Finalmente siamo tra i primi in Italia  ad essere riusciti ad avere la vendita degli ultra mobile pc OQO!

Se non sapete cosa siano allego una brochure. In sintesi si tratta di :

OQO e2 : Ultra Mobile Personal Computer
Mobilità e comodità Il modello OQO e2 è un potente personal computer tascabile con uno schermo WVGA LCD scorrevole da 5" (127mm). Disegnato ergonomicamente per l'utilizzo in movimento, il modello OQO e2 dispone di tastiera thumboard retroilluminata, Track Stick e il dispositivo TouchScrollers? per facilitare lo scrolling orizzontale e verticale. Connessi ovunque Per la connettività wireless il modello OQO e2 è fornito di WiFi 802.11a/b/g e Bluetooth 2.0. Con l'opzione 3G Mobile Broadband (HSDPA) integrata, il modello OQO e2 potrà connettersi ad Internet dovunque anche senza un hotspot WiFi ! Sicurezza nei materiali Racchiuso in un guscio in lega di magnesio nero il modello OQO e2 è un autonomo computer palmare con un hard disk dotato del sistema di assorbimento degli urti o di dischi allo stato solido (Solid State Driver) Potenza e produttività sempre disponibili In ufficio il modello OQO e2 diventa un PC Desktop. Collegato alla OQO Docking Station (opzionale) permette una veloce e semplice connessione ad un monitor più grande, una tastiera, un mouse e ad Ethernet via cavo. Inoltre grazie al lettore CD/DVD incorporato nella OQO Docking Station si potranno leggere e scrivere CD/DVD. Il modello OQO e2 è disegnato per offrire le prestazioni necessarie a realizzare la produttività personale e professionale, in qualsiasi luogo e momento. Con il suo potente processore, il sistema operativo Windows XP o Vista, la compatibilità con le applicazioni, la capacità di memoria ed archiviazione e la completa scelta di opzioni di connettività è tutto quello di cui avete bisogno per soddisfare le vostre esigenze di produttività.

brochure OqO model-e2-15ghz-1gbram-64ssdhd-vista-bus

La casa del computer 081 19312802 - info@e-dynamics.it

Since nearly three years i have an OQO 01 as my road unit (watch the smut around the thumbstick;-) . Using the umts modem feature of my mobile phone via bluetooth i can send and receive important stuff when i`m on location. And i use the OQO as a remote control for timelaps with my Digilux 2. The photos are directly captured on the OQO. Cause of having only a 20 gig hdd , non powered firewireport and usb 1.0 this work is a little limited. So i had the idea of a external battery powered firewire hdd. It looks like this is very special cause there are not so many offers. But after month of research i found the Nexto CF. It is an realy fast 160 gig Imagetank for CF cards (and with an adapter for many more different cards). It have an build in and an additional extern battery, firewire and usb 2.0 port. But nobody could told me if the Nexto is powering with its battery if i connect it with the non powered firewire port of my OQO 01. Cause of needing a fast imagetank for a photoshooting i bought the Nexto. Now i`m very happy that it works with my OQO via firewire too. And watching photos it looks like the Nexto on my OQO is working faster then the build in OQO hdd. So if you need a self powering external hdd with usb and firewire i realy can recommend the Nexto.
Here you can find a very good review and test of the Nexto written by Hans-Jürgen Reggel   http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/special-nextocf.html

And here are some photos of my setup and the Nexto CF

I've recently acquired a virtually new-in-the-box and never booted Vulcan FlipStart with Windows XP and EVDO! The only item missing appears to be the recovery disc(s), which I can live without thanks to Acronis True Image.

Take a look at all the pictures!

Yes I know, I'm about a year late to the party, and I've been pretty critical about the Flipstart in the past, calling it the ugly duckling and the zombie handtop. So why now?

Well a lot of things have changed in a year:
- I retired my beloved OQO Model 02 with HSDPA, selling it before it lost too much value
- Vulcan lowered the price of the FlipStart to $699, and then stopped selling it altogether

The tipping point was my Vulcan FlipStart HSDPA mod. The brave soul who volunteered his device for the hacking was experiencing some hardware problems which I was only able to resolve thanks to the outstanding assistance I received from Vulcan customer support. Being able to swap EVDO with HSDPA without reaching for my soldering iron was the icing on the cake...

