MobileTechReview Reviews the OQO Model 01 Computer

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/OQO-model-01.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.mobiletechreview.com/not...QO-model-01.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Make no mistake, the OQO model 01 is one of the most impressive technological feats of the decade. OQO spent five years developing this handheld computer, and likely it took every day to fit a PC into a device the size of a large PDA. The model 01, currently the only OQO model, runs Windows XP Home Edition rather than a PDA operating system, yet it will fit easily in a purse, brief case or roomy pocket. At 4.9 x 3.4 x .9 inches, the device isn't much larger than large Pocket PC and Palm models such as the Palm LifeDrive and HP iPAQ hx4700, though it is heavier at 14 ounces."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/ekkie_OQO.jpg" /><br /><br />In case you've been living under a rock this past year, the OQO is a true PC, but with much smaller size dimensions that rival of some of today's PDAs. The device is definitely off-the-charts in terms of innovation and wow-factor, but the knock against it has been with its performance, ease-of-use compromises, and of course, the sky-high $2000 pricetag. If this device is at all a curiosity to you, jump on over to <a href="http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/OQO-model-01.htm">MobileTechReview</a> and see what Tong finds when he takes it for a test drive.

[jonathanchoo]

It's reviewed by Lisa.

[mv]

Please early adopters, but this, so i can buy an improved OQO2 for under $1000. I´ll love it. :D

[stevelam]

Why didn't they put Tablet Edition on it???????? It would make it so much more useable.

[possmann]

Here Here!

This really screams TabletPC OS - it would be perfect for it!

[surur]

I must say I am impressed, especially by the battery life of 2.75 hours with WIFI on. Its also only a tad bigger than the hp4705, and not as thick as I thought it would be.

After a few years, who knows... I do think it would benefit from optimization of the software, which kinds of leads to the circular road ending in Windows Mobile.

Surur

[Marcel_Proust]

I must say I am impressed, especially by the battery life of 2.75 hours with WIFI on. Its also only a tad bigger than the hp4705, and not as thick as I thought it would be.

After a few years, who knows... I do think it would benefit from optimization of the software, which kinds of leads to the circular road ending in Windows Mobile.

Surur
Agree completely. But not ready for prime time quite yet. What I don't understand is the pen - you can't write at an angle!!?
The 5" screen is very nice, about the max before it's just not pocketable at all. I can see this being a laptop replacement, as my the 4700 or e800 can be, and a little phone enabled wm machine being a nice combination.

[SteveHoward999]

I have no idea what the developmnt decision was driven by, but my memory says that Tablet Edition had loads of bugs that were nit fixed unto SP2, which was not available when the OQO came out.

[ghostppc]

:drool: I want one!!! Quick someone give me $2000!!!!

:cry: I guess I'll have to wait until they come down in price....hopefully by then all the bugs will be worked out. I wonder if small pc's like this containing large storage is helping to drive down the cost of removable memory. What do you guys think, will the OQO phase out the today's pda's? Get an OQO thoughts site started Jason! :mrgreen:

[dazz]

I must say, I don't get all the excitement about this unit!!

I agree that it is cool that they can fit all that into such a small device but I don't see that this really appeals to the masses. I would have thought that only those that need a specific application while on the go would need this type of unit.

For me, it would scare the pants off me to have my $2000 device in my hand, not to mention the value of the data on it!!

While it may not have happened to you yet, you will drop or lose your mobile gear at some point, most likely. If that mobile gear is your whole computer you are only as good as your last backup and still have a lot of work and expense to get back up and running.

With PocketPC's begin as capable as they are and with foldable keyboards (which, BTW, are MUCH easier to touch type on than the OQO keyboard) why take the risk of buying and carrying this unit?

While the battery life looks good compared to laptops, it is not even close to PPC times. So, I can't see this as being greatly useful for road warriors either.

I understand that some will not care about losing one of these, probably because they can afford to have a desktop and an OQO. And I understand that some people need one in order to run an app that will not run on PPC but are there really that many that should?

Help me understand!! :wink:

[Len M.]

USB 1.1 (not 2.0)?

No PCMCIA or CF or even SD slots?

What are these guys thinking?

[SteveHoward999]

For me, it would scare the pants off me to have my $2000 device in my hand, not to mention the value of the data on it!!

