OQO Video From CeBIT

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/1606-2-5222650.html' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/1606-2-5222650.html</a><br /><br /></div>Interested in the OQO? Intrigued by Janak, Suhit and Kati's <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,28599">report from CeBIT</a> and thier <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,28713">closer look</a>? Then have a look at <a href="http://news.com.com/1606-2-5222650.html">this video</a> from CeBIT America 2004 at News.com.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/0527OQO_v.gif" /><br /><br />If you can't get your hands on a device, then a video of it in action is the next best thing. I certainly learned a few things about the OQO handling from this one. However yet again, whenever I read about the OQO the price is the thing I came away remembering. "Under $2000!" 8O That's some quote, that's some price!

[felixdd]

I love it when the guy says, "this has got really good battery life for a device of its class" :lol:

[x999x]

Personally, I wouldn't be using it for more than an hour in one sitting, and much like when I'm forced to use a laptop, I've always got it plugged in the moment I'm in the hotel, office, or near a jack.

The same can be said for the oqo, which is why I reckon the oqo spokesman pointed out that "this has got really good battery life for a device of it's class," because it's not a PocketPC.

[azhiker]

I liked the grin at the end when he was asked the price, "less than two thousand dollars!!!" :lol:

Why is it then when I think of a Pocket PC going into VGA it is making something small much bigger and more useful. But thinking of a laptop going into Palm size with an 800 wide screen is just too small and less useful for what I want a laptop for!!?? 8O

And a Pocket PC is around $500, but to spend four times that for something about the same size seems not only foolish, but foolhardy! :?

[Kacey Green]

woot! "Under $2000, in the fall" This may very well be the year (I'll have to start saving) :D

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=252017#252017

[TheScream]

I am so going to try and get work to buy me one for... um... testing purposes...

[dazz]

I saw this video a couple of days ago and was actually pretty impressed. I haven't really been impressed till now because they just seem like they are WAY too expensive. 8O

I DO like the peizo (is that how you spell that? :? ) electronics, that part where the HD head parks when it is in free fall.

Surprisingly, there is no mention of needing a second pair of underwear for when you drop it. :wink:

While they have added some nice tech into it I still think that a PPC or WinCE device is better for most. What do you do if you do break this or lose it in a Cab? It is your MAIN computer. You will have to hope to have VERY good backup procedures and a quick supplier.

With a PPC or Windows CE unit you would still have all your info on your computer and can sync and go.

Hey, BOTH would be nice though. 8)

[goofy166]

Whats the big deal with dropping it, isnt it the same problem as dropping any laptop? Or do people drop small things more easily?

Me I will buy one the moment they hit the stores or the net or the back street alleyways. I think this is a way better solution because of the 800 wide screen, I really don't view the web on my iPAQ because I hate all that horz scrolling. Even the new landscape mode ain't gonna do it for me.

The price is steep when you consider what you can get in a laptop for 2K-DVD, realistic keyboard, etc. But for a plane trip, or latte run, I think this is ideal.

[ctmagnus]

Having just seen the video, I must say that if this was guaranteed to be drop-proof (at least as much so as my iPaq, and not just the HDD) and it was much cheaper, I'd be all over it.

[jlp]

I don't know about drop proof guarantee, but they're using LiquidMetal (http://www.liquidmetal.com/) alloy which the manufacturer says has "more than twice the strength of titanium"

You have to watch their impressive video demo!!

[Jonathon Watkins]

I don't know about drop proof guarantee, but they're using LiquidMetal (http://www.liquidmetal.com/) alloy which the manufacturer says has "more than twice the strength of titanium"

You have to watch their impressive video demo!!

I did, here (http://www.liquidmetal.com/news/dsp.multimedia.asp). Good, simple and effective demonstration. Interesting what you can do with Zirconium. :)

So, when do our PPCs get made with this stuff? :wink: I wonder what the new titanium HP will be like......

[IpaqMan2]

Why is it then when I think of a Pocket PC going into VGA it is making something small much bigger and more useful. But thinking of a laptop going into Palm size with an 800 wide screen is just too small and less useful for what I want a laptop for!!?? 8O

And a Pocket PC is around $500, but to spend four times that for something about the same size seems not only foolish, but foolhardy! :?

I think the point at which OQO is taking is that their device is not some "toy" running special software or something else, (which many people in the business world and IT world see PDAs as). Nor is the OQO is a replacement for the Laptop, just as Tablet PC's were not designed as a replacement for Laptops.

