't officially support XP Tablet PC edition, but technically I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.
You planning on trying it?? :)
Dan B. - The memory is almost certainly BGA chips soldered to the main board. There isn't enough room in there for a SODIMM connector & daughterboard. BGA chips are pretty much impossible for hobbyists to change (especially if there are other nearby chips on the board, like the processor).
engadget - How's the keyboard? It's a lot smaller than my beloved TRS-80 PC-2's, but I wonder how usable it is for editing C programs. I'd feel silly hauling my apple bluetooth keyboard around to use this thing. Since this would be a second laptop to my apple PB17", I was also planning on useing a remote desktop and getting the advantage of my PB screen w/o the battery drain of virtual PC.
I travel abroad a lot, during adventures and film production.
im getting one. period.
Jesus, if this was running Mac OS instead of XP, id buy one right away. My own mini powerbook!
HOW EXITED AM I TO SEE THIS PRODUCT!! I've been dreaming about something like this to come around already for about seven years(since the palm m100 came out) pocketpcs came close to my dream BUT THIS, this is THE FUTURE. In a few years people wont be carrying cell phones, laptops, pdas, not even the lovelry iPod, Everyone will have something similar to this depending on your needs (mp3= small, video production= larger, office productivity= medium, etc..) HELllo we are looking at the future, and the future looks good.
How would this device perform if used as a camcorder? Hook up a USB camera/webcam and some capture software? Maybe USB 1.1 is too slow -- are there small Firewire webcams? Would the OQO hit processor or RAM bottlenecks when doing this?
Thanks!
I want one so very much! The price isn't /too/ bad when you consider the size and spec. The battery life is however something that would annoy me :( When they bring out a better battery i'll try and find a better credit card :)
Are they nuts? How do I get my photographs into this thing? I can't spend 40 minutes copying a 1 gig card. I will wait for USB 2.0 and a better processor. My last experience with a Transmeta processor was dismal, way too slow. Nice idea but I need speed with small size.
4 pin firewire is useless to me since that would require ac power to transfer photos from a reader defeating the portable form factor.
My #1 question is compatibility with XP Tablet OS. Why does it not ship with it? With the touchscreen and the minimal keyboard it seems like it is made to be a tablet. I'm wondering if there's some problems with it that are not being mentioned.
They don't include Tablet OS for 2 reasons:
1- The M$ license for Tablet OS would add $400 to the overall price
2- The Wacom digitizer screen pixels are far below the required number of pixels to make tablet use successful.
Search handtops.com and it has a more detailed explanation.
how do you know so much about model 2 already!? are you just speculating or do you know these specs are for sure? if so, could you show me where you found information regarding model 2?
First, about the one that said "Show me a Treo with a hard disk and I'll show you a device that will kick the pants off the OQO."
Are you out of your mind? You're trying to compare Palm OS that cant do a fraction what Windows Mobile can do, which itself cant do a fraction what XP can do, forget comparing it to XP, it would make this great device totally useless.
The POINT is to be able to run any software on it, not to make it as crappy and unstable as a Palm (I've used some, and I don't appreciate the hourly crashing like the old Windows 98, Palm OS is a terrible unstable and way to limited OS, it doesnt even support files for crying out loud, what sort of an OS is that? a peice of crap one that belongs in the trash, thats what). And what good is an OS that can only run 1 app at a time on such a powerful device? Palm is dead, they will go bankrupt in the next 1-2 years, all palm users are switching to Pocket PC (just check all message boards) with the new joke Palm released. So please, there is no way a Palm device can beat the OQO, stop your very deep dreaming, it's IMPOSSIBLE, plain and simple.
I've wanted a device that can run all my software and fit in my pocket for a long time, and this is finally it. If I got a laptop I'd never use it cause its to big to carry, but this is powerful enough for what I want (programming, email, web surfing, chatting, DVD (ripped to HD), and maybe light gaming).
I like the possibility of moving my desktop apps and docs over to a device like this. So I can draw, outline, use FileMaker, maybe a little Excel. I would also be interested if the screen were say 6" instead of 5" with bigger type with the same resolution. We need the 512mb RAM or 1 gb would be ideal because it makes so much difference in speed. USB2 is a must. Some kind of a slot is a must. 80211g would be nice but b would do. This is for all those who wish they could take their laptop everywhere but don't want back problems in process. I was taking my Powerbook 15 around all over until my back starting going out. Startup time is an issue otherwise I'll have to carry another device for quick notes and looking at my calendar unless I've got a Treo or other QWERTY cell phone with me. Which would be OK especially if I was synching between the 2 devices with Bluetooth.
