pc hardware: OQO 1030303-US Model 02 5" Ultra Mobile PC UMPC

pc hardware: OQO 1030303-US Model 02 5" Ultra Mobile PC UMPC - Verizon ...

computers & hardware:


	• OQO 1030303-US Model 02 5" Ultra Mobile PC UMPC - Verizon OQO OQO average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
	for more information click here

Road Warrior Samurai Sword / Comprehensive Review

Road Warrior Samurai Sword / Comprehensive Review

We needed portable systems that were smaller than a laptop but with more features than a Blackberry or Treo. We also considered the iPhone but when we discovered lack of JAVA support and no Adobe Flash Player, we ruled out smart phones for our field staff.

The ultra portable field is becoming crowded with offerings from FlipStart, Samsung, ASUS and venerable Sony. We eliminated the majority of offerings since they failed to meet our requirements of an easy to use thumb style keyboard, only the Sony UX and the FlipStart also met this requirement. The rest of the UPMC at the time of this writing are lacking a physical keyboard, or divide the keyboard down the middle and put it at the opposite end of the device.

We picked the OQO over the Sony UX and FlipStart because the Sony had less battery capacity and we've read horrible reviews and experiences about reliability and useless tech support. The FlipStart is twice as heavy and half as powerful in size of hard disk and RAM but still costs $2,000. FlipStart is cofounded by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft but oddly they aren't listed at Microsoft's website as an Ultra Mobile PC, neither was Sony.

--Specifications--
We ordered our test unit with the Best Performance package which includes 60 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM but downgraded the OS to XP Tablet instead of Vista. Windows Vista still has too many bugs common in a newly released operating system and would run horribly on a 1.5 GHz CPU.

We also spec'd a Sprint CDMA WWAN card and ordered an extra digital pen, three extra mouse caps, three extra screen protectors, the aluminum case and extended battery. The OQO already comes with a spare mouse cap and the soft belt clip case plus an adapter for VGA monitor and Ethernet port.

--Initial Impressions--
This is the smallest and lightest, fully functional Win32 notebook PC's available for mass consumption. It is the width of two Blackberry 8700's but not as tall when the lid is slid closed over the keyboard. A US Dollar bill is 1/4" wider than this PC !
Style meets function because the presentation box is shiek black coated cardboard and elegantly labeled. This carton will help alleviate any buyers remorse when it arrives.

When the lid / screen is slid open it offers a mild amount of resistance then locks with a confident click, we compare it to the opening and closing of a Swiss Army knife since you don't have to release a catch to close the lid.

What first seems like a tiny keyboard is easy and even pleasant to use, Blackberry and Treo users will find the keyboard instantly comfortable and unlike a BB or Treo, the number keys aren't shared with WERSDFZXC, instead it is a separate pad on the right with 1 in upper left hand corner instead of lower left like a standard 10-Key. The PF/Function Keys are also shared on the number pad.

It is a sturdy device, the textured coating is similar to the pre-Lenovo ThinkPads, the mouse head feels like the ThinkPad. We've read that OQO has hired and utilized seminal engineers and designers from the IBM ThinkPad group and their influence is clearly evident.

The cellular antenna pulls out easily, like any flexi antenna it has its limits of how much you want to bend and twist, but since this is an item of value this isn't likely to happen unless it is just ignored, I suspect replacing this antenna is a major affair and it needs to be treated with care. Note, the cellular antenna is also the WiFi and Bluetooth antenna and can be extended when in weaker coverage areas.

-- Functionality --
It is equipped with an un-powered USB 2.0, this means it can support USB memory sticks and transfer data as fast as you are accustomed to, but it won't power an external USB hard drive or CD-ROM drive unless they have an independent power source.

You can boot the OQO from a CD/DVD drive, we suggest you image the hard drive before you turn it on to the new PC Windows configuration wizard, because the OQO recovery DVD doesn't include all of the software loaded onto our system. Our system came loaded with the latest version of FireFox and IE v7 and Microsoft Office viewers plus the Microsoft Origami Experience.
When we used the recovery DVD to reload the OQO, the FireFox, IE7 and Office Viewers and Origami were distinctly missing.

The screen is bright and beautiful, size doesn't mean compromise in this system, the clarity rivals that of any ThinkPad, the keyboard also has a soft blue backlight that autosenses low light but can be quickly shut off.