I admit that the OQO is pricey, but if I were a business executive or IT management, I'd far rather have a device like this than any current PDAs. No more worrying about fiddling around with software to mimic what I want in a portable mobile computing device that could fit in a pocket, True portability of applications from the work environment and home environment, TRUE compatibility and synchronizing of data with other computers in the corporate environment, real network security and configurations, no special learning curves, and the list goes on.

Ultimately, the perfect PDA in the world, would be for me to hold my PC in the palm of my hand, for it to be truly portable, fit in my pocket , and go with me where ever I am. I mean aren't our PDA's just an extension of our PCs and what information we can bring with us? Can't PC's do everything PDAs can do now? Show me a person who owns a PDA with out owning a PC of some sort and I'll show you a person who fully can't take advantage of their PDAs.

[dazz]

The price is steep when you consider what you can get in a laptop for 2K-DVD, realistic keyboard, etc. But for a plane trip, or latte run, I think this is ideal.

Well, maybe for a short plane trip. :wink:

[Jonathon Watkins]

Surprisingly, there is no mention of needing a second pair of underwear for when you drop it. :wink:


:lol:

Very good. It's true though that spending so much, on something that small and that is meant to go everywhere with you, gives you a certain pause for thought.

[cmariotti]

Okay, well... As I've been saying for many years... The pocketPC can't grow up to be a PC...but a PC can shrink to a pocketPC size.

I definately see the demise of the PocketPC and any hand-held/laptop device. The form factor is about as good as it can get... Those saying that it's $2,000 (4 times the price of PocketPC) should put their heads on straight... PocketPC's cost $1,000+ when they first came out (and higher when you factor in all the extras). It IS a desktop replacement. It IS better in every respect in terms of speed, resolution, functionality, expansion, etc... battery life, in case you didn't notice, won't be an issue, you can just carry "extras" or I'm sure there will be a thicker battery (aka Compaq's thick alternate batteries).

The PocketPC has only a few things going for it .... Cell Phone Integration (one device does it all). Although even with BlueTooth you can browse the web from anywhere with a bluetooth phone.

I just don't see any comparison... this machine kicks PocketPC's butt. Of course, you can count on everyone in the industry saying "Me Too"... An ASUS version would be interesting to see... Dell... Count on it. 8O

[dazz]

I can see where having a pocketable PC like the OQO is really quite nice but I don't see it replacing the PocketPC. Sorry.

I use my computer for my work everyday and always have a LOT on my plate. If I lost my PC, my whole PC, I would loose everything since my last backup and would not be able to get ANY work done until I get a new computer and restore everything from my backup. That would also mean having to reinstall all of the programs I use on my computer.

With a PocketPC, I have 2 copies of my critical information. If something happens to one I can still get work done on the other. I would still need to backup and restore but could get work done in the meantime.

I just could not afford to take the chance of carrying my complete PC and losing it, no matter the convenience of having more functionality.

Down the road, it is possible we will be carrying complete PC's in our pockets. When hosted applications, online backups and hardware have improved to the point where the above is moot, THEN I will be ready to take the chance.

This generation of mini notebooks just does not offer that security and DOES suffer from a much shorter battery life and high price.

Maybe in 5 years...

[Jonathon Watkins]

Okay, well... As I've been saying for many years... The pocketPC can't grow up to be a PC...but a PC can shrink to a pocketPC size.

Not quite true. Devices are convirging from difernt directions. PDAs are becoming more powerfull and PCs are becoming less powerfull & smaller. It's a question of which balance of features, funtions, peformace & price you need.

I definately see the demise of the PocketPC and any hand-held/laptop device. The form factor is about as good as it can get...

Nah - there's lots of room for optimization, innovation & improvement. PPC2003SE allows for a large variety of form factors. Watch this space for what Pocket PCs will evolve into......

Those saying that it's $2,000 (4 times the price of PocketPC) should put their heads on straight... PocketPC's cost $1,000+ when they first came out (and higher when you factor in all the extras). It IS a desktop replacement. It IS better in every respect in terms of speed, resolution, functionality, expansion, etc...

It is not a desktop replacement for the majority of folks. Sure, it's got 'better' hardware than PDAs (at the moment), but it's not up to scratch as your main machine. 256Mb of RAM - for Windows XP? Shuuuuuuuuure. :roll: :wink: Hardware needs to be appropriate for the task - and this isn't quite it.

battery life, in case you didn't notice, won't be an issue, you can just carry "extras" or I'm sure there will be a thicker battery (aka Compaq's thick alternate batteries).

At 2 hours of battery life, you'd better be packing a lot of batteries. :wink: The battiers ain't cheep either you know.....

