While the OQO Model 02 may not run as fast as the new Sony UX series, this machine is far more useful because of its excellent thumboard, the best one I’ve seen yet. Not only is there great tactile feedback while pressing the buttons, but there are also separate buttons for numbers. Best of all, you don’t have to hold two keys when thumbing in an exclamation mark, question mark, etc. The “sticky keys” feature is already enabled so you press the function (or shift key) once, then press the key for your punctuation mark, function, etc.
One of the reasons that Ultra Mobile PCs have not been successful is because the screen
size is usually too small for the eyes. On the OQO Model 2, you can easily zoom in on the screen when you need to. However, I find that I don’t have to do this. Windows Vista has a lot more features that are mobile friendly, including a feature that easily adjust the font size for the screen. With the new Internet Explorer 7, you can easily adjust the zoom level by pressing control and the “+” key. You can also permanently set the zoom level to anything you want on Internet Explorer. I find that the 115% zoom level works best on this.
Another problem with Ultra Mobile PCs has been that they heat up so badly that they feel more like portable heaters than portable computers. I have not had any major heat issues with the OQO Model 02 yet. It does get a little hot, but not uncomfortably so. To fix this problem, however, OQO had to include a high powering fan that sounds like a mini hair dryer when the processor is fully cranked up. This bothered me at first, but I have become very immune to the sound. Others may not.
OQO deserves a lot of credit for creating the first portable computer device that is not only useable, but can fit in your pocket as well. However, there are small improvements that can be made. Since the OQO Model 02 works best as a pen enabled device, you would think that there would be a slot on the device to put the pen on, but there isn’t.
Article comments
1 - gadget lover
Very nice review, Daryl. I ordered mine in February and haven't received it yet. How did you get yours?
2 - Liz
Interesting, but you need to decide if you want to be a music critic, a political writer, or a technology reviewer. Shall we expect your "food critic" column to come up soon?
3 - Brian Levy
Nice hostory lesson but you forgot to mention the 1st real successful unit, the Toshiba Libretto. I loved and used my 110 from 2001 until 2006 when the case finally cracked. It still works and I use it from time to time with an external monitor. The keyboard though smallish after some time of working with it rather than fighting it can easily be typed on. In fact I now find what we call full sized keyborads to be too big requiring too much finger spread. I actually had to find a usb keyboard that is smaller than the average laptop to use on my desktop and laptops.
I like the Eee but wish the dimensional sizing had been the video tape as was the Libretto.