So I started looking for a used FlipStart for further hacking. And for the record, I still think the FlipStart is aesthetically challenged :)

Yet their remains hope fellow geeks! The fully Windows Vista-compatible ultra-portable PC has been released as the ultimate solution for those who find that a smart phone simply isn’t enough while a lap-top over-caters for one’s needs.

"Fast," "intuitive," "helpful," and "sexy" are not terms often associated with Windows devices, but technology reviewers argue that the ultra-portable PC mimics many of the functions of a full PC, via an advanced touch-screen interface, which they are describing as "potentially revolutionary".

The OQO 02, as one of the newest ultra-portable PCs, belongs to a new generation of miniaturised Windows computers that can run the same software as Windows desktops and laptops but are designed to be used from the couch, conference room, or from an airplane seat.

OQO engineers are even prophesising that 2008 is the year when US computer buyers will turn to ‘ultramobile PCs’ as a practical alternative to beefier desktop and laptop computers.

IT'S NOT SIZE THAT COUNTS, BUT HOW YOU USE IT:
The new OQO 02 is a mere 14 centimeters wide, 8 centimeters high, and 3 centimeters thick, making it small enough to fit in your jacket pocket or purse.

It comes with a 1.5-gigahertz processor, an 800-by-480-pixel touch screen, a slide-out keyboard, and three kinds of wireless connectivity. It is able to run standard Windows programs from the Firefox browser to Adobe Photoshop.

With regards to connection speeds, it may not be as fast as a home DSL or cable Internet connection, but is much faster than previous generations of cellular data networks.

TARGET MARKET:
Manufacturers of OQO devices have focused sales on the professional user rather than the bored teenager, and have already attracted business customers who need small PCs for field inspections and similar mobile activities.

As a mobile journalist, Bob Rosin – marketing vice president of OQO, put the practicality of the ultra-portable PC into context, saying:

"If you're a mobile professional, you need to be connected to the Web and access applications as part of your daily life - so your computer needs to be small enough and light enough that you're willing to take it with you when you leave your desk."

UNIQUE FEATURES/CHARACTERISTICS:
But what makes the OQO 02 special when compared to older ultra-mobile PCs? Well for many the most appealing thought is having the power of a full Windows PC in the palm of their hand. That aside, some manufacturers are working on simplifying onscreen interfaces so that users can get more things done with fewer gestures and clicks.

Users also have the ability to zoom in on an area of detail and to scroll vertically or horizontally with the brush of a finger along the screen, eliminating the need for a mechanical thumbwheel found on many PDAs.

Similar devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and are operated solely via a touch screen. However, these have not been marketed as office appliances, but rather as entertainment devices enabling users to browse the Web and access videos, music, and photos.

IS IT ALL TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
The OQO 02 is not without its flaws. Battery life is an issue, which totals a miniscule 4 hours worth, which reviewers argue is not long enough to keep a businessperson busy for the duration of a transcontinental flight. Another issue is the small screen and keyboard, which is a problem for people with poor eye-sight and large thumbs.

Currently ultra-portable PCs such as the OQO 02 are seeing poor sales (going from anywhere between R7000 to R14 000), but manufacturers feel that the product will take off once they become more general-purpose devices. Being able to browse the web while simultaneously controlling the TV and stereo system from the couch, for example, appears to be where the major marketing potential lies.

Links
Just for fun: A portable portal into another world?
Related Info: Your life at the touch of your finger
Read full review: Smaller Is Better, Say Makers of Ultraportable PCs

...cuando se disponía a desayunar en su real comedor, al sentarse en su trono, ¡se clavó un alfiler en sus posaderas! Nadie se atrevía a tocarle su soberano trasero y ayudarle. Divertida parodia sobre las clases sociales y el protocolo en El trasero del Rey (OQO), con texto de Raquel Saiz, en el que Evelyn Daviddi nos ofrece una simpática galería de personajes y escenas.