The PocketPC has only a few things going for it .... Cell Phone Integration (one device does it all). Although even with BlueTooth you can browse the web from anywhere with a bluetooth phone.

I just don't see any comparison... this machine kicks PocketPC's butt. Of course, you can count on everyone in the industry saying "Me Too"... An ASUS version would be interesting to see... Dell... Count on it. 8O

Well see where we are a few generation on. But by then, PDAs will be several generation on as well. This does not offer enough power to be a desktop replacement, cost too much and is not optimized enough to be a PDA replacement. It's about a balance of characteristics and I believe that Pocket PCs are still in the sweet spot as far as portability, expandability, performance & price are concerned. 8)

[maikii]

Looks like a cool device. I think there are similar tiny PCs coming out soon, such as the "Flipstart". It would be nice to see a comparison.

I think the discussion of whether such devices will "replace notebook PCs" or "replace PDAs" is beside the point. They probably will never replace either, but create a new type of device.

There already are some very small subnotebooks available. This just pushes that direction still smaller.

No, such a device could NEVER replace a full size notebook, for most people that is. Even if the functionality, storage and speed were exactly the same. Because---the screen is much smaller, and the keyboard is much smaller. For those two reasons alone--the tiny screen and keyboard--such a device could never replace a notebook. No one is going to write a novel on one of these devices, on the thumb keyboard.

Such a device could only replace a PDA if they became just as small as PDAs, and if the price was similar. If that were the case, why would anyone want to buy a PDA, if for the same price and same size you could get much better functionality, the ability to run all Windows programs, rather than the much more limited PDA programs?

However, from the pictures, it looks considerably larger than a PDA, and the initial price will be much higher. I'm sure the prices will drop with time, especially with competition (I'm glad there is more than one such device in development!), but I doubt the prices will ever go as low as PDAs.

So--they might replace PDAs for some people--those who don't mind paying the price, and who don't mind a larger size, but not for most PDA users, at least for the present time. Over time, if sizes and prices go much lower, perhaps. Definitely they will never replace a full size notebook.

[Mark Johnson]

PocketPC's cost $1,000+ when they first came out (and higher when you factor in all the extras).


I think that might be a stretch, but I will admit my PPC habit has cost enough to make me think pretty hard about just biting the bullet and getting The One unit that does it all. Even if it is quite a bit more...


It IS a desktop replacement.


You're exactly right there. The "math" we should consider is not does a $2000 OQO do 4x what my $500 iPaq does, but rather does it do what my $500 iPaq AND my $2400 Toshiba m205 Tablet PC AND my $1500 P4 desktop? If I can use it with my desktop LCD anyway, and the docking works well, then I could be saving money...

To me, the only show-stopper problem with the OQO is the USB 1.1 instead of 2.0 choice they (inconceivably) made in the design. FireWire is just useless (who is going to edit video on a 5" screen?!? Or even with a bigger external monitor, it won't have the performance for real video editing which is about the only FireWire niche left.) On the other hand, USB 2.0 is something I use all the time...

[farnold]

I'm keeping an eye on OQO for about two years now - that's about how long they are running a web page telling us about their plans for a device. Should it really become reality 8O ... :D

I don't see it replacing Notebooks, TabletPCs or PDAs - I see it purely as an interim solution until such time when you can fit enough memory, better screens and more interfaces into a PDA-size device - and until Windows Desktop OS can run on them. Let's be honest - the problem with this solution will be battery life. I doubt their statement that it will run 3 hours while using a hard disk, the resolution, wireless and BT... 30 minutes may be more realistic :?

And I think there is a mistake in their strategy right from the beginning. The idea of having a full PC in your palm will be of interest for a small group of geeks - oops, us here I think :D ... the broader market will more and more ask for solutions based on components of a PC for specific functions / usage. Their concept just answers the questioon "How small can a full PC be?" and entirely lacks what people are interested in doing with it.

[Gen-M]

Looks like a cool device. I think there are similar tiny PCs coming out soon, such as the "Flipstart". It would be nice to see a comparison.

Check out http://www.handtops.com/show/compare for comparisons.

[Gen-M]

To me, the only show-stopper problem with the OQO is the USB 1.1 instead of 2.0 choice they (inconceivably) made in the design. FireWire is just useless (who is going to edit video on a 5" screen?!? Or even with a bigger external monitor, it won't have the performance for real video editing which is about the only FireWire niche left.) On the other hand, USB 2.0 is something I use all the time...

I understand your desire for USB 2.0. However, you can use FireWire for an external hard drive interface, instead of USB 2.0. 20GB disk is not enough for my requirements.