OQO has included numerous shortcut keys and combinations to perform all the right functions, these include quick magnification, volume adjustment or mute and Win32 lock instead of Ctrl + Alt + Delete / Lock Workstation. Commonly used keys such as ".", comma and question mark are on the lower row just like the Blackberry.

The most ingenious shortcut key are the Touch Scrollers, the lower right corner of the LCD panel has a defined area where you can stroke the surface like iPhone scrolling and scroll content just like the mouse wheel, vertically or horizontally.

To protect against overheating the system is well protected by an internal fan that does a superb job of cooling the OQO, it can also be very noisy, not a high pitched noise but more like a muted restroom hand dryer. The fan speed can be adjusted but if the unit detects heavy CPU utilization it will throttle up the fan speed without user intervention. The most frequent comment and complaint we received about the OQO was the fan noise, it isn't loud enough to keep the baby in the next room awake, but too loud for a crowded movie theatre when on full blast. On low setting is hardly noticeable as long as you keep application usage to a minimum.

The rest of the power management is identical to a traditional ACPI equipped notebook, this includes Hibernate and StandBy shutdown options. Every battery has an independent meter similar to Sony camcorder batteries, a quick push of the button and the button lights in a successive series to show you remaining power.

A Kensington slot separates the power button from the battery release, a computer this small shouldn't be left chained to a desk, it is portable enough to go everywhere with you.

--Performance--
We're going to refrain from using PC benchmarking software because there are so many different ones and the rivalry between them is almost religious in fervor. Instead, we're going to describe the performance in an anecdotal fashion.

The Atheros AR5006x WiFi receiver is mediocre, the most mediocre we've ever used, it is less powerful than an inexpensive USB adapter, it works but the signal strength is marked medium to weak unless we had a clear line of sight to the WiFi access point.

The Sprint WWAN card performed just as well as our Sprint Pantech PX-200 cards, these are EVDO Rev.0 cards, your connection is as reliable as any Sprint PCS phone call so if you're an area of spotty phone coverage expect the Novatel card to drop calls too. A note of caution, we experienced a plethora of issues when we upgraded the Novatel driver from the Sprint web site, issues such as connection loops when the Novatel card hangs up and immediately redials and never establishes a connection, or the card would actually turn itself off and familiar Windows device eject sound would play then the card reactivated itself and Windows device insert sound would play.

We didn't test Bluetooth functionality, we prohibit the usage of Bluetooth in our company due to the security weaknesses of the protocol.

The screen resolution is 800 wide by 480 pixels tall, this may require a lot of scrolling up and down but you can quickly rotate the screen with a Function key shortcut.

The 4,200 RPM IDE hard drive is silent, this is the same type of HDD used in 5th generation iPods and has anti shock protection. Most laptops can detect free fall and will quickly park the heads to prevent damage, the OQO goes one step further and actually plays a screeching sound similar to Janet Leigh's famous shower scene. Most notebooks come equipped with a 5,500 RPM disk and more of them are coming with the faster Serial ATA instead of IDE. This affects performance so familiar applications may seem to drag on the OQO.

Antivirus scanners can drag the HDD down, tune your antivirus application to scan only certain types files and this will provide some security without destroying performance.

The speakers on this system are better than expected for a 15 ounce computer, invisible and located in behind the keyboard the speaker projects rearward and delivers volume and clarity similar to a ThinkPad Z60, the tiny OQO just continues to amaze.

A headphone jack is included for privacy on the lower left hand corner, and using it will prevent you from resting the OQO upright.

We are able to multi task a SlingBox video feed at 350-400 KBs, a streaming market quote engine and browse the web without noticeable latency.

When we tried to run the same video feed, streaming quote engine then a YouTube video, then we noticed latency over the Sprint card. Then we tried the same test when the WiFi card had full signal and everything came through without jitter, thus we attributed the latency to lack of WWAN bandwidth instead lack of CPU cycles.

Using Ghost v8 to image the system from a DOS boot disk was just as fast as backing up a conventional laptop when we used a separate partition to store the image file.

The 100MBs RealTeck RTL8139 Ethernet card performed as well as to be expected, it requires the connection of the dongle adapter (see user submitted photo) for connection.