> El trasero del rey | Raquel Sáiz | Ilustraciones de Evelyn Daviddi | Oqo, 2007
De 3 a 7 años. Cartoné. 25 x 23 cm. 36 pp. 11,50 €

Why I chose the N810 Wifi Tablet over OQO and Sony UX UMPCs 

I finally decided to get the Nokia N810 after waiting a few years now for the OQO or Sony UX series UMPC prices to drop, but they still haven't yet and are still over $1,400 for the latest models. So when Nokia upgraded the N800 with the built-in keyboard, I finally decided on Nokia instead, since I concluded that the only reason why I would want the the OQO or Sony UX UMPCs was that it had Windows XP/Vista, and MS Office, so I could have the flexibility to do work outside the office, but I knew that I would primarily use it for surfing.  The OQO/Sony UMPCs act as secondary mobile PCs, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to work for too long with that 4-5" screen size (my eyes are bad enough with too much time on the computer...and being Asian).  So at this size, it would really only be realistic to do light surfing and not real work, and I could only justify buying the OQO/Sony UMPCs if the price came down by 50%, since you can get the Nokia N810 for only $370, which has Wifi and a built-in keyboard to meet my surfing needs.  I would rather buy the 11" ultra-portable laptops than the OQO/SONY UMPCs to give me the flexibility to do work on the go.  

N810 vs. iPod Touch

Others may compare the Nokia N810 to the iPod Touch.  However, the N810 is by far more superior for only the $60 extra cost at this time, since the N810 has these advantages:  

1.  Can play Flash and videos directly from websites, such as YouTube, while the iPod Touch cannot.  In the iPod Touch, Youtube videos can only be played via the separate built-in YouTube application.  
2. Has a bigger screen size, which is easier on the eyes for surfing the web and watching downloaded movies.
3. Has the flexibility of a built-in keyboard for typing those long emails, yet it is also touchscreen.  
4. Has Skype for free calls (while connected to the Net)
5. Has built-in speakers (and it's quite loud as shown from my dog in the video above).  
6. Has Bluetooth so you can connect to your Mobile with a data plan to surf when you're not in a Wifi zone, and make hands-free calls.  
7. Has a 3 MP Camera.
8. Has integrated GPS receiver so can act as a GPS Navigation device (but need to pay for the software), and is on par with standalone devices. 
9. Has a large and growing developer community base that continues to build more applications and improve upon the OS and features, making this an evolving and better product over time.  Apple only recently launched their SDK Developer program to build applications for iPhone or iPod Touch, but it has contractual restrictions, making it very limited for developers.

Ok, it may be a bit more fun surfing with the animated touchscreen navigation on the iPod Touch though, but I can live with that...  

Weiter versuchte ich dann PHP 5.2.6 zu installieren. Auch dieser Installer nützt nicht viel. Ich konnte zwar Apache2.2 auswählen. Ins httpd.conf konnte er aber nichts einfügen sondern brach nur mit einem Error ab. In dem Kilometerlangen Install.txt findet man irgendwo die Zeile, dass der Apache leider Manuell konfiguriert werden muss... schreibt das doch gleich im Installer! Bis man den Text in dem Install.txt gefunden hat, wie der Apache 2.2 nun manuell konfiguriert wird vergeht nochmals eine Ewigkeit..
Ich bin froh, lasse ich normalerweise den Apache auf Debian Linux laufen, dort kenne ich solche Probleme überhaupt nicht.
Nun immerhin kann ich ihn irgendwie starten und auch mit viel Aufwand wieder beenden. Als nächstes kommt nun MySQL.

Ilustrações fabulosas ora coloridas, ora soturnas, a lápis de cor e de cera por exemplo, personagens de vertente surrealista que povoam as estórias, pessoas que adquirem formas de objectos como podemos ler em O dia em que a mamã ficou com cara de chaleira, personagens míticas que povoam os nossos sonhos e pesadelos em A bruxa arreganha dentes.

As edições Oqo apresentam propostas para dois seguementos etários, a colecção Contos de boca em boca dos três aos sete anos e a colecção Para leitores destemidos a partir dos doze anos. A Oqo tem ainda a colecção Sementes de arte.