[Jonathon Watkins]

... you can use FireWire for an external hard drive interface, instead of USB 2.0. 20GB disk is not enough for my requirements.

What are your requirements btw, in that they are not met by 20Gb?

Large numbers of multi mega-pixel RAW camera shots?

[Gen-M]

... you can use FireWire for an external hard drive interface, instead of USB 2.0. 20GB disk is not enough for my requirements.

What are your requirements btw, in that they are not met by 20Gb?

Large numbers of multi mega-pixel RAW camera shots?

I have not had a desktop since 1994 :) . I use a laptop and a PPC to run my business and my life. I have found that storage obeys a corollary to Parkinson's Law: "The need for storage rises to exceed the storage available" :? . I currently have a 30GB hard drive that is almost full. (Simulation Models, Business Models, Databases, Books, Specifications, Proposals, Movies, etc.). I could offload much of it to tertiary storage, but experience tells me that when I need it, it will not be with me if I do. So I'm looking for at least 40GB. :mrgreen:

[Kati Compton]

To me, the only show-stopper problem with the OQO is the USB 1.1 instead of 2.0 choice they (inconceivably) made in the design. FireWire is just useless (who is going to edit video on a 5" screen?!? Or even with a bigger external monitor, it won't have the performance for real video editing which is about the only FireWire niche left.) On the other hand, USB 2.0 is something I use all the time...
FireWire can still be used to transfer stuff. ipods, for example, have firewire.

We did ask about this, saying that it seemed a bit odd to have USB 1.1 on there. If I'm remembering correctly, it's that the processor happens to have built-in support for USB 1.1. They would have had to add another chip to get 2.0 support, which means getting rid of something else, whereas 1.1 support was "free" apart from the connector space. I'm not sure if Firewire was also on that chip or not (ie, could they have traded with no penalty? Dunno.)

It is unfortunate, but I would suspect that in the relatively near future, USB 2.0 would be on-chip instead of 1.1, at which point the OQO would have it. Maybe in OQO2: The Sequel.

[Jonathon Watkins]

If I was considering a OQO I could be OK with Firewire personally. Agreed, USB2 would be ideal, but Firewire is faster than USB2 in some circumstances. I would only be interested in a 2 or 3rd generation unit, when they iron all the problems out, included USB2 and drop the price. But by then PPCs will be even better. :mrgreen:

[snowlion]

funny quote is saw in a 4/2002 article on news.com

"The major difference is that the OQO device, which will come out in the second half of the year for around $1,000, is a complete Windows XP computer"

2 years later the price has doubled...but still due to "come out in the second half of the year".

----

this device will fail for 1 reason - price. it's priced near the price of a laptop with no where near the critical functions.

some of the following maybe doable - but not easily.

i want to watch a dvd - can't

i want to move images from by SD/CF card - can't

i want to transfer data fast - can't

i want to use it for 3-4 hrs on a x-country flight - can't

i want it to start up fast - can't

i want to sync with desktop data - can't

in a hotel i wan't to connect to the internet using NIC - can't

i want to type in a long report - can't - not with the thumbboard


basically, if it was priced at $1000 - i would have to think long and hard. at $2000 - it's an easy decision.

[Gen-M]

some of the following maybe doable - but not easily.
This is why I wish that the team had discussed the Multi-interface cable that will come with the OQO....

i want to watch a dvd - can't
Most Subnotebook Laptops use external CD/DVD players - Firewire players are available

i want to move images from by SD/CF card - can't
This has been beat to death above :twisted:

i want to transfer data fast - can't
Firewire is slow?

i want to use it for 3-4 hrs on a x-country flight - can't
My laptop doesn't get 3-4 hours, either - unless I swap batteries.

i want it to start up fast - can't
This is your most valid point - I will probably continue to use a 1945 class PPC for PIM functionality. With Bluetooth sync to the OQO.

i want to sync with desktop data - can't
What is stopping you? (does XP ship with the Briefcase app?)

in a hotel i wan't to connect to the internet using NIC - can't
Why not use the built-in NIC with the RJ45 port on the docking cable?

i want to type in a long report - can't - not with the thumbboard
Can't on any PDA, either. Many PDA owners carry folding keyboards for this functionality.

basically, if it was priced at $1000 - i would have to think long and hard. at $2000 - it's an easy decision.
It's your pocketbook. Your decision. Others are free to make their own value judgements.

[Kacey Green]

It is unfortunate, but I would suspect that in the relatively near future, USB 2.0 would be on-chip instead of 1.1, at which point the OQO would have it. Maybe in OQO2: The Sequel.
yeah, sometime in 2009 :roll: