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OQO isn’t Quite a Laptop, but it’s More than a PDA

The Ultra-Mobile PC, or UMPC, is a strange breed of gadget. It’s not quite a laptop, with it generally being smaller, less powerful, and less functional than one, but it’s more than a mere phone or PDA. It’s a bit too big to keep in your pocket, but it’s small enough to be able to carry around in a bag without giving yourself permanent shoulder problems. It’s designed to let you go online and edit documents quickly and easily without requiring the heft of a full laptop.

One of the hottest UMPCs around is the OQO. Connecting to the web via speedy wireless EVDO, it keeps you connected from wherever you are. It’s smaller than earlier UMPC models as well, making it even easier to carry around. It saves space with its sliding keyboard, but it keeps its nice, big five-inch display so you can see everything clearly. So go ahead, make the leap to that grey area between computer and PDA. You’ll be happy you did.

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Published by Adam on July 25th, 2007 and listed in Computers.

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Chris Jones 07/25/2007 12:47 PM 1 point
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I have an OQO model 02 and I agree, it is by far the best UMPC out there. The only thing you have wrong is that is not less powerful than a laptop. Mine has 1GB RAM and a 1.5 GHz processor. Sure, it does no come with a core duo and 3 GB RAM, but for most business applications, it works just perfect.

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griz 07/25/2007 04:15 PM 1 point
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I was unable to get the OQO2 that Chris has before my recent trip to China. I opted for a Sony UX280. The Sony is not a bad little machine, but the thumb board is not very good and the screen - even though it is exceptional - is hard on my 56 year old eyes. The OQO's screen is just a tad bigger, so I do not know if that makes a dramatic difference.

One thing the OQO marketing team should do is allow the purchasers of this high-end device decide which battery a user wants at purchase time. It comes with a standard battery with no way to upgrade to the longer life battery. Where this really comes into play is if you purchase a metal case for the OQO. If you have a regular battery and an extended life battery the metal case you get will only fit one battery configuration - not both.

Two issues that really killed the usefulness of the Sony unit and are shared with the OQO2:

* Long start up times. This made using my translation software impractical in real world situations. Who is going to stand around waiting for a computer to start up when they are trying to help you? Instant on is critical to the success of this "form factor. (YUK - I hated writing that expression!)"

* The other thing is the lack of an RJ45 connector. While this is old tech, it is still useful tech when traveling in remote locations. I found very few open, wireless networks in China. The OQO2's apparently include a dongle for this, Sony did not include one and the USB-RJ45 I picked up did not work with the Sony-XP configuration.

And finally, it is about time that manufacturers solve this problem: using the display in bright light/sunlight. The screen technology is available why not use it and drive the price for that screen technology down to affordable levels.

All of this said, I agree the OQO2 is a dynamite little machine - probably a measurable bit better than the Sony. However, I will not replace my Sony for the OQO2 when I sell my Sony in a few days. The only reason is that the screen size is just too small for me. That may not be an issue for you younger gadget freaks. :)

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