With PocketPC's begin as capable as they are and with foldable keyboards (which, BTW, are MUCH easier to touch type on than the OQO keyboard) why take the risk of buying and carrying this unit?

I understand that some will not care about losing one of these, probably because they can afford to have a desktop and an OQO. And I understand that some people need one in order to run an app that will not run on PPC but are there really that many that should?

Help me understand!! :wink:


My laptop cost the equivalent of $4,500 when I bought it. The OQO is a lot cheaper than that, and way more portable. My laptop is my work, my life, my every .... er ... well it has everything important on it. I would not blink at the cost of the OQO. Well, OK I would, but it is not that expensive for me, when seen as a work tool.

I work away from home a lot. The OQO's portability is perfect for the traveler.

None of the software I use for work has a suitable PDA equivalent. And don't even think about listing thinks like Pocket Word and Pocket Excel ... they are crap and don't even count as 1% of the tools I use for work.

The OQO not quite good enough to do what I would need, and it certainly does not seem good enough to be a laptop replacement ... but it does not have to improve a great deal before it becomes very attractive to me to consider replacing my laptop with one, or at the very least having one as a backup device and ultra-portable travelling computer for when I really do not want to lug that brick of mine around.

--

[Darius Wey]

Get an OQO thoughts site started Jason! :mrgreen:

Oh, we had one. But it only lasted a day in April, and boy, was it enjoyable while it lasted!? ;)

[dazz]

StevenHoward999, you actually are making my point! ;)

You would have to agree that most people would not readily by a $4500 notebook or use the OQO as an additional computer. Most are going to want to use it as their only computer. If that is the case you are still going to haVE the problems I mentioned with backups and such.

In addition, most are not going to need the powerful applications you do. Certainly, there are many that will not need desktop applications, epecially if it means at the compromise of such short battery life and high cost.

I think the biggest problem with the OQO is the keyboard. While it makes for a small device it isn't even close to being touch typable.

[SteveHoward999]

I think the only people who are going to buy it today are gadget lovers with money to burn, and a tiny number of professionals for who it really is a useful device.


But if they make a few improvements, and we get some other technologies catching up a little (if that lazer keyboard ever becomes mainstream. for instance) then lots more people like me will buy them.

Ordinary PDA users won't ever shell out for an OQO as it stands - and even with significant improvements in features, usability and price, I am still pretty sure few would buy it. Look at how manyu would rather have a fancy phone than a high-end PDA like the HP 4700 or the Toshiba E830 ...

[jlp]

USB 1.1 (not 2.0)?

No PCMCIA or CF or even SD slots?

What are these guys thinking?

Prpobably a lot more than you do :roll::

These guys are top engineers from Apple, Ibm, Oracle, MIT, etc.

They know about engineering and electronics probably much more than all of us combined. They knew about USB 2.0 before most of us did.

Simply there was no USB 2.0 controller chip small enough to fit in a tiny PC (remember this whole device is about the size of my Dell Axim x5, yet packs an HDD, a much larger screen, 4x the memory and 4x the battery capacity AND a keyboard).

HOWEVER they put the USB and Wifi chips on 2 daughter boards for easy update when the right chips are available 8)

Then a PCMCIA slot would so obviously: 1) make the device a lot larger and heavier, and 2) suck a lot more juice.

So these are the obvious reasons why they didn't include these.

[surur]

In other words a huge exercise in compromises.

Surur

[jlp]

I must say, I don't get all the excitement about this unit!!

Fine, that means you don't need it 8).

...For me, it would scare the pants off me to have my $2000 device in my hand, not to mention the value of the data on it!!

While it may not have happened to you yet, you will drop or lose your mobile gear at some point, most likely. If that mobile gear is your whole computer you are only as good as your last backup and still have a lot of work and expense to get back up and running.

Same with other valuable objects like cars, planes, attachés, etc. except an OQO that you can hide in your pocket is much much less prone to be stolen... Then the OQO features 1) a body made of LiquidMetal, a special alloy that's 2.5 times harder than... Titanium!! 2) it's fitted with a freefall detection mechanisme that instantly parks the HDD's head.