Σύμφωνα με δημοσίευση στο συγκεκριμένο thread του Dennis Moore, CEO της OQO, ο trf και ο γιος του JT επισκεύθηκαν τα γραφεία της OQO στο San Francisco και τους έδειξαν το OQO να φορτώνει το Leopard. Συνεπώς η όλη ιστορία είναι αυθεντική. Η δήλωση του Dennis Moore ήταν η ακόλουθη:

"Folks -

Troy (TRF) and his son JT drove down to our offices in San Francisco last night to show off Leopard on the OQO. About 30+ OQO engineers and other employees watched a demo, which worked pretty flawlessly. Leopard seemed to run a little better even on the OQO than on my Mac Mini at home. VERY cool. Definitely not a fake Wink

THANKS TRF!

-- Dennis Moore, OQO"

Την επόμενη εβδομάδα αναμένεται αναλυτικό post του trf για τη διαδικασία που ακολούθησε για να επιτύχει την εγκατάσταση του Leopard στο OQO.

［OQO e2］

iPhone よりひと回り大きいウェブ端末が欲しくてたまらない筆者にとって見逃せないニュース・・・

UMPC で Mac OS X を動かすことに成功したハッカーがいるらしい。

これぞ世界最小のマックというわけ・・・

Ars Technica: "Hacker makes an OQO into 'smallest MAC in the world'" by Chris Foresman: 29 April 2008

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Leopard は OQO でも動く

Psystar のマッククローンのおかげで「Hackintosh」に対する関心が復活した。しかし無印 PC ボックス（generic PC box）で OS X を走らせるなんてもう過去の話だ。いまや Mac OS X は小ちゃな UMPC でも動くのだ。こいつはおもしろいじゃないか。TechRader の報じるところによれば、trf というハッカーが OQO e2 で Leopard を動かすことができたそうだ。なかなかカッコいい。

All the hubbub surrounding Psystar's Mac clones has renewed interest in "Hackintoshes," but running OS X on a generic PC box is so passé. Now, Mac OS X running on a tiny UMPC: that's interesting. TechRader notes that hacker "trf" managed to get Leopard running on his OQO e2, and it looks pretty slick.

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YouTube ビデオが証拠だ

［YouTube Video | It works］

OQOtalk フォーラムのメンバーの中には、このハックは明らかにニセモノだというものもいるが、いささかピンぼけの YouTube ビデオまで含めたその詳細を trf が投稿している。フェイク映像でないことを示すため、このビデオでは Leopard が起動し、カバーフローやダッシュボードがデモするところまで写している。

Though several members of the OQOtalk forums thought the hack was an obvious fake, trf posted details about it, including a rather blurry YouTube video. The video shows the tiny device booting Leopard, as well as CoverFlow and Dashboard demos to quell doubts it was photochopped.

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元アップル社員が設立した OQO

tfr が見せるのは 800x480 の固定解像度スクリーンで Leopard が動くところだけで、 WWAN ネットワークでも動くかどうかは試していない。それでも Mac OS X が VIA ベースのハードウェアでちゃんと動くところは大変興味深い。もうひとつ興味深いのは OQO を設立したのが元アップル社員だということだ。彼らは OQO に似たデバイスで OS X を動かすアイデアがボツにされたときに退社したらしい。だからといって iTablet がすぐにでも登場するのではないかという希望は叶えられそうにない。どうしても今欲しいということなら、自分のデバイスをハックする方法はきっとみつかる。もちろん我々は EULA 違反を大目に見るつもりはないが・・・

Though tfr has only gotten Leopard to work at a fixed 800x480 resolution and hasn't tried to get WWAN networking working, Mac OS X running at all on the VIA-based hardware is interesting nonetheless. Another curiosity is that OQO was founded by ex-Apple employees who left the company when their idea for an OQO-like device running OS X was supposedly shot down. Still, I wouldn't get your hopes all worked up for an iTablet anytime soon. If you really want one now, though, you could always figure out ways to hack your own (we do not condone the smashing of EULAs, though).