Waiting for the FlipStart www.flipstart.com for a comparison... I would worry about the exposed screen getting scratched up.
I read a lot of journal articles which I can download from the internet. I usually end up printing these out to read as I sit or lie down and so I and up with a ton of paper. Can the OQO be used confortably to read papers? Most of mine use pdf.
Ok it may not make the ideal PDA but I could sync my Palm to it! I work regularly in three places and lug a laptop. I'd prefer this thing and set up three screens & keyboards - bluetooth ones while I was at it.
The bad design decision IMO is the keyboard, it means they have had to create that slider. Handwriting recognition would be fine till you get to a keyboared.
I could actualy use this. After dithcing my pocketpc a few years ago, I found that I got better use out of my iPod. This would be perfect, I can use it to for remote admin and all of my information habits: rss, surfing, IRC/IM, email , etc.
Besides the other questions and complaints already lilsted, why a mechanical hard drive? Flash memory prices are plummeting, and 8GB cards are in the works: 20GB would eaily fit in less space, weigh less and greatly extend battery life. An SDIO slot would also add a lot of peripheral choices. A mechanical HD seems so.... 20th Century.
Sinclair ZX81 with a color screen,
Hmmmm !
How "Pocketable" is it. It looks as though there is no alarm if used as a PDA could a hack be made to make the microphone into a speaker. How long does it take to boot. How long will battery last in hibernate. Thanks for any answers you can provide.
well....hmph...
This seems to be quite the nifty gadget. And from everyone elses comments ive shaped my own. YES other companies have made similar gadgets. The point wasnt to be the first on the market but to be a choice. We all love choices do we not? Im sure others will come and we will soon have plenty of choices in this pocket sized pc "market".
I like the OS. The though of OS X in general almost makes a bit of vomit come up... the ram should soon be higher, the OLED technology should be in effect thus less power consumption and richer color, possibly the text problem fixed as well. The 3d acceleration matters not to me, as long as i can play snood or mahjong or whatever im cool. The hd capacity is fine, but could maybe be a little more recent in technology so it doesnt burn our hands and rape the battery. Look, shape, keyboard and size seems fine... this is what all the tmobile sidekick people REALLY wanted. If the price came down to around 1200 and the above problems were addressed then im definetly sold.
I just wanna AIM, IRC, admin, check mail or a quick site and play a round of solitare or two. REAL gaming and work is for home! most 3d stuff i would ever do on it is pretty much anything that i can find that meets the requirements and has solid software acceleration. im not picky.... but u guys might be, you have all the right.
kudos OQO for the solid effort in the right direction!
I can't wait to get one!
It would be a lot better if it had 512MB RAM, 40GB HD, and cost much less ~$1,200 would be good.
But still good. I want one.
So what are the alternatives? The only thing I see that is comparable is the Sony U series. And unless you can speaka Japanesa, it is worth the same as a 1.8 lb rock. I've been waiting for this one, but I'll wait until they have a bigger HD, and wake-on-demand. $1900 is pretty steep. OQO (if you are listening): let's make it like $1200? PLEASEEEEEEEEEE!
I think it looks good for a first try - many improvements spring to mind: USB2, 11G etc, but i'm sure they'll come in the next version.
A truly portable computer running a full operating system so that I'll not have to adapt my way of working to a set of irritatingly cut down apps will be a God-send!
I'll buy one as soon as i can as it's the only device that really fits my bill, and I want OQO to create and release version 2 - which i'm sure will be the device I actually want to own...
I bought 2, I get them dec 13 2oo4, ask anything you want after I get them, I have to beta test them to deploy at a regional basis, about 150 of them ....
I have one of these and... What a disappointment!
1) The display setting it comes with is too dim to clearly read. In order to see the screen properly you have to set it at it's brightest and that *really* impacts battery life.
2) There is no Standby button - you have to go to Start - Shutdown etc... which is annoying when you need it off in a hurry.
3) The wifi is absolutely useless - unless you are within 15 feet of a hotspot forget about it. Every single other laptop I have goes at least 50 feet without too much problem. The main reason I wanted this machine was for using at hotspots - but unless you can get right next to one...
4) The tablet-like pen and software is beyond useless - youy can only calibrate top left and bottom right for the central area of the screen. You cannot reliably use any of the outlying 8 or so millimeters. What do OQO say? They suggest you resize all your scrollbars to make them big enough. Oh - and you don't get MS tablet software or handwriting recognition or anything - the tablet pen is totally useless in my opinion.
