OQO Model 02 Addon - GPS

Sierra Modro over at GottaBeMobile is talking about a very frequent GPS receiver that’s used with the OQO Model 02, the Garmin Mobile PC.

The Garmin Mobile PC is one of the smaller USB GPS units around, and comes with the unit itself, a mount and the necessary software. It’s not available on OQO’s site yet, but will carry an MSRP of $99.99.

Sierra is taking requests and questions as she writes up a review of the Garmin Mobile PC/OQO Model 02 combination.

Read: GottaBeMobile

OQO Model 02 - Tour of the Company, Writeup

About a week ago, Fast Company put together an article aptly named ‘OQO Model 02: The Biggest Little Computer Around’, discussing the 5-inch OQO Model 02 and where it fits into the market these days.

The OQO Model 02 is powered by a 1.6GHz VIA CPU (similar to the CPU in the HP 2133 Mini-Notes) and weighs just one pound. It’s got both a sliding keyboard and a touchscreen, and the version that FC looked at shipped with a 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD). The article explains a little about why the Model 02 ships with Windows Vista Business (better wake up time from sleep, some better/different power management abilities, etc.). FC found that for the intended customers, it was worth the money.

Also, there is a video tour of the San Francisco-based OQO and a talk with some of the staff, courtesy of KTVU (San Francisco).

Read: Fast Company
Video: KTVU
Via: GottaBeMobile

OQO Model 02 and Netbooks

Couple of interesting articles on the OQO Model 02 and the impact that the “netbooks” and other smaller laptops/subnotebooks such as the Asus Eee PC could have on it.

The OQO Model is a unique ultraportable - it’s more of a tablet with a slide-out keyboard than a traditional laptop (whereas most of the netbooks/subnotebooks resemble miniature versions of the 10 - 12″ small laptops we are used to seeing). It is what I would consider to be a nearly full-featured ultraportable with a 5″ display while most of the netbooks/subnotebooks start at 7″ displays.

Ironically enough, it’s using a CPU, from the same VIA/C7 line that some of the netbooks such as the HP 2133 Mini-Note are using, however the price for the OQO is quite a bit higher (two, nearly three times as high in some cases) than netbooks that are currently available or will soon be available (although you can find it for $999 in the OQO Outlet Store).

In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, OQO’s co-founder, Joe Betts-LaCroix admits that interesting (and crucial) times are ahead for OQO:

“We had the ability to step back from the six-month-at-a-time trend of the computer industry and create a new category…..Now the market is starting to catch up.”

Articles:
- San Francisco Chronicle
- CNET News.com
- GottaBeMobile

OQO Model 02 Refreshed

OQO has announced a fairly impressive refresh of the OQO Model 02. The two biggest changes: a lower price - down to $1299, from $1499, and the option of using a 32GB Solid State Drive (although the temptation of the new 120GB drive will be hard to overcome). The refreshed OQO Model 02 is available now. The OQO Model 02 is a unique device, considered by some to be the first Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and with a 5″ widescreen touchscreen display and a sliding keyboard, offering both a Tablet PC device, and a semi-laptop style device, running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Changes include:
- 120GB for storage (30GB - 60GB was the previous maximum, 40GB and 80GB are now offered as well)
- 1.6GHz CPU (1.2GHz or 1.5GHz previously)
- 32GB Solid State Drive (SSD) offered as an option.

To me, one of the biggest updates is the 32GB SSD. Whereas with a full-blown laptop like the Dell XPS M1330 that we just mentioned, 32GB is just not going to cut it, because you have a laptop that would try to use as a normal laptop. On the other hand, with an ultramobile device like the OQO Model 02, 32GB is a viable option - at that size, and with the specifications, you know you’re going to be limited on what you can do from the beginning. A SSD in any size is going to help the battery life as well as the weight (pre SSD, you were looking at a weight of 1 pound / 0.5kg) and a battery life of 3+ - 6+ hours (with the extended battery pre-SSD option, OQO listed a battery life of 6 hours, with the standard battery, 3 hours). The drop in price was important as well, as other devices are starting to creep into the OQO Model 02’s market. Of course, the SSD adds $500…

Source: OQO Press Release
Mention of a new CEO: jkOnTheRun
Interview with Via: GottaBeMoblie.com - Rob Bushway

Article: UMPCs Finally Coming of Age? (LAPTOP Magazine)

Yesterday, LAPTOP Magazine posted an article/commentary, “Are UMPCs Finally Coming of Age?” where they discussed the state of Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) and where they’ve been and where they are going. A couple of the things they mention that are important are things that were traditionally only available with some of the smaller laptops (in the 10″ - 12″ range) - namely highspeed data connection and physical keyboards.

One of the things they discussed, and something that is very important to not only UMPCs, but in my opinion applies to some of the smaller ultraportable laptops as well, is having what they call “the full internet experience” - that is, you get almost the same experience (if not the same) using the internet on a full PC or laptop, web browsing email, instant messaging, etc. as you get on the UMPC. I think you are seeing this apply even to phones - some of the Windows Mobile devices (8525s, Samsung Blackjacks, etc.) plus devices like the iPhone, are starting to place an emphasis on internet connectivity. Granted, going down into the smart phone/PDA segment is really pushing it in terms of the user experience, but regardless of what you use, when you look at 2007 versus 2002, it’s a completly different ballgame.

Some of the machines discussed:
- OQO Model 02
- Vulcan FlipStart
- HTC Shift
- Palm Foleo

It’s a great article, and well worth reading.

Link: LAPTOP Magazine

Review: OQO Model 02 (TrustedReviews)

TrustedReviews has posted their review of the unique OQO Model 02, one of the first (if not the first depending on how you look at it) Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs).

the OQO Model 02 is powered by a VIA C7M ULV (Ultra Low Voltage, 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz), has a 5″ widescreen touchscreen display (with a resolution of 800×400), and weighs in at just around one pound (0.5kg) with the standard battery. Starting at around $1500 or so, it’s starting to be a little pricey when compared to the UMPCs coming out (when the OQO Model 0x series first started, you basically had the OQO Model 01 and then the Sony VAIO UX and that was it).

They ranked it fairly high, giving it a 7/10 and said that OQO’s Model 02 has taken the desirability of the original model up a notch and has made it much more usable. (the original device being the OQO Model 01).

full review

Next Page »