Don't expect to play intensive video games, even if the OQO meets the minimum requirements on the box, the 4,200 RPM disk will cripple performance and provide an unsatisfactory experience on a screen so small. Stick with 3D Pinball and Solitaire

--Experiences--
After using the OQO 02's for five months now, our company is sold on them and provides them standard issue to our field reps. Obviously, their travel burdens have been lightened by the OQO versus the 5 lb ThinkPad's and Presario's they used to carry.
Traveling through airport security is significantly easier, more often our reps are able to just leave it inside their carry on without having it X-Rayed as a laptop, every time I've gone through airport security I've been able to drop it in the keychain and cellphone tray unchallenged.

The power supply is 1/3 the size of the OQO, relative size is something you'll quickly become used to when using the OQO, it doesn't have any power LED's, instead when the power brick is plugged in and functioning it has a red LED inside the plug itself, a shade that is identical to the Cylon eyeball in the new BSG series, another elegant design feature.

OQO Technical Support can only be described as superb, this is important because although we can support Windows software with ease and expertise there was an initial learning curve with the hardware.

The OQO tech's are based at headquarters in San Francisco, CA and a small team of four at the time of this writing. They are excellent because they're owners of the OQO themselves, some of our end users have had to call their support line directly and discovered they can relate to the skilled and the amateur alike, they aren't open 24 hours but they'll never waste your time. This is noteworthy since the OQO is often the executive toy turned serious and this is a demanding class of owner that OQO is able to remediate in a satisfactory manner.

When using it in public, don't expect to get much done because it will attract more inquiries and interruptions than a cute puppy in the park. People often stop our reps in coffee shops and client sites and want to know what it is and eventually how much it costs. What makes the OQO attractive can also make it risky, the small size obviously makes it easy to steal and we've already had one theft but recovered it within a week with the assistance of Absolute Software Computrace.

We suggest you skip Tablet XP version not because handwriting recognition and latency provided by MS Windows is just lousy, anyone accustomed to PocketPC Block Recognizer or Palm Graffiti will be disappointed with Tablet XP. The pen can still be used for selecting menus as long as you purchase the Better or Best configuration.

Shipping times can vary, like most companies OQO uses off shore manufacturers, theirs are based in Singapore and our first OQO had a six week waiting list that eventually reduced to just two, we suspect others ahead of us may have canceled in frustration which moved us up in the queue. Now our OQO's deliver in about 10 days via International FedEx with automatic ship notification in our inbox.

Our experiences with Sprint PCS have been as painful as any other, their tech support is substandard as usual, this assumes you ever get to speak with tech support assuming you can convince their troglodyte front line support reps that are accustomed to handling Sanyo and Nokia phone issues to even transfer you to tech support. We choose Sprint Broadband because of the pervasiveness of coverage in the areas we have presence and since they don't actually reserve the right to cancel your service for downloading streaming video like Verizon does.

We'd give it 10 Amazon stars if it was an option.

for more information click here

The OQO Model 02 Ultra Mobile PC is a tiny, ultra-portable computer designed for the mobile professional. The computer features a 5" widescreen LCD and powerful wireless capabilities. The Model 02 can rest in the palm of your hand so the screen slides up to reveal a comfortable QWERTY keyboard with an integrated track stick-pointing device. The Q1 features 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi to connect to standard wireless networks and hotspots. In places where Wi-Fi connection is unavailable, you can enjoy mobile internet access that doesn't require a wireless hotspot for connectivity with the embedded Verizon Mobile Broadband Module. Bluetooth support is also integrated into the device, allowing you to interface with your wireless devices. Shock-mounted, drop detect hard drive protection technology 1GB DDR2 533 MHz Speed SDRAM Memory 58 keys input backlit thumb keyboard, 4 SmartLock keys, 18 function keys, & number pad Dedicated mouse and zoom buttons track stick pointing device TouchScrollers Audio jack - 3.5mm x 1 line out/line in Video out - HDMI, VGA/Ethernet adapter 1 docking/power connector 1 USB 2.0 port Audio AC97 sound system compatible HD audio support internal speaker and microphone Removable lithium-ion polymer battery type, 4500mAh standard capacity, up to 3 hours of battery life Built-in fuel gauge 5 Wide VGA LCD 800x4800 native resolution Wireless LAN - Atheros tri-mode 802.11a/b/g with diversity Includes built-in embedded Verizon Mobile Broadband Module Integrated Bluetooth 2.0 technology with EDR Rugged magnesium alloy chassis Operating system - Windows XP Professional Dimensions - Width 5.6 x Height 3.3 x Depth 1.0 Weight - Under 1.0 pound with standard battery

for more information click here