5) The heat output of this device is so much as to be unbearably hot - I mean it you practically burn your fingers. Ouch!
6) The display is messed up. It looks like OQO have taken a Pocket PC-type display and rotated it 90 degrees. This means that the left and right eyes see different levels of brightness and it's very tiring on the eye. Try rotating your laptop screen sideways and you'll see how bad it is.
7) Speaking of which, there is no facility to rotate the screen and use it in portrait mode - which *would* be much more readable. You *can* flip the screen 180 degrees but guess what? The mouse doesn't flip so it goes in all the wrong directions.
8) You *must* use two hands to move the mouse and click. Your right thumb moves the mouse and your left thumb clicks. This makes it impossible to do anything else at all while using it. If I want to show a friend something I can only have them look over my shoulder. The old Toshiba Libretto PCs used to place the mouse buttons *behind* the mouse pad so that the thumb and two fingers of the right hand could operate the mouse. This is *definitely* what OQO should have done.
9) It is impossible to use the OQO in low light. With a laptop enough light comes from the screen to light up the keyboard. The design of the OQO does not allow this. Therefore surfing while watching TV can only be done with a main light on. The keyboard should have had a light built in and used translucent keys.
10) The resolution of the screen really makes it impossible to read most web pages because it is set at an effective 1024 x 768 (well the top half of it anyway) but in such a small unit text size is miniscule. You can improve it a little by installing Microsoft ClearType but the only way I could really use it was to install Mozilla Firefox which *properly* enlarges all browser text at a single keypress (MSIE doesn't really do this very well). But... It does make web pages look very weird and not how they were designed. OQO also preset all Windows system fonts to their largest which sort-of helps - but Microsoft don't use these settings for important dialog boxes etc so you still have to squint and bring the unit close to your eyes anyway.
11) There is no built-in speaker - not even an itty bitsy one - you can only plug in headphones.
12) Speaking of headphones... I was hoping to be able to use this device like a wifi Ipod but the wifi is so poor you simply CANNOT stream any audio over this device unless you stand still next to the access point. And with only a 20Gb drive, if you have a lot of music you won't be able to copy much across to the OQO.
13. The Graphic speed of the OQO is apalling. One simple test is to go into Windows Media PLayer - play an MP3 and try to watch a visualisation. You would think you were back on a 286. Or you can place a few photos on the OQO then select the "My Picture Slideshow" screensaver - make sure "Use transition effects between pictures" is enabled. Just watch how pitifully long it takes just to fade between two pictures. I mean it - I was shocked - it's truly flabberghasting that OQO thought this was acceptable.
In summary. OQO market this as a single PC for work, home and travel. It is NOT. It's a slightly interesting toy to travel with (better buy another battery for $150 if you want more than 2 hours though) - but as a home or work PC PLEASE do not be fooled you will be totally disappointed and waste your money - it will be the slowest desktop PC you had since your last 286!
I signed up for an paid for one of the very first of these off the factory line because I was so impressed by it's spec. Now I feel a chump for having wasted my $2K.
Reply to Steve Miller's message #28... it does have usb 2.0 capability.
The docking station that comes with the OQO allows the device to actually be your main computer so a user can just arrive at their desk, slide the OQO into its docking station and start working as if the OQO were a desktop PC. The docking station allows for output to a monitor, projector, DVD player, and external speakers. The same docking station also provides an ethernet connection port, extra fire-wire port and extra USB 2.0 port (the OQO device has a fire-wire and USB 1.1 port built-into it as well for peripherals to be attached even without the docking station). Using either Bluetooth or USB 2.0 you can connect a keyboard to the OQO and type away. If you're on the road, the built-in QWERTY thumbpad keyboard and trackstick allow for easy input. Furthermore, if you want to slide the screen over the keyboard area, the OQO becomes a small tablet-style device. An included digital pen allows for input when the OQO is in this tablet-style mode, a scrollwheel can also be used for screen navigation in tablet mode.
I want to buy it from you if you sell it cheaper.
Thanks
Mladen
Yes we have looked at getting a couple of these for mobile data acquisition (via USB). Major plus point is not having to port all our software across to WinCE or PocketPC, or change our hardware to suit suppliers who can support their platforms etc. This saving would pay for several OQO's alone. Also the dollar being two to the pound(UK) nearly, they are relatively cheap and may be worth the flight over to pick up several.