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マックだけでなく iPhone、iPod touch などいろんなデバイスで Mac OS X が動くようになった。

今回の OQO を見ていると、このほかにもまだ OS X が動くデバイスはいろいろありそうな気がしてくる・・・

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→［TechRadar.com | OQO turned into world's smallest Mac］
→［Engadget | Video: OQO hacked to run Leopard, now world's smallest Mac］
→［Engadget Japanese | 動画：OQOでLeopardを起動、世界最小Mac化］
→［TUAW | Found Footage: Leopard on an OQO］
→［Macin' Blog | こ，これが世界最小 "Mac"？］
→［気になる、記になる… | 超小型PCのOQOで"Leopard"を動かしているビデオ］
→［スラッシュドット・ジャパン | 小型PCをハック、世界最小Macに］

Technorati Tags: Hacking, Hackintosh, Leopard, Mac OS X, OQO, UMPC

Mi más sincera enhorabuena para el que lo ha conseguido. Conseguir hacer arrancar Leopard en ciertos equipos relativamente estándares requiere bastante maña, imaginaos lo que tendrán que hacer para instalarlo en un equipo bastante poco común.

Oh, and there's some photos too, but the guy posting it might be someone from pystar, so beware.

So, the deal it's this: you get more or less 200€ worth of hardware, with a copy of Leopard. You got osx already hacked and runing, but to reinstall it you need to re-hack it too (or download the hacked images you find floating on the net). In your Country the Apple eula might not be legally binding, so it could even be legal, but given the number of people installing osx everywhere (including on the eepc and on the OQO) you're probably better off buying the pieces wherever you want and assemble your own mac clone.

Un portátil de dimensiones realmente pequeñas y características realmente potentes como pueden ser:

• Procesador 1.5GHz
• S.O. Windows XP Professional
• Disco duro : 60GB de 1.8 pulgadas
• Memoria RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM 1
• WiFi 802.11a/b/g
• Bluetooth
• HSDPA
• Pantalla: 5 Pulgadas

Puedes adquirir este modelo por 1813 € en el siguiente link.

Se que a muchos no les gustará principalmente por el S.O que corre, pero y si os digo que han conseguido instalarle nuestro estupendo y admirado Mac OS X Leopard... a que la cosa cambia.

Lo ha conseguido un miembro del foro OQO Talk convirtiendo este ordenador en el "mac" completo más pequeño del mundo capaz de correr Mac OS X.

Como podéis ver en el vídeo le cuesta bastante arrancar (más de 1 min) pero una vez que está, se le ve que funciona bastante bien. Aunque comentar también que funciona perfectamente el sonido, el bluetooth y la WiFi, pero no la WWAN.

Φαίνεται ότι με το Leopard φορτωμένο, όλα τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά του OQO, όπως ήχος, WiFi, Bluetooth και power management δουλεύουν, με εξαίρεση το wwan και την ανάλυση της οθόνης, που σύμφωνα με τον trf δεν μπορεί προς το παρόν να ανέβει πάνω από 800χ480.

Παρά το γεγονός ότι πολλοί είναι επιφυλακτικοί ή δύσπιστοι, μετά την παρουσίαση και ενός βίντεο με το OQO να φορτώνει το λειτουργικό της Apple, φαίνεται οι περισσότεροι να έχουν πιστεί ότι η όλη ιστορία είναι πραγματική.

Το βίντεο θα το βρείτε στη σελίδα του YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJM4r4PVuY

Αναμένεται ο ίδιος χρήστης να παρουσιάσει ένα full review και πιθανότατα οδηγίες για το πως κατάφερε να πραγματοποιήσει το hack.

.

En Ratolí volia veure món. Perquè dia rere dia amagat al catau, dia rere dia fugint dels gats de la casa, dia rere dia corre que correràs per un pessic de pa... Allò no era vida!

I dit i fet, un petonàs a tothom, un formatge a la motxilleta i cap allà que se n'hi anà.

Camina que caminaràs, creuà un trau, saltà un botó i es va fer a la mar per l'Oceà de les Tovalles. En arribar a l'altra riba, va trobar-se amb en Gos.

—Ep, Ratolí, ¿cap a on vas,
tan lluny de la ratera?
—Vull viure aventures,
i si véns, ja en serem dos.

I dit i fet, un petonàs a tothom i un os a la motxilla, cap allà que se n'hi anaren, en Gos amb en Ratolí.

Camina que caminaràs, creuaren un camp, saltaren una tanca i es van fer a la mar per l'Oceà dels Morescars. A l'altra riba es van trobar amb l'Elefant...

.

