The new OQO specs "model 2+"

[Guest]

[charlieboy]

Personally I think it looks like a banana run over by a truck. Way too big for me.

[intfan]

like the basic form of the screen on top of the keyboard, but not the "wings", all models that have wings are just too wide to me.. prefer the oqo design over that for sure...

[ecsk2]

like the basic form of the screen on top of the keyboard, but not the "wings", all models that have wings are just too wide to me.. prefer the oqo design over that for sure...

Since my body doesn't look like a square box gadgets that can't (yet) be as thin as my mobile phone(s) I think will be easier to carry if they have rounded off/smooth edges. But yeah one would have to see that in person first.

As for the 2+ though there are nice improvements after have tried it out for an hour or so at the Motorola booth at CES I have to say I do feel it's time to update the case and get rid of the fan, etc etc. It's a step in the right direction for sure and appears to be an attempt to appeal to more consumer customers, but with other companies/products coming around from both Korea ( http://www.pocketables.net/2009/01/hands-on-with-1.html ), Hong Kong ( http://www.aigomid.com.hk/e_mid.html ) and now also China ( http://www.pocketables.net/2009/01/atombased-eking-m1-mid-runs-windows-xp.html ) I feel it's just a matter of MONTHS before we will see a similair "explosion" in the MID/UMPC category as the Netbooks created the past year or so in it's category.

[Dave P]

If the MIDs we are seeing now make people take another look at the paperback book sized form factor, that would be a positive for the OQO.

If, on the other hand, people try to use them as if they could be a general purpose portable computer, something the OQO 02+ might be able to do rather well, I fear that it will be a negative for the OQO. If you look at the specs for the UMID, for example, you will see that it maxes out with a 1.3GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. I shudder to think what would happen if you tried to run Vista on it (much less on its entry level model - 1.1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM).

Back in the old days (six months ago) when a MID was an Internet surfer and a UMPC was a real computer it wouldn't have been so much of a problem. Now, with OQO being lumped in with the other MIDs, I think they might find that people who try the lower powered MIDs in a brick and mortar store will conclude that none of them, including the OQO, are real computers.

[ecsk2]

If the MIDs we are seeing now make people take another look at the paperback book sized form factor, that would be a positive for the OQO.

If, on the other hand, people try to use them as if they could be a general purpose portable computer, something the OQO 02+ might be able to do rather well, I fear that it will be a negative for the OQO. If you look at the specs for the UMID, for example, you will see that it maxes out with a 1.3GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. I shudder to think what would happen if you tried to run Vista on it (much less on its entry level model - 1.1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM).

Back in the old days (six months ago) when a MID was an Internet surfer and a UMPC was a real computer it wouldn't have been so much of a problem. Now, with OQO being lumped in with the other MIDs, I think they might find that people who try the lower powered MIDs in a brick and mortar store will conclude that none of them, including the OQO, are real computers.

I have an AIGO MID with WinXP and I played extensively with the UMID 1.33 at CES just last week, it was runing quite nicely. Now personally I don't want Vista on ANY machine I ever have be it whatever size computer. For the "full OS" needs I have XP is perfect, your comment of shuddering with the though of Vista speaks for itself. Now for me the serious downsides of the batterytime, heat and fan noise of the OQO just really turns me off.

Since I want my mobile device to be just that MOBILE that means fit in my pocket and not burn me and last decently in battery time.

I am following the OQO news eagerly as I might still try to own the 2+ (btw its "2+" now and not "02+" ) as I know all the devices (including mobile phones really) are compromises depending upon what your needs/wants are.

For me the OQO has some serious pros such as build quality, fantastic keyboard and needless to say performance, however for me the cons are still weight/size, heat and fan noise, and of course I can get another device (like the Aigo) for the price it costs to repair an 02/2+ LCD screen when I crack it (been there done it).

The Aigo MID with XP has the pros of small and decent price, no fan noise, hardly any heat, also nice small mobilephone size battery so no big deal to carry extra battery. Cons is not all XP drivers are available yet so no wifi and no real idea of the battery time, also I don't love the "HTCish" keyboard of the Compal made Aigo MID, but it works.

The UMID MID we know very little about yet such as price and so on, as for form factor it's my favorite of all, as itls in the OQO size when in a pocket but when opened up adds more than double the area. All in all I'd call the UMID MID the Netbooks of UMPC/MIDs.