I've used the OQO. It's a fantastic idea that is rendered almost completely useless by its size. You are jabbing at on screen buttons and controls less than a millimeter across. You have to hit them, and then pick the stylus up from them, without dragging, or they aren't activated. It's like a $2000 game of Pocket Whack-A-Mole. Nobody, least of all your average tech geek, has the hand eye coordination necessary to use this device as effectively as a desktop, and unlike a pocket/palm/mobile machine, there isn't a sizable amount of software designed with this machine in mind. What you wind up with is a device that is too big to be a media player, too small to be a laptop, too precise to be a palmtop and too expensive to be so schizophrenic.
Know what could save this toy? What could make it an honest-to-god tool? An OS that was designed to scale on screen controls by dpi, and not rely on absolute pixels. Unfortunately, neither OSX nor Microsoft's upcoming Longhorn do this. We can expect yet another 4 years of programs that force programmers to control their own programs' scaling...and thus, another 4 years of programs that don't scale.
What is this "space between a PDA and a laptop" that so many speak of? Does such a space exist??? Surely it's a small niche.
A Pocket PC (or a strong Palm) can do just plenty when it comes to apps in your pocket. And Pocket PCs, in particular, are very good at doing double duty as Portable Media Centers when paired with high density CF (either solid state or microdrive). With the VGA models (or even with QVGA, to be honest) many light weight desktop tasks can be accomplished on a PDA. I just dont see the "gap" between my thin and light Vaio S360 and my iPaq 4705.
A couple of other comments:
1) "mechanical hard drives" may be "20th century" but contrary to peanut gallery opinion, solid state is NOT cheap. The 8GB CF is $700 and up IF you can get it (they're BARELY out even now, MONTHS after the original posting). A 6GB microdrive is $250 and is very common.
2) Tablet OS does NOT add "$400" to the cost of a unit. Tablet OS is the SAME OEM COST AS XP PRO. Dont believe the BS that the traditional Tablet vendors are shoveling. Averatec has a fine tablet for $1100 brand new.
good info on this thread. twice the speed and storage would be nice. the flipstart looks promising too. i need something like this to store and review photos while travelling. the flashtrax is too slow and the screen is useless.
I really want to see this technology take off, its the perfect solution for my small business. It's easy enough to take with you. and even with the current version you could connect to broadband using its bluetooth to a EvDO phone.
I too have purchased an OQO Model 1, and I would like to just say a few things in it's defense.
#1 - This system was designed with the business traveller/user in mind. Running apps such as MSOffice, Lotus Notes, spreadsheets and such, have absolutely no problem whatsoever, since these are not often resource intensive applications, and do not rely on mind-blowing graphics. If you plan on working on-the-go with all of your files, this is great. It is by no means meant to be a media device, a video device, or a game machine. In may case, on-the-go workflow and communications were my primary concern, so this machine performs as expected. The WinXP front end usability was made to make our jobs easier and more familiar with our work environments, and not to take full advantage of XP's mutlimedia/video/music functions. Keep this in mind, and you don't get disappointed.
#2 - Typing - well, since I am an official graduate of the "Blackberry School of Typing" LOL, I have no problems with the thumb keypad. However, for those times when I need to really type like a fiend, I just pull out my VKB Laser Virtual Keyboard with Bluetooth - this unit is the size of a small pack of cigarettes, and connects to the OQO via Bluetooth flawlessly. I have used this on an airplane tray, on a clipboad on my lap in the terminal, and other places. Again, this unit delivers if your primary goal is to keep your work flow for your business going, and to keep up productivity. It is an excellent business app machine.
I believe the main push behind the OQO was, as was stated, to be the first on the market with this type of device. But, as a business owner, I was constantly carrying around a heavy notebook PC, my BlackBerry for quick emails, and my PocketPC Phone for various functions that I could quickly access. Now, with this device, I only carry the OQO, and a small T-Mobile phone - and that's it. It makes my life so much easier! And, in places where I don't have a Hot Spot, I just link my OQO to my phone's BlueTooth, and I use T-Mobile's data access. Too easy!
I have been able to easily open huge spreadsheets, view and edit PowerPoint presentations, author long Word documents and memos, use Outlook 2003 for email communicatons (both POP and imap), use Instant Messenger without any problems, and I have had no problems with hot spots. I have never had a problem at the airport, or in a Starbucks. In my home, I am able to go about 100-150 feet without signal degridation. The user who stated their signal was poor unless "right on the hotspot" should probably get their unit checked - that would be unacceptable to me, and thank goodness I have not had that problem.
