Updated OQO Model 01+ with USB 2.0 and More RAM

xanthines-R-yummy writes "OQO has announced the availability of the OQO Model 01+. The new model has more RAM and USB 2.0, which were probably the main deficiencies in Model 01." They now start just short of $2k but they still look very yummy.

Santa?

Please, i need one :)

Besides...

being a blatant slashvertisment (I mean, there's not even an article about it, it's just a link to OQO's website), this doesn't really seem all that impressive. Especially in the $2000 range, when for that price I can have a decent desktop PC (with better specs than this thing) AND a decent PDA. Do people in "healthcare and public safety" really need this sort of computing power at their fingertips all the time? And if so, shouldn't there be a better way to give it to them then that horrific looking mini-keyboard? Of course, I'm biased, I suppose.

Re:Besides...

Especially in the $2000 range, when for that price I can have a decent desktop PC (with better specs than this thing) AND a decent PDA.

Well, duh! If you buy a desktop and a conventional PDA for $2000, YOU obviously don't need one of these things!

This seems more like a laptop--portable and fairly full-featured, without making any concessions on the interface or operating system. Sure, it's expensive, but it's brand new and doesn't have any competitors, yet, that I know of. So of course it's going to be pricey. Remember when PDAs first came out? We were paying $300+ for something with 8MB RAM and a black-and-white LCD.

And for the record, there IS a reason to buy one of these things: carrying a goddamned laptop around gets old, really quick! Unless you shell out for an ultraportable, you're lugging around several extra pounds of gear whenever you need to take it somewhere. But if you only take your PDA, you're sacrificing a lot of functionality, ESPECIALLY the full keyboard. On airplanes, too, using a full-size laptop in coach can be a real bitch.

Now, granted, I wouldn't buy one of these things with WinXP installed on it, but as soon as someone has it booting Linux... look out, bank balance!

Re:Besides...

OQO has been working on linux support [oqo.com].

Re:Besides...

Engadget says it's cool [google.com]. I say it's cool. Wired thinks it's cool [google.com]. Digg thinks it's cool [google.com].

I can understand that if you don't think it's cool, that your initial impression might be that this is a Slashvertisement. But I think it's established that it has somewhat wide appeal (not necessarily practical appeal, I don't know how many of these people linking to it are actually forking over the $2000 for one, but they still like to drool). At the very least, it's unlikely that Taco had to receive money to post this.

Re:Besides...

does healthcare needs this? quick answer, yes.

you're out in the field several buildings from your desk, how do you look up the remedy ticket to make sure you're in the right room when your shop has gone paperless? right now you're stuck finding a desktop or opening up a clunky laptop. you can't use a palm sized device because the screen size/resolution can't handle displaying something like a remedy ticket. there are a zillion and one more situations like this.

Any Details On Battery Life?

According to TFA, it's 4.9x3.4x.9 inches, which as far as I can tell doesn't leave a whole lot of room for batteries. Considering that it's running a 1Ghz processor, and a fairly sizeable full color display for a portable, that has to be draining on the battery. I mean, it looks exceptionally cool, but I don't think I'd want one if I had to recharge it every hour.

Re:Any Details On Battery Life?

Battery life up to three hours, depending on usage [oqo.com]

Great, I've got to have one!

Now, what the hell is an OQO? The writeup was a litle* lacking

* little = completely missing any and all relevant information. didn't want to waste time doing a real writeup, eh?

Re:Great, I've got to have one!

what the hell is an OQO?

It's an ascii art elephant head, duh.

Re:Great, I've got to have one!

It's something that's been widely covered [google.com] in the tech press, so it's reasonable to assume that people know what it's basically about. But here's a quick summary:

• QWERTY keyboard
• touch screen
• runs a full version of Windows XP
• 20GB hard drive
• 256MB DDR RAM
• 1GHz processor
• built-in Bluetooth and WiFi
• 3D-accelerated 1280 x 1024 VGA video output
• very small size (4.9 x 3.4 x .9-inches), about the size of an iPod or PDA (scroll down for pictures [engadget.com])

Re:Great, I've got to have one!

Despite being so widely covered, I have never heard of it.

Would it have been that hard to call it an "Itty Bitty Computer" in the writeup, instead of linking to a slashdotted site and assuming that everybody knows all about it?

Nice but...

I don't know about you guys, but I am curious to know if its been hacked to run Linux (pick your distro)...

What "hack?"

It's a standard x86 PC with a Wacom tablet built in. There are no magic wismos here.

Re:Nice but...

First question that I asked too. The answer is on their site under support:

question

Can the OQO model 01 run Linux?
            answer

The OQO model 01 is a standard x86 PC and can run Linux. However, you will have to install and support it on your own.