You know its kind of like when the iPhone came out, either you loved or hated it, but one thing just as I had predicted happened for the first time in a long time mobile device manufacturers tried to match or better what Apple had done with the iPhone.

So I feel its only beneficial to have more and more products in this category. Frankly I don't feel any of the products I've mentioned really compete to each other as they are very different and the customers/users they will appeal to are looking for very different products.

Sorry for OT non OQO replies/comments.

[Tikker]

umid looks like a jornada clone

I really thought it was an awesome form factor

until I owned one...

I really really prefer the slider tablet style (sony UX, OQO, aigo, etc)

[ecsk2]

umid looks like a jornada clone

I really thought it was an awesome form factor

until I owned one...

I really really prefer the slider tablet style (sony UX, OQO, aigo, etc)

Until you owned one....what? Jornada? The UMID has not been sold anywhere yet, I just spoke to the UMID reps less than a week ago and they haven't even made up their mind on a retail price yet. Wouldn't really say it's a Jornada clone, ironically I was just talking about that on another site some hours ago, in fact the in regards to a picture I found on OQOtalk
http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/01/wide-flip-top-umpc-design

I’d could go for an Jornada sized Vaio P myself yes.
But you know when I start to look at your numbers 7″ (~178 mm) thats about 9-10″ LESS than the the same as Jornada in width. 4″ (~101 mm) deep and an inch thick (25.4 mm). I am sorry but those measurements (if you want something thats anywhere touchtype-able) would again point my eyes back to the UMID MID, which is 158 x 94.1 x 18.6 mm out of which the last number the thickness is a bit off in the widest end, it’s about the thickness of a nickel (21.21mm) in the thinner end but add about half of that in the thickest end, that would give you around an inch and a 1/4.
So roughly the UMID MID is somewhere like:
6 1/4″ or so wide
3 3/4″ or so deep
3/4″- 1 1/4″ thick depending where you measure

[Tikker]

umid looks like a jornada clone

I really thought it was an awesome form factor

until I owned one...

I really really prefer the slider tablet style (sony UX, OQO, aigo, etc)

Until you owned one....what? Jornada?

yeah, the jornada

just slightly too big for a pocket, and way too small for a laptop bag

couple of the women I worked with carried them in the purse, and that worked well, but I'm not much into the man-bags, heh

[Dave P]

I have an AIGO MID with WinXP and I played extensively with the UMID 1.33 at CES just last week, it was runing quite nicely. Now personally I don't want Vista on ANY machine I ever have be it whatever size computer. For the "full OS" needs I have XP is perfect, your comment of shuddering with the though of Vista speaks for itself. Now for me the serious downsides of the batterytime, heat and fan noise of the OQO just really turns me off.

Unfortunately for the XP crowd, Microsoft will eventually end distribution of it and drivers for it will be increasingly left out of new components. You will still be able to use it on your computers but manufacturers will not be able to offer it as an option. XP will become a fading memory like Win2000 (which some still say is the best Windows OS).

Win7 promises increased performance but it is a modification of Vista, not XP, and the current beta requirements still call for 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. I think the lesser powered MIDs will be forced to offer only Linux within a few months of the Win7 release.

[roger]

Unfortunately for the XP crowd, Microsoft will eventually end distribution of it and drivers for it will be increasingly left out of new components. You will still be able to use it on your computers but manufacturers will not be able to offer it as an option. XP will become a fading memory like Win2000 (which some still say is the best Windows OS).

You may be right but having reverted to xP Pro with a newly supplied  OQO install disk after enduring Vista for a year my 02 runs far quicker and better.

I could make a case for OQO to be able to supply progressively updated install disks but I suspect Microsoft would refuse to condone such behaviour.

In a world with finite resources we can't continue to throw away useful technology in the same way that we have done in the past.

[ecsk2]

umid looks like a jornada clone

I really thought it was an awesome form factor

until I owned one...

I really really prefer the slider tablet style (sony UX, OQO, aigo, etc)

Until you owned one....what? Jornada?

yeah, the jornada

just slightly too big for a pocket, and way too small for a laptop bag

couple of the women I worked with carried them in the purse, and that worked well, but I'm not much into the man-bags, heh

Oh well you were "suppose to" have it in the 90's then it was great for it's time I've done thousands and thousands of emails on it while in the corporate world, had a dock on my desk and it synced with my corporate Outlook and I replied during all those (yawn) meetings

[ecsk2]

I have an AIGO MID with WinXP and I played extensively with the UMID 1.33 at CES just last week, it was runing quite nicely. Now personally I don't want Vista on ANY machine I ever have be it whatever size computer. For the "full OS" needs I have XP is perfect, your comment of shuddering with the though of Vista speaks for itself. Now for me the serious downsides of the batterytime, heat and fan noise of the OQO just really turns me off.