So chances are high that a small drop will leave your data unharmed. Those 2 security features are part of the reason the devices has a high value, not only cost. 8)

With PocketPC's begin as capable as they are and with foldable keyboards (which, BTW, are MUCH easier to touch type on than the OQO keyboard) why take the risk of buying and carrying this unit?

Somehow you fail to see the OQO can use these BT or USB keyboards too :wink: At least you don't have to bring one for light editing and ideas, URL, etc. input :p Plus the integrated keyboard is much more efficient than handwriting 8).


While the battery life looks good compared to laptops, it is not even close to PPC times. So, I can't see this as being greatly useful for road warriors either.

Obviously enough (so I'd thought) its usefulness lies much more in its ability to run desktop apps; the short battery life is just a small con that is easilly addressed by taking a small second battery along... until the hi-cap one is available at last :wink:.


I understand that some will not care about losing one of these, probably because they can afford to have a desktop and an OQO. And I understand that some people need one in order to run an app that will not run on PPC but are there really that many that should?

Probably enough to warrant a success. As evidenced elsewhere on these boards, a device doesn't need to sell by the tens of millions to be called successful. PPCs can be referred to as successful, yet I rarely see one in people's hands (but obviously they are used much less during the day than, say, an MP3 player).



Help me understand!! :wink:

Does it help a bit? 8)

To summarize: the OQO Model 01 is NOT a mass market product (neither are PDAs); but a niche product (so are PDAs) for the top PDA power users, most road warriors and many of the field workers (medical, repair, warehouse, etc.) who absolutely need to run WinXP apps; and it's for the rich geeks too :wink:.


Infologix understands it well, as "Infologix forms strategic partnership with OQO to provide complete mobility solutions to vertical markets" (http://www.oqo.com/company/news/releases/show/pr0013)

[dazz]

:D :D Exactly what I was thinking! 8)

I guess most mobile gear could be argued to be a compromise, but I don't think the OQO comes out on top.

Personal opinion. :wink:

[dazz]

My last post was in response to Surur.

JLP, I never said this was not going to appeal to anyone, just that there would be a select few that would benefit from it. I can see where some could benefit but I really don't think there will be many. Let's just see how long the OQO is around, okay. :wink:

Great products do, unfortunately, need to have enough customers to keep the manufacturer making a profit on their products. I'm just not convinced the OQO will have enough takers.

[Len M.]

USB 1.1 (not 2.0)?

No PCMCIA or CF or even SD slots?

What are these guys thinking?

Prpobably a lot more than you do :roll::

Not likely. For twenty-plus years I designed electronics for the USAF at major defense contractors. And now I design high-end audio gear and Pocket PC-hosted hardware.


These guys are top engineers from Apple, Ibm, Oracle, MIT, etc.

They know about engineering and electronics probably much more than all of us combined. They knew about USB 2.0 before most of us did.


Not a chance.

Simply there was no USB 2.0 controller chip small enough to fit in a tiny PC



Nope. The reason it's USB 1.1 is because they started the product roughly five years ago and they froze that part of the design too early. Bad systems engineering.


HOWEVER they put the USB and Wifi chips on 2 daughter boards for easy update when the right chips are available 8)


Whether they provided the data bandwidths that will allow upgrade remains to be seen. I wouldn't bet on it.


Then a PCMCIA slot would so obviously: 1) make the device a lot larger and heavier, and 2) suck a lot more juice.


Again, the reason there's no slots (even a tiny SD slot) is because they froze the design years ago, long before an SD slot was considered a requirement.

This looks like a 1999 design that took forever to make it to market. In my opinion they've missed their window of opportunity by at least two years. And unless their profit margin per unit is huge, they're dead ducks.

[jlp]

Why do you act so hard to leave the impression you show a cocky attitude?

I say OQO thought about it more than you did and you said "not likely" that means you spent a lot more than 20 years about the development of such a device (OQO had at least 4 engineers working for 5 years on it)

I say they knew about USB 2.0 a lot earlier than most of us and you said "Not a chance." It's quite likely most of us here are not electric/electronic engineers, so it's quite likely I'm right here too :p

Quote Len M.: "The reason it's USB 1.1 is because they started the product roughly five years ago and they froze that part of the design too early. Bad systems engineering." You sound like you have inside information; what evidences you have they "froze that part of the design too early"? Most probably none, you're just gratuitously speculating to imply you'd be right when obviously you aren't :roll:.

