OQO Reviewed - I am not impressed

[michaelalanjones]

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/oqo_model_01_ultra_personal_computer

Price: $1999.00

Pros:
Windows XP in your hand
WiFi and Bluetooth
Built in keyboard and trackstik

Cons:
Dim display
Digitizer calibration is not accurate
Spongy display
Battery life short
Runs warm

Pricey, funky, nothing special, in my opinion. Two grand? Even if you buy the Stowaway BT keyboard, the 770 is a lot cheaper.

[Mike Cane]

LVTT:

You wouldn't need the Stowaway with it. And if you still wanted it, it;d at least *work properly*!

I wish I had the $.

[aflegg]

Mike, the OQO was over 2 years late IIRC - if that's the price of a "properly working" keyboard within the first few firmware releases, I'd rather have the "unproperly working" keyboard and the 770 in my hand now.

And it's always worth bearing in mind (since this isn't your blog thread ;-)) that many people are using Bluetooth keyboards - such as the Stowaway perfectly well - with their 770.

[Smiley Dan]

It's simply not a competitor to the 770 imo. The flybook is a closer to the OQO.

[Mike Cane]

@ desktop:

aflegg, are you playing Flying Dutchman or what? If what people have been experiencing with the Stowaway is considered "perfectly well" to you, please stay away from software design!

[aflegg]

What problems? I'm using a Stowaway "perfectly well". The only problem I've had is with textareas in Opera, but that doesn't impact me with the way I use the device.

Therefore "some people" (at least me) are using a Bluetooth keyboard "perfectly well". I'm always telling everyone not to generalise...

This bug in Opera can be worked around anyway using xmodmap.

[cis4life]

micheal jones,

do you ACTUALLY own an oqo, or are you just repeating what you saw and read. Cause most of what you said is straight up wrong.

The display is NOT DIM
The display is NOT Spongey
the digitalizer is not as inaccurate as you try to potray it to be.
It does run a little warm after prolong use, but so does my laptop
and battery life can be improved (but so can my laptop)

Everything you said is something you hear coming from someone who looked at one and hasn't played or actually own one. The OQO first of all, is light years ahead of the nokia 770 because they are 2 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS COMPLETELY. Its like comparing a corvette to a go cart. The 770 does exactly what it's suppose to do extremely well and that is surf the web. It don't have a lot of software, because its NOT A COMPUTER. The OQO is a full computer. How on earth is everyone comparing them I have no idea. They are 2 completely different devices. Not even in the same section in stores. The nokia will be by PDA's and possible cell phones (don't know why though since it NOT A CELL PHONE) and the oqo will be in the computer section with the laptops and desktops.

!?!

[michaelalanjones]

Dude, relax! I only said one thing, the very last sentence. The rest is the opinion of Julie Strietelmeier - I simply quoted her bullet points.

However, everything that I said (the last sentence) is correct. I said in my opinion, it is pricey; $2000 for a WinXP computer? You can buy two fairly decent notebooks for that - or five 770's! I said, in my opinion, it is funky - the two external flat bar antennae screwed in with Torx screws? And how do you carry the rigid metal stand? The cheap-o, but very functional plastic 770 stand is a lot better, and a lot more portable.

Besides, when she says dim or spongy, it is relative - your opinion of spongy obviously differs from hers. If you watch the video, she explains what she means. She thinks the display is dim, and you don't. She thinks the digitizer is inaccurate, and you don't. She said it runs warm, and has a short battery life, and you grudgingly note that this is true.

Unless you actually created the OQO, I don't understand why you take it so personally.

And why did I (as do others) compare them? Look, the screen is only suitable for portable web browsing and email on the go. Would you type a term paper on it? Would you work from home on it? Or for that matter, for eight hours at work? Nah, you would just do it on a regular computer.

So what you have is a very small WinXP computer, that only runs for 2-3 hours, and is susceptible to thousands of VB viruses. You will be installing service packs and virus patches for years to come.

[cis4life]

Sorry about that,

Didn't mean to sound like I was coming off on you personally. But I just get tired of seeing the same thing anytime anything new comes out. It gets shoot down before ppl even try it. The OQO is nothing more than a smaller laptop. When the laptop first came out, ppl shot that down to, but now look, we can't live without them.

Critics get under my skin at times. They forever have something neg to say about subjects they have NO IDEA about. Most ppl who have reviewed and shoot down the OQO don't even have one, nor has really tested one. They might have seen one at a show are whatever, but have no real experience with it to say what its pros and cons are.

Its funny how only the ppl without the OQO are saying how bad it is, and the people who actually OWN one have no real issues with it. OHHH NOOO it only gives 3 hours of battery life... Reality Check Critics... Its a battery powering a FULL computer, not your IPOD. I mean, my laptop battery don't last much longer either, but I don't hear critics bashing that. The battery isn't powered by Plutonium.

Again, Im not hacking at you, its all critics (the so call "Know It Alls") who honestly have no flippin clue as to what they are talking about.

[mhuie]

The one thing that kills the OQO is the price. Argue as much as you want how many features it has, it has no business costing $2000.

[cis4life]

Can't argue there,

But again, its new and cutting edge. So until more companies come out with similar products, its going to be a cost involved. Plus again, its a full computer, so it's going to compare to your upscale modern day laptops.

But it is pricey.

[pdagal]

Hate to say it but I did a review of the OQO a while back ( http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/OQO-model-01.htm ) and the digitizer was very off when you're within 1/2" of the display's edge on any given side (1/2" is a lot on a screen that small). OQO acknowledged that, and said it was the best they could manage given the technology they were using. The parallax problem is annoying. That was the regular XP version, not XP Tablet, and I'd hoped Tablet Edition would help, but it didn't. It's also very annoying to have to hold the stylus straight upright (90 degree angle to the display) to get accurate tracking. And the thing was so hot after 45 minutes of use no one in the office wanted to hold it in their hands except me, and I have a circulatory disease which means my hands are always icy cold.

That said, it is a technological marvel and a godsend for those who much run a full version of Windows that fits in a large pocket. However, at $2,000 it's not in the same league as the 770, nor do they attempt to solve the same problems (other than mobile web browsing and email).

BTW, Julie at the Gadeteer is a pal, and she did in fact own the OQ she reviewed... so she really did use it ;).

[ploum]

I just dont understand that"Windows XP" is listed in pros.... hem ...

[pdagal]

LOL! I see your point, ploum.