Unfortunately for the XP crowd, Microsoft will eventually end distribution of it and drivers for it will be increasingly left out of new components. You will still be able to use it on your computers but manufacturers will not be able to offer it as an option. XP will become a fading memory like Win2000 (which some still say is the best Windows OS).

Win7 promises increased performance but it is a modification of Vista, not XP, and the current beta requirements still call for 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. I think the lesser powered MIDs will be forced to offer only Linux within a few months of the Win7 release.

Yeah but the complete lack of support from XP is not around the corner I'd say. So far Win7 is looking promising , and the UMID as such already has a top model of 1.33Ghz w/1GB RAM and 32GB SSD so...and those memory numbers are not really limited by anything but COST ok well physical dimension to SOME extent but you can fit any SSD amount you "need" to run any of these OS' we are talking about into any of these devices if you're up for the cost.

Here's the UMID brochure I picked up at CES and scanned showing the 1GB/32GB
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3188920516_2ef3a5abeb_b.jpg
More: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33606573@N06/3188920516/

But hey I don't feel its right to let this drift any further OT this is an OQO forum and a "OQO 2+ specs" thread, so SORRY GUYS!!

[ecsk2]

Unfortunately for the XP crowd, Microsoft will eventually end distribution of it and drivers for it will be increasingly left out of new components. You will still be able to use it on your computers but manufacturers will not be able to offer it as an option. XP will become a fading memory like Win2000 (which some still say is the best Windows OS).

You may be right but having reverted to xP Pro with a newly supplied  OQO install disk after enduring Vista for a year my 02 runs far quicker and better.

I an attempt to keep this on OQO topic and at the same time on the XP/VISTA on MIDs etc topic, this comment just reminded me that the 2+ (that we expect to be around for at least how long?) states clearly:

"operating system
Windows Vista® Business
Windows® XP Professional
Windows® XP Home"

http://www.oqo.com/products/model2+/specifications.html

So while I am not denying at all the limitations of such devices like MIDs I think there is hope for small "netbook" like boom within the sector, and if that means (just as we've seen in the EEE/MSI Netbook sector) an increased demand and interest in smaller mobile computers, to the extent where the "big names" such as Dell, HP, Sony etc are bringing their own offers to the table then GREAT for everyone, the people who are happy with the $199.99 EEE 900A from Best Buy ( http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3200482022_7f7da1ddda_o.jpg pic taken yesterday by myself) and those wanting to pay $1000-1500 to keep the mobility but have more build quality/performance.

So point being just as Dell/HP/Sony have benefitted from the low end/low cost netbook book I believe the OQO with now a "closer to consumer" pricing and touch screen can benefit from the emerging MID market, don't look at them as enemies or competitors I think the only such (Flipstart) is gone, along with the Sony UX?

[ecsk2]

There are other Atom based devices in the same size that run without fans so not sure why OQO can't do it?

exact same form factor and same cpu?

seems to me they're running the lower speed chips, but I very well could be wrong

the fan noise is a huge turnoff for me on my 01, and kept me from an 02

The LOWEND OQO 2+ has 1.33 GHz Intel Atom
http://www.oqo.com/products/model2+/specifications.html

The all SSD and fanless UMID I tested at CES has a "high end" of 1.33Ghz:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33606573@N06/3188920516/sizes/l/

Now the fan and heat issues of the 01 was def improved on the 02 though! I just guess many of us was expecting more of a leap with the 2+ for me I guess I will keep on waiting for the 03?

[Tikker]

Oh well you were "suppose to" have it in the 90's then it was great for it's time I've done thousands and thousands of emails on it while in the corporate world, had a dock on my desk and it synced with my corporate Outlook and I replied during all those (yawn) meetings

well, very late 90's I guess

early 2000's more realistic
it was definitely ok, but even then I never really found it capable of really replacing my then laptop



digress!



I'm still deeply curious to get a hands on with a 2+
I can deal with warmth a lot better than vaccuum sounding fans