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Una bona notícia personal: Ojobrusco (OQO editora) ja està disponible per als lectors, les llibreries i les biblioteques que així ho vulguin. És un àlbum il·lustrat per en Maurizio Quarello, que parteix de dues tradicions de la narrativa popular del Mediterrrani: el viatge aventurer que per poc no acaba en desastre i l'encontre amb el cíclop. És una aventura nua i breu, per a pre-lectors i primers lectors, però amb un mínim de joc literari (en mots i en imatges). No duu missatge ni crec que li calgui, però sí voldria ser ocasió de diàleg: per exemple, entorn de la prudència, la violència o l'astúcia. La feina d'en Quarello m'ha semblat excel·lent: crea un cíclop digne de veure i juga amb diverses obres clàssiques de l'art, de Warhol a Hokusai.

.
Hi ha edició en castellà (Ojobrusco) i en gallec (Ollobrusco, trad. Sara Monda). No hi ha per ara edició en català, per molt que, de fet, n'era la versió original: Ull-esquerp, en vaig dir. Aquí podeu llegir-ne el començament.

Tenint present l'anterior, els detalls els he desat al web en castellà:

• Pàgina d'Ojobrusco
• Biblioteques públiques en les quals es pot llegir
• Nota sobre Warhol
• Nota sobre Hokusai i l'Oceà de les Tovalles
  
• Nota sobre una entrevista a Quarello (publ. 14 de febrer)
• Distribuidores d'OQO

Enllaços externos:

• Web d'en Quarello
• Currículum d'en Quarello

.

... Anda que te anda,
cruzó un ojal,
saltó un botón
y se echó a navegar
por el Mar de los Manteles.

.

.

Esta es una buena noticia personal: ya está disponible Ojobrusco, un álbum ilustrado por Maurizio Quarello. Edita OQO, en castellano y en gallego (Ollobrusco, trad. Sara Monda).

Yo reconozco que me gusta mucho el trabajo de Quarello. (Supongo que no soy imparcial, pero sí soy sincero.) Por añadir otra muestra: en uno de los varios juegos de imágenes del libro, Maurizio ha creado un Mar de los Manteles (arriba) que juega a recordar «La gran ola» de Hokusai (abajo). Pero hay otros. El cíclope me tiene enamorado... creo que le dejaría comerme una y otra vez. :)

Espero que os guste. Es un cuentecillo, no va a alterar la historia de la literatura. Pero me gusta la factura visual, lo cuento con ganas, los críos suelen disfrutar de la aventura... y mira, que me hace ilusión.

Navarra, Euskadi, La Rioja
ZABALTZEN: EUSKAL KULTURGINTZA, S.A
Portuetxe, 88 - 20018 - Donostia
tel. 943 310 301 - fax 943 310 453

Castellón, Valencia
GEA LLIBRES
Políg. ind El Oliveral C/ G - Nave 6
46190 RIBARROJA DEL TURIA (VALENCIA)
tel. 961 665 256 - 961 665 257 - fax 961 665 249
E-Mail: gea@xpress.es

Alicante, Murcia, Albacete
GAIA LIBROS, S.L.
c/ Sagitario, 7-9
03006 Alicante
tel. 965 110 516 - 965 110 882 - fax 965 114 126
e-mail: gaia@xpress.es

Almería, Granada
DOGMA LIBROS
tel. 950 262855

Baleares
Editorial Moll
Polígono Industrial Can Valero, 25
07011PALMA DE MALLORCA
tel 971 724 176

Canarias
Unicornio Música y Letras
Santa Rosalía, 24
38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Tenerife
tel. 922 625 316 - fax 922 280 575

Resto de provincias:
OQO
Alemaña, 72 - 36162 Pontevedra
tel. 986 109 270 - fax 986 109 356
oqo@oqo.es

I recently had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of OQO and received a sneak peak not only of their upcoming Model 1 ultra personal computer (uPC), but of their working environment and their marketing plan. The office itself is interesting, an eclective mix of and old and new. The interior of the building looks like the sandblasted shell of a factory built at the turn of the last century, but has been updated with bits of postmodern/industrial looking art here and there. The main striking difference from the offices that most people work in was the lack of walls. Not even cubicle partitions separate the workspaces of OQO's staff. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of doors, they've attached legs and wheels and turned all the doors into desks.

