tips-computer-oqo-whatIsIt

What is the OQO 01+?

By the way, I don't have any relationship with the OQO company, I'm just a random person who bought one.

The OQO 01+ is a handheld computer that tries to be as powerful as a laptop. See http://www.oqo.com/hardware/basics/ for more info.

Advantages and disadvantages

The primary advantage and disadvantage

• Unlike most (all?) handhelds on the market today (dec 2005), the OQO has an x86 processor. This means that it can run standard operating systems like Debian GNU/Linux and MS Windows, and the usual applications that your desktop computer runs. It's just a regular computer, but it's really small!
• But it's also priced just like a regular laptop (in fact, a little more expensive: I paid $2577.52 for the base unit plus various essentials). And compared to today's laptops, it's slow. So, it's like you're buying an expensive laptop, and then taking a hit in performance in exchange for portability.

Advantages relative to desktops and laptops

• Fits in your (rather large[[image:I wear cargo pants -- I don't think the OQO would fit in a regular, snugly-fitting pants pocket?]]) pocket

Advantages relative to other handhelds

• Can run standard OSs and apps
  • While the company doesn't officially support GNU/Linux, one of their employees put a webpage on their website which tells you how to install Ubuntu, and they point to that webpage from a GNU/Linux question on their support Q&A website, so it's almost like they support it
• Has a keyboard on it
• Has specs like a laptop, not a handheld: 512MB memory, 30GB HD, 1000 mHz processor
• Has peripherals like a laptop: USB 2, wireless etherned, wired ethernet, firewire, VGA output

Disadvantages relative to laptops

• Performance is comparable to (slightly worse than) my 4-year old laptop

Disadvantages relative to other handhelds

• Price is like an expensive laptop, not a handheld
• Not "instant on": the time it takes to either boot or to resume from suspend is comparable to a laptop computer -- it's not like the organizer software on your phone that is there instantly when you take it out of your pocket

Why I bought it

I'm hoping to keep it in my pocket most of the time. I'm not sure if it's crucial yet to always have a computer on you, but I was recently given some money that had to be spent on a computer by a certain date.

So, my choices were to either get a new laptop, which would be faster and have a bigger hard drive than my current one but which would otherwise function the same in my life, or to get a handheld, which would allow me to take it with me in my pocket. I felt that I like to have something that fits in my pocket more than I would like to have something faster.

In addition, I've thought for awhile that it would be neat to buy a new computer every 2 years or so, and to alternate buying laptops and handhelds. This way, you have at the most a 4 year old laptop, but you also have a handheld. So, I guess I'll try that system out, although at the start my laptop will end up being older than 4 years for awhile because I'm short on cash (grad student).

What I own w/price

• OQO 01+ ($1900)
• 3 year warranty ($250)
• Extra battery ($150)
• Protective metal case ($50)

Total price, w/ tax and shipping: $2577.52 (!)

Misc other comments

• The OQO has a stylus (an electronic pen that you can use as a mouse)
• However, it's impossible to use the stylus without wobbling a little when you're trying to hold it still, so, while using the stylus, you can't click or right click on some things without moving the mouse at the same time, which for me makes it almost unusable.
• The tiny keyboard has some compromises to make it small (like leaving out some standard keys, like {}[], and making you use the function key along with other keys to get to those characters), but I think that they did a good job in making it usable nevertheless
• It REALLY NEEDS a little light for the keyboard so that you can use it in dim light
• The CPU can be told to slow down to save battery life (to as little as 300 mHz)
• The battery lasts about 2-3 hours (this is shortly after I bought it) just like they say. I can get it to over 2.5 hours by keeping the CPU set on the slow speed and by not doing very intense things (i.e. by just word processing on the airplane).
• While suspended, the unit does take some power (10% of a battery over several hours), but it's little enough that it would be feasible to keep it suspended all day (provided that you didn't want to use it for too long after that).
• I bought 2 batteries, which I think is crucial given the short battery life. I was able to successfully compute for almost all of a 5 hour plane flight, and for most of a 6 hour one. The batteries are really small so it's really no trouble to carry a bunch of them around with the unit. Unfortunately extra batteries are $150, so I can't afford to buy too many (otherwise I'd buy 3 extras for a total of 4, and just leave the unit un-suspended all day to achieve effective "instant on", interrupted by some battery swaps).
• You have to take one battery out in order to put the other one in (so you have to shut it down for a moment, unlike my Dell Inspiron laptop which can have two batteries in it at once).

Things that I think most need to be changed:

1. Make it resume from suspend faster.
2. Easy one: a little light or backlight for the keyboard
3. Easy one: Make it possible to tell the stylus to ignore small movements (you can, but only really small ones (<6 units); you need to do it for larger sizes); this way you'll be able to click and right click without dragging.
4. Cheaper batteries, or better battery life.