OQO does not currently have any plans to offer a Linux-based product, nor does it provide technical support for a model 01 running Linux. ...

One recent reviewer has installed Linux, and you might find his writeup (10/13/04) helpful: http://www.handtops.com/show/news/55 [handtops.com]

Another handtops.com poster has published a through "tutorial" of a Linux install: http://www.handtops.com/forum/752/0//OQO_Linux_Ins tallation__amp_Configurati.html# [handtops.com] ...

Video

It is the only computer you need.

I was wondering how this works if you need more than the 800x480 resolution built-in monitor. However, I checked the specs and you can get video out of up to 1280x1024 VGA. It would be nice if it had DVI out.

a really cute laptop

For quite a bit less you can get a real laptop like the Dell Latitude X1 [stud.ntnu.no]. This one is also very small and light but has a real keyboard. This machine is _smaller_ than A4, weighs only 1.1 kg and runs linux very well.

Re:a really cute laptop

"For quite a bit less you can get a real laptop like the Dell Latitude X1. This one is also very small and light but has a real keyboard."

If you're looking at the OQO, it's not because today's laptops are sufficient. You can actually hold that thing in your hands instead of balancing it precariously on your lap.

I'm not an OQO fanboy or anything, but the main reason I have a TabletPC right now is that I can't stand using a laptop unfolded on my lap. With a TabletPC, you can actually use it while standing up and walking around. (This is great if you're taking inventory, for example...) This thing is not only more portable than a TPC, but it's obviously more typist friendly.

Lots of you may be shaking your head due to sticker shock or whatever, but this thing would be a god send to a lot of business professionals that need mobility. Heck, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the company I last worked for bought two of these.

Pretty cool

Now that it has more RAM and storage space, it really is a pretty sweet pocket computer. I especially like that it has both USB and Firewire, as a nod that it can function quite well as a portable device and a full computer in its own right. Very attractive for anyone looking for an ultra-portable laptop that's not totally gimped.

Of course, the downside is that it's kind of pricey. But, given what else is out there, it seems to sit nicely among its peers -- it costs more, but it seems to offer a lot more as well.

I have a small portable video device, an Archos 420, and while I got it pretty much just for the portable video and photo abilities, I do know it would be nice to hop on the internet for various reasons without having to stow my laptop -- after all, that's why I got the small portable video thing in the first place.

Something like this that not only can play video, but also surf the web and do pretty much anything a decent computer can do is great for portability. But kudos to the company for an ultra-small, high-functionality computer that doesn't skimp.

Obligitory question

Does it run Linux?

"Soon"

The original version did have shortcomings.

A colleague of mine purchased an OQO to test in our work environment, and though it worked well overall, the MAJOR shortcoming was its VERY limited WiFi range. We could not hit access points with the OQO that we could easily hit with several PalmOS and PocketPC PDAs. This was a real deal killer, because of its limited range.

Also, while its all-in-one cable was nice for travel purposes (minimizing what you have to carry) it was cumbersome on the desktop. We would have rather seen a nice docking station/cradle instead of the kludgy "friction-hold" stand/all-on-one cable combination.

It is certainly a stunning and elegant device, but it still needs some improvements here and there.

Re:The original version did have shortcomings.

OQO fixed the wifi range issue, and is allowing anyone who purchased a unit with poor performance to return it for upgrade at no cost. Excellent customer service.

The cable is still terrible, though.

Does It Run Linux? (tm)

No, seriously. I've commented to them and asked a number of times whether it supports Linux; and until it does, I will stick with my Zaurus [dynamism.com]. (Actually I only have a C860, no 4GB microdrive or whatever, but I don't come close to needing more than the gigs of SD I have.)

Linux is not just a gee whiz thing in the palm. Having all your full-blown apps in your palm [pdaxrom.org] is far, far more useful than any stripped-down PDA apps could be. Firefox? Check. Thunderbird? Check. GIMP? Check. Nethack? Doom? ScummVM? Vim? Emacs? GCC? Perl? Python? Ruby? Checkcheckcheckcheck...

Already slashdotted.

That is something I expect when we are linked to some guys linux box on his home broadband. For a company that I have not seen a lot of retail physical shelf-space dedicated to, you would think they would have a decent server and net connection. As others have said, for the cost, I would rather have a laptop.

RAM??

I want 6GB!!

Not to troll, but ...

... what would the average slashdotter need such a machine for?
(This is a serious question. I'm curious to know)

Now, don't misunderstand me. Those machines look amazing, and I would love to get my hands on one. But, apart from the initial 5-minute infatuation, I think I would simply place it in a drawer, where I would eventually forget that it ever existed. But, maybe that's just me.

stupid Slashcode Subject requirement

Memory was the primary thing stopping me from getting one of these. It seems like 512MB of RAM is the magic number for good performance in modern operating systems.