The creative minds that envisioned this unique workspace have come together to push the envelope and build the smallest functional PC that can possibly be built with today's technology. From the looks of the advanced sample that I had a chance to test out, I'd say they've done just that.

The OQO uPC Model 1 is basically a PDA sized notebook PC. The technical wizards at OQO have managed to squeeze nearly all the features and performance of an ultra light tablet/notebook PC into a package that measures 4.9 x 3.4 x 0.9 inches in size. The only major difference between OQO's UPC and a a notebook like a Sharp Actius MM20 is the screen, which is 5in. and 800x480 pixels on the uPC. Other notable differences are the keyboard and the lack of a PC-Card slot. It's got everything else that you'd expect in a full sized PC and a couple of extra features that take advantage of its size. Since the device is designed to be held in your hands while being used, the clever engineers at OQO have included a thumb wheel to scroll through lists and window contents, as well as a magnetic pen that allows you to write on the screen in the way that you'd use a tablet PC. The device is equipped with an array of I/O ports as well as both WiFi (802.11b) and Bluetooth networking. To make things even easier, OQO has created a "docking cable" which has connectors on it every few inches for video, USB, Firewire, Ethernet, audio, and power.

Awesome Technical Achievement, but is it worth the bother?

There's no doubt that the hardware is impressive, but after using the device myself I'm left wondering about the wisdom of running the desktop version of Windows XP on a device that feels like a PDA. Aside from the fact that Microsoft's desktop OS eats up a lot of CPU power, the applications that run on XP aren't optimized for use on a handheld device. As a high-end gadget user I'm more attracted to a super PDA like Samsung's Nexio XP30 or Bsquared's Power Handheld devices. Both of these devices run Windows CE .Net version 4.1, which is an OS designed to be used in handheld devices, so there's a more natural fit for the applications that run on the CE .Net platform. If you're a business user that uses your PC for Outlook and Office applications, then it might be better to choose a device with a PDA OS, especially considering that the newest crop of high end PDAs have 3G networking and phone capabilities built into them.

With that said, OQO says that they're targeting business users to buy their uPC. Businesses that have custom applications that run only on PCs could be served well by this new class of device that's substantially easier to handle and carry around than a notebook PC. After hearing their pitch, I tend to agree... with parts of it. While I think that the device will be a star at running vertical applications, OQO's other business target users are corporate executives who leave their notebooks in their docking stations and don't carry them around. Apparently the fact that an executive has a device that's mobile, but doesn't move it, is extremely troubling to the IT staffs of many fortune 500 companies. To solve this problem they want to swap out the notebooks PCs these executives are using with OQO uPCs in the hopes that the executives will carry them around more if they're smaller.

Personally I don't see the point, and I think that anyone that had a relatively powerful notebook replaced with a much less powerful uPC would ask for their old PC back pretty quickly. Time will tell if executives accept these devices as their only PC, or if they use them as a really high end, high status PDAs. Either way, as long as the IT guys don't send back the ones the execs aren't using, OQO benefits.

The only really important feature that I can see that's missing in this device is the lack of 3G networking. I spent a lot of time discussing this with the company and got two answers on this issue.

1) "We're working diligently on successfully launching the device in September, and we don't want to discuss future plans or anything that isn't already in the current design." A fair statement considering that they first announced the device in 2002 and are a bit late in shipping it as a product.

And 2) "We've got built in WiFi and Bluetooth in the device now which is more than most notebook PCs, so we're ahead of the game even without 3G networking."

Again, to be fair, I'm not sure what the company could easily do short of adding a PC-Card Slot that would solve this problem. So on this issue we agreed to disagree. OQO thinks that WiFi networking is pervasive today to allow you to use their device just about everywhere. I think they've created their own networking problem by making their device so small. With a regular notebook it's not really an issue setting yourself up at Starbucks, since you've got to unpack the thing and sit down to use it anyway. With the uPC you just slip the thing out of your pocket and start using it. This easy access is what causes networking problems, since the places you're likely to whip out your uPC aren't likely to have WiFi access.