The actual Model 01 (presented in January 2004) is quite different from the prototype they showed in April 2002 at WinHEC; so NO, no such thing was frozen early in the design schedule; another evidence you're dead wrong saying "This looks like a 1999 design"!!!

What other evidences you have that tiny enough USB 2.0 chip controllers were available in late 2002 and 2003, when the current device was being engineered??

Quote Len M.: "Whether they provided the data bandwidths that will allow upgrade remains to be seen. I wouldn't bet on it." Have you taken one apart to be so cocky about your implying??

Tell me a very good reason (but NOT one of your usual ones) that this device HAS to have an SD slot??

What field of activity requires a professional PC to have an integrated SD slot, especially when you can find everywhere cheap tiny keychain USB SD readers?

.

[Len M.]

I say OQO thought about it more than you did and you said "not likely" that means you spent a lot more than 20 years about the development of such a device (OQO had at least 4 engineers working for 5 years on it)


My team certainly spent lots more than 20 man years working on very portable PCs. It was probably on the order of 100 man years or more.

Your original post was a good one. It said what I expect a sharp non-engineer would say.

In my opinion, there's nothing unique about the OQO that any good engineering team couldn't have done. The engineering trade-offs are all reasonable for a product that was slated to be released back in 2002 or maybe 2003, as they originally intended.

This product clearly took too long to reach the market -- whether because of financial or technical issues only they can say. In my opinion the design shows the effects of compromises made under those pressures.


You sound like you have inside information; what evidences you have they "froze that part of the design too early"? Most probably none...


I've been following the OQO story since they announced the project. My opinion is that the design became locked into using devices that are now obsolete. They needed to get to market and couldn't keep updating the design to use what now would be the obvious choices in ICs.


What field of activity requires a professional PC to have an integrated SD slot, especially when you can find everywhere cheap tiny keychain USB SD readers?


In my opinion, a PC that's designed to be as small as the OQO is competing with Pocket PCs and laptop PCs. So the question then becomes: "why do almost all Pocket PCs and laptop PCs have slots and the OQO doesn't?"

I'd guess (and it's only a guess based on how I interpret the market niche that the OQO now addresses) that the OQO team decided that it was going to be a replacement for a desktop PC, not for a laptop PC and certainly not for a Pocket PC. Desktop PCs don't need slots.

Desktop PCs need fast interfaces to external devices and these days that means Firewire and/or USB. The OQO chose to include a fast Firewire port and USB became the stepsister, the function that was left behind -- they simply decided not to update it to the 2.0 specs. To me that's a shortcoming in the design. Of course you might decide otherwise.

[Jason Lee]

well now that the pocket pc/palm holy war is over it's time to start a new one. except this time it will be a civil war. pocket pc verses ultra portable pc!

we just have to wait for the ultra portables to catch on a little more then we'll be set.

just look what's going on here. ;)

[dazz]

Jason Lee, good point! I can see this being the case as laptops, tabletPCs and mini PCs improve. There are a lot of hurdles still but there is not doubt that improvements will happen.

I like the whole "modular" idea where the unit you carry acts like a PDA while on the road but plug it into the desktop connector and it acts like a full XP unit. Some would say the OQO does this but it doesn't really. Battery life HAS to be considered a real issue for many and, as Len has pointed out, there are other compromises as well.

Personally, I think a it would be interesting to see an XP unit with the OS on ROM. I know it isn't feasible right now with the cost of memory, but if the OS was on ROM then even if the unit kacked you could still hard reset and have a working unit right away. Maybe without the updates, but still working. :D

There's no doubt that mini PCs and PDAs are headed toward each other but it will be interesting to see if the PDA can survive. Personally, I think it will...but what do I know. :)

[dazz]

Ha, just noticed this over at Brighthand:

http://www.brighthand.com/article/Handhelds_Becoming_PCs

Good timing, Ed! 8)

[Bajan Cherry]

:Get an OQO thoughts site started Jason! :mrgreen:
Try http://www.handtops.com/index.php. There you will find not only OQO but many other, cooler devices. There is a lot of action in hand-top area.