Now I just hope I can buy one.

WTF is an OQO?

I'm not going to click on a advertisement, so could someone give me the cliff notes version?

OQO missed the curve

I seem to remember OQO showing prototypes of (back then) incredibily small PCs four or five years ago. It seems that their products have taken too long to materialize, and in the mean time the rest of the industry has really started to catch up with them. In the end, I believe their target market is too small; most folks will be happy purchasing a Dell that's 25% larger but less than 50% of the price -- and all the time, the trend of miniaturization across the entire segment marches onward. OQO will become a small footnote in the history of laptops -- a great idea, but too long on the drawing board and not to market soon enough.

Finally... my NDA doesn't have to stop me...

I demo'd one of their 01 models a few months back and signed a nice NDA that prevented me from discussing this newer Model 01. What's missed in the announcement is that the older, original 01's also got a free wifi antenna upgrade and from 802.11b to 802.11b/g. This change was emailed out about 2 or 3 months ago when OQO Ebay'd a charity OQO, but this means that the 01+ now has the extra RAM & disk storage, plus USB 2.0, but *also* an upgraded radio. Many, many people had complained about poor, directional issues with the original 802.11b radio/antenna.

Engadget also covered this and mentioned the Model 02 that they hope to see soon. My NDA bars me from discussing this, but since Engadget spilled the beans, let's just say that I was told there'd be an "upgraded Model 01" before the end of the year and a newer Model 02 out before the end of quarter 2 next year. The Model 02 should have some significant updates including *possibly* having a different CPU instead of the Transmeta among other things. Considering the Model 01+ actually happened, I can only hope the Model 02 will be forthcoming as well.

I for one didn't get the Model 01 simply because I steer clear of the first generation of new devices like this. The unit I demo'd confirmed why I didn't buy one. The upgraded 01+ looks appealing, but I'll probably hold out for the Model 02 sometime next year. But once I get it, I'll be a happy man... I'll have a Treo 650 (Palm-based, not a Winblows version) in one pocket and my OQO in the other. :)

http://blog.mobileoptimized.com/ [mobileoptimized.com]
http://mobileoptimized.com/ [mobileoptimized.com]

For that price...

I can get a Sony Vaio TX with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 60 gig drive, and a real keyboard that weighs 2.75 pounds. No, it won't fit in my pocket, but it will fit in anything I carry around. It also has the two holy grails of /. It will run Linux, and it is liquid cooled. :-)

No, I don't own one, and I don't work for Sony.

Need optical quantum PDAs!

I hear the Model 01++ will feature that neat 6.8 Ghz optical-quantum technology. They probably won't be able to fit a terabyte of ram, but I'm hoping for at least 512 GB.

quit complaining.

you're all complaining about this, that, and the other, but you're missing the most important part: It's cool and you cant afford one. Thats why you are blasting it. Nobody needs a computer. Nobody needs a PDA. Nobody needs a fullsize anything. You need food, water, and shelter. Anything else is a luxury, and this is just one of the many things on the list of james bond like gadgets that you want, but wont admit because you've spent your money on the food, water, and shelter.

Is there a middle-of-the-road?

It seems there is no decent middle-of-the-road. You either have something like the OQO, or you have some piece of junk that desperately tries to be a mac mini and utterly fails because it tries to include legacy cruft(I haven't used the serial/parallel/joystick port in 5 years... why do they insist on including them? Would it kill your business to tell the remaining .5% of dot-matrix printer owners to piss off!?)

Are there any PC makers that are a good system with the form factor of the Mac Mini? I'd love to have a brick-sized PC that I could easily move from a dock at work to a dock at home. I'm not talking about a mobo or case manufacturer, but a complete system.

Mini Laptop

The basic idea behind OQO is to fill the gap between laptop and PDA. MS came out with tablet pc, but the jury is still out on that one. I personally would like to see something like a "Mini Laptop" that has the following essential features:

#1 Rectangular landscape screen about 4" x 8" in size, with a keyboard about the same size so the Mini Laptop can be snapped shut into a compact case no bigger than a 6" x 9" 300-page hardcover book.
#2 Runs full Windows, or Apple, or Linux operation system.
#3 Priced under $1,000.

Then perhaps I'll consider buying one.

OQO or Sony....

I have to say I like palmtop/ultra small notebooks. I have ever since the old IBM 486 systems. However, what realy does this system offer over the Sony VGN-U750P?

Linux will run on it...

If you are like me, the first thing you did is to check and see if Linux runs on it...

Linux Devices Review [linuxdevices.com]
Tuxmobil [tuxmobil.org] list of successful installs
and
Handtops [handtops.com] guide to installing Debian

Note:
It is also possible to make it a dual boot (of course!), just in case you actually wanted XP.