Granted, if you have a GSM phone that's Bluetooth compatible you could use your phone as a modem for your uPC. With such and impressive design team, and incredible first product we'll just have to hope that they'll have a high speed WLAN solution in the future, even if they won't talk about it today.

Competition

There's really three types of competitors that are vying for mind share in the small portable space. The first are other uPC manufacturers. In the uPC space there is only one other company of note, Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures. This investment company headed by a Microsoft co-founder got so frustrated with the lack of availability of a handheld PC that they decided to build their own. The result is the FlipStart PC. While sharing similar specs with the OQO Model 1, the FlipStart PC differs in a few key areas, not the least of which is that no one that I know of has actually seen one of the devices. It wasn't all that long ago that OQO itself was in the running to be inducted into the vaporware hall of fame, so I don't want to be too hard on the FlipStart, but I can't consider it a viable competitor until it's actually seen and used by someone outside their company.

The second class of competitors are ultra portable notebook manufacturers. Small lightweight notebooks are twice as heavy and have 4 times the footprint of the OQO uPC, but they've got the advantage of having faster processors, larger screens and full sized keyboards. In situations where flexibility is more important than portability it's more productive to use a small notebook. I think that this is where OQO is going to find they have the most competition, with lots of customers being impressed with their product, but "compromising" and buying the notebook anyway.

The last class of competitors are the uber-PDA manufactures. The Windows CE .Net devices like the Nexio and Power Handhelds mentioned above are meant to used full time with 3G networking and make better calendar and e-mail devices. If you need a device that keeps you connected to the office and allows you to occasionally use Microsoft Office applications, these devices are better suited to the task.

So is it worth the wait?

Possibly, but it's hard to imagine the Model 1 succeeding in all of the niches that OQO has identified. While it looks like it might be ideal for custom vertical applications, I don't see it winning big with executives as a notebook replacement. This is especially true since OQO decided to stick with Transmeta's aging Crusoe 5800 processor instead of launching with their new higher performance Efficeon processor. Additionally a device designed to be carried in your jacket pocket and used anywhere needs network access that works anywhere.

Ironically the Model 1's diminutive PDA-like size leads you to expect that it will work like a 3G-PDA instead of like the ultra small notebook PC that it really is. It's just too much of a compromise coming from the full featured desktop PC that these executives' notebooks already have replaced.

But even with all that said, if none of these issues are show stoppers on your personal evaluation list, there's not much that could be done to stop you from running out and buying one of these things the moment that its available. Even if you think it's not practical you can't deny that it's just plain old cool!

OQO is planning on a limited release in June (to corporate customers) and a general release in September. If you'd like to be one of the lucky ones to participate in a corporate pilot, OQO has a signup form on their website for just that purpose (http://www.oqo.com/enterprise/corpsales/).

Dave Weinstein is Gizmo's Editor-at-Large in the United States. If you'd like to comment on this article or have products that you'd like Dave to look into, feel free to e-mail him at daveknows@gizmo.com.au.

by Gizmag

Once upon a time, in a land far away, I used an OQO Model 01+ and Motorola E815 connected via Bluetooth. I hacked the phone and tethered the computer to Verizon's EVDO network. Every now and then, I'd share the 3G connection over WiFi, turning the computer into a router, and allowing other devices with WiFi around me to access the cloud - all this while walking down the street or driving down the freeway...

But here's the cool part: the entire setup fit easily, without wires, in the many pockets of my trusty cutoff cargo pants!

The setup evolved over time. I replaced the phone with an LG CU500 on Cingular's HSDPA network (now AT&T). Then I replaced the computer with an OQO Model 02, which I promptly modded for HSDPA (built-in).

And then, having narrowed things down to a single device, I was rocking a router in my pocket - I was ready for the mobile revolution :)

Eventually, I ended up with a Nokia N95-3 featuring both 3G and WiFi and I started thinking... Wouldn't it be nice if there was a Symbian application that turned the device into a router in my pocket? Wouldn't it be great?

Well now you can have your cake an eat it too - you too can be packing a router in your pocket! Say hello to JoikuSpot for Symbian, WMWifiRouter for Windows Mobile, and Cradlepoint for other devices.

I've been playing with JoikuSpot on my N95-3 and it's working like a charm.