[ghostppc]

:drool: ooooo, shiny!

[saru83]

This device is sooo cool, but i've a very weird question!!

WHY A PPC PROCESSOR DOENST NEED AN FAN BUT OQO NEEDS ONE??
the processor is not that stronger... its just 376Mhz more than the most powerfull PPC... so, CAN ANYBODY HELP??? :wink:

Regards,
Sarwat

[Fishie]

This device is sooo cool, but i've a very weird question!!

WHY A PPC PROCESSOR DOENST NEED AN FAN BUT OQO NEEDS ONE??
the processor is not that stronger... its just 376Mhz more than the most powerfull PPC... so, CAN ANYBODY HELP??? :wink:

Regards,
Sarwat

Its an X86 compatible design, not an ARM processor.
These have far more instructions then ARM processors and can do way more at same clockspeed

[elbowz]

While its a technically intriguing design and at least as good as other ultra mobile PCs I have to question whether this is really a PDA competitor.

Whatever the model of PDA you are talking about the key thing about them is quick (near instant) access to calendar/task/contact information. On the OQO there are no buttons that could easily be programmed to bring up Outlook in either of those three modes. Even if it did you'd need to leave Outlook running as a permanent background task to bypass its lengthy startup times.

That's not to say I couldn't see a use for one of these, but given the battery life, screen size and capabilities I'd be more likely to want one as a desk to desk transportable with occasional standalone capability. Of course then the need to be quite so small comes into question...

From reading the review it appears that the OQO represents an early first generation solution, one which is more useful as a pointer to what could be done rather than as a device itself.

[Jason Lee]

right.. I am still gonna want my ppc for what it is. Instant on, light, fast, long battery, and my phone. :) It does everything i need from a mobile computing platform.

But laptops used to be very pitiful compared to desktops. Now look, you can get basically any spec from a desktop in laptop form now. They can truly be a desktop replacement, even for gamers! I have replaced my desktop with a laptop. I get maybe 1-2 hours battery from my laptop... but that's not what i bought it for. It is a P4 3.6ghz, 1gb ram, 256mb ati video, 150gb hd, dual dvd/cd burners, 17 inch 1600x1200 res display. I bought it to be a desktop that i can easily move around. My pocket pc is my mobile computer.

Now if the oqo and the like could ever get to this state i would use it as a desktop replacement in an instant. But that may be many many years. The modular pc design might have a better chance in this respect. As soon as one of these will play World of Warcraft or what ever the hottest new game is i'll get one, but i'm still gonna need my pocket pc phone. :)

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Those are good points Jason. The way I see it now, the OQO really needs to be able to carve out a niche for itself. For most folks, it's not quite a laptop replacement yet and for others, it doesn't have the characteristics you mentioned that we expect from our PDAs... so it's kind of in between somewhere and the question is whether there's enough demand in that gap right now for this model to be successful. I don't think there is, but perhaps future models will allow it move closer towards a true laptop replacement.

If it were to become a true laptop replacement, I could see myself possibly moving away from Pocket PCs towards Smartphones. I really only need the "instant-on" attributes for my PIM data, which can be accomodated by a Smartphone. The extra stuff that I get out of my hx4705, such as games, videos, web-browsing, etc. could probably be even better suited on the laptop replacement.

[saru83]

access to calendar/task/contact information.

Agreed, although its a VERY COOL DEVICE but i can never see this thing as a PPC replacement, its not reliable enough to be a PPC &amp; not powerfull enough to be a Laptop replacement...

If i had the extra cash i would have got it as a cool portable PC but i would use it beside my Laptop and PPC.

Regards,
Sarwat

[Steve Jordan]

Well, the device obviously needs more seasoning, but I think it's a step in the right direction. Remember, all it takes is enough potential buyers to call out, "That thing really needs (fill in the blank)!" and the developers will add it if they see it as profitable.

I think this device is a natural next step in creating PDAs with full Windows functionability, while retaining their core strengths (instant-on, quick access to organizer apps, etc). Think of it as a link in the chain. Myself, I would be glad to replace my laptop with such a device as the next-generation (or so) OQO. With a docking platform at my desk, it could be the replacement for my desktop, fully portable at all times (which is, I think, the natural next step for all personal computing devices).