All in all, reading these posts, everyone is expecting this unit to be a complete desktop replacement, with multimedia functions abounding - yet, please realize that this unit was never developed for that purpose, and their target audience is a niche limited to travelling business professionals. I would never recommend this unit to someone looking for a desktop replacement filled with mutlimedia functions, but rather someone who really cannot afford any gaps in their workflow. And in this function, my OQO has not disappointed me.
For all other functions, such as those indicated in previous posts (awesome game play, multimedia, music, graphics), I use my Dell Dimension XPS Gen 2 - a machine which is really made for that purpose.
Thanks
I too have purchased an OQO Model 1, and I would like to just say a few things in it's defense.
#1 - This system was designed with the business traveller/user in mind. Running apps such as MSOffice, Lotus Notes, spreadsheets and such, have absolutely no problem whatsoever, since these are not often resource intensive applications, and do not rely on mind-blowing graphics. If you plan on working on-the-go with all of your files, this is great. It is by no means meant to be a media device, a video device, or a game machine. In may case, on-the-go workflow and communications were my primary concern, so this machine performs as expected. The WinXP front end usability was made to make our jobs easier and more familiar with our work environments, and not to take full advantage of XP's mutlimedia/video/music functions. Keep this in mind, and you don't get disappointed.
#2 - Typing - well, since I am an official graduate of the "Blackberry School of Typing" LOL, I have no problems with the thumb keypad. However, for those times when I need to really type like a fiend, I just pull out my VKB Laser Virtual Keyboard with Bluetooth - this unit is the size of a small pack of cigarettes, and connects to the OQO via Bluetooth flawlessly. I have used this on an airplane tray, on a clipboad on my lap in the terminal, and other places. Again, this unit delivers if your primary goal is to keep your work flow for your business going, and to keep up productivity. It is an excellent business app machine.
I believe the main push behind the OQO was, as was stated, to be the first on the market with this type of device. But, as a business owner, I was constantly carrying around a heavy notebook PC, my BlackBerry for quick emails, and my PocketPC Phone for various functions that I could quickly access. Now, with this device, I only carry the OQO, and a small T-Mobile phone - and that's it. It makes my life so much easier! And, in places where I don't have a Hot Spot, I just link my OQO to my phone's BlueTooth, and I use T-Mobile's data access. Too easy!
I have been able to easily open huge spreadsheets, view and edit PowerPoint presentations, author long Word documents and memos, use Outlook 2003 for email communicatons (both POP and imap), use Instant Messenger without any problems, and I have had no problems with hot spots. I have never had a problem at the airport, or in a Starbucks. In my home, I am able to go about 100-150 feet without signal degridation. The user who stated their signal was poor unless "right on the hotspot" should probably get their unit checked - that would be unacceptable to me, and thank goodness I have not had that problem.
All in all, reading these posts, everyone is expecting this unit to be a complete desktop replacement, with multimedia functions abounding - yet, please realize that this unit was never developed for that purpose, and their target audience is a niche limited to travelling business professionals. I would never recommend this unit to someone looking for a desktop replacement filled with mutlimedia functions, but rather someone who really cannot afford any gaps in their workflow. And in this function, my OQO has not disappointed me.
For all other functions, such as those indicated in previous posts (awesome game play, multimedia, music, graphics), I use my Dell Dimension XPS Gen 2 - a machine which is really made for that purpose.
Thanks
I too am looking at this as a business tool, but more as compact respository of construction blueprints that can be easily accessed in the field, where conditions are often too poor to unfurl large rolls of blueprints. This pocket computer seems to offer a solution, but fromw hat I've read here, it may be too limited for viewing and editing CAD drawings. Small screen--so forth. But what if the small screen was supplanted by one of the new head mounted devices (HMDs) now coming on the market. Some have very large virtual viewing areas such as the Emagin 3d visor which is said to offer a view comparable to a 100" screen viewed from 12 ft away. Also, HMDs use a lot less power, which would extend the computer's battery life and some can be connected with a simple USB. Has anyone tried this approach, or does it make sense? John
I think the design is absoultely great. I feel the oqo model 2 should have minimum 1GB Ram, 40-60gb 7200RPM or SATA HD, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, Firewire, possible cell phone sim integration, Biometrics fingerprint reader, INTEL Proccessor M LOW POWER version, DVI, and have Wireless WAN through Verizon Broadband Access. Then I WILL BUY IT.