$2K for What?

They now start just short of $2k but they still look very yummy.

Twice the price of a very usable laptop otherwise, and with a keyboard I can barely type on.

Pass.

Battery life was the problem, still is

The biggest drawback to the the 01 model was battery life. It only runs for 3 hours, about what a standard laptop does. What is so great about a device that is finally small enough to carry around and use all day when YOU CAN'T CARRY IT AROUND AND USE IT ALL DAY!!!??? When it dies with an hour to go before lunch and you have to leave it on your desk charging over lunchtime, then it dies again before you even start the commute home, what the heck good is that?

Mobile Phone as Home Computer?

If only this had a built in phone. Even if it was just VoIP software.

Perhaps Philip Greenspun's vision of the mobile phone computer is getting closer.

Link: http://philip.greenspun.com/business/mobile-phone- as-home-computer [greenspun.com]) Discussed on Sunday - http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/ 25/1445212 [slashdot.org]

The OQO is agonizingly close to wicked cool...

You can almost tell that ex-Apple folks designed it. Granted, they've addressed the most glaring design flaws (by increasing RAM and adding USB 2.0), but the deal-killer is still the battery life. Unless they can come up with better battery performance (I think it needs 5-6 hours) at a lower pricepoint, OQO isn't going too much farther, I suspect.

And yeah, a Linux/OpenOffice version of this would be pretty slick. It'd cut their licensing costs, too.

Useless except for....

The oqo is simply too small to be useful. The only real market is Cx0's who want to run powerpoint presentations on a nifty little gadget. They might as well bundle it with a snazzy magnesium-cased projector.

Dangit

And I've not even had my Model 01 for a month. Granted, they didn't up the 802.11 chip to support 802.11g, and they haven't had a magical increase in battery life. They also didn't change the digitizer, which I find to be too unweildy to use, ever.

I've been Eying an OQO for a while...need Verizon

I've looked at this and basically esclaimed it's almost everything I want. In fact, if they added two features I would drop the $2,000 for it.

1) Offer a version with a 100gig drive

2) Offer it with a CDMA phone module for Verizon incorporated in it so that I can use it to browse on Verizon's broadband cell service.

And you have a deal...as I would feel at that point that I have true mobility and adequate storage.

Yeah....but does it run Debian

Someone has to say it.

OQO

Nice surprise OQO !!! We all waited for OQO 02 but the new OQO 01 is certainly a PLUS :) . Here is a web site that has more info about these Handtop PCs : http://www.minipcs.com/ [minipcs.com]

Sadly too much for me

It is exactly what I want in a portable computer but I couldn't justify spending $2000 on it. $1000 would probably having me check for change in the couch.

$750 and there would be no question about me buying one.

Compaq TC1100

Very similar specs to the Compaq TC1100 [hp.com]. Similar price as well, once you add the keyboard [hp.com], which can snap on and make it stand more like a regular laptop.

I like the idea of a removeable keyboard for a tablet. It just adds weight that you don't use very often.

Incidentally, the discontinued Compaq TC1000 used a Transmeta Crusoe processor as well. Wonder why they switched..

Pointless technology

For $2000? You get a really tiny screen, a really tiny keyboard, and a laptop's battery life. Why not just get a larger tablet based PC? Here's one [motioncomputing.com] I've played with that had about the same specs as OQO and is a really small, and usable, form factor. For about the same price you get the same features but a more useful size. No you can't hook it to your belt. But really people, anything bigger than a cell phone on your belt and you look like a real goober. Given that it comes installed with Windows XP Tablet Edition, and has no Linux support to be found, I don't know that this crowd is going to accept something like this.

Just Ordered A Couple

We just ordered a couple of these for work to test out.

We are stuck in a bad position with PDA's (PPC and Zaurus).

The problem is we have a mobile workforce that needs a handheld form factor, with fairly complex (in house built) applications. Tablets are too big. The device has to have the option of "being holstered" to allow for the workforce to do more tradional gets your hands dirty type of work between data collection sessions

The PPC memory base is about 64 meg split between storage and memory. Fairly complex database driven applications can eat through that memory in no time especially if the particular user base has more than one application that they need to switch back and forth from.

The OQO seems tempting, because there would be no more need to "port" the parent applications to the PPC or Zaurus. And there would be no more need for the "feature" and asthetic tradeoffs that you have when you port to a device with 320x240 display and 32 megs of memory.

Sure battery life is a concern -- but when our user base can plug into a car charger betweeen work sites, it should be minimal. (The battery life of a PPC with the backlight on and constant usage is not exactlly anything to write about anyway....)

Re:not small enough

I'd rather have a nice Zaurus like the C3000 [google.com] then.