When I first saw the OQO model 2 it caught my attention and turned my head. Although I had previously heard about the OQO, my skepticism for a small handheld device that would fully run Windows Vista prevailed. After working with the OQO, some questions remain but the feelings of excitement still linger.

The OQO model 2 measures 5.6”x3.3”x1.0” and weighs in at less than one pound with the standard battery. The screen display is 5” with a native resolution of 800x480. The screen is bright and easy, however the characters are small but readable. Some of us who use bifocals may have some difficulty with the small print but the ability to zoom in and out is useful to overcome this obstacle. In addition, there is an ambient light sensor which adjusts to surrounding conditions. However, in the dark my screen changed intensities so frequently it became annoying.

Note: The Wide VGA LCD active digitizer for pen input in tablet form and the docking station were not tested.

The unit tested had a processor speed of 1.5 GHz VIA C7M ULV, 1GB of Ram, and was preloaded with Windows® Vista Home Premium OS, however the unit is capable of running on a variety of Windows® platforms. (1.6GHz and 1.2GHz models are also available). The unit contains a 60 GB hard drive with shock-mounted, drop detect technology. The backlit thumb keyboard was difficult for me to use when trying to prepare this review. Access to a full keyboard with connection to the optional docking station would make inputting larger documents easier. More about the docking station later.

The slide out keyboard has a track stick and dedicated left and right mouse keys. The Tablet PC edition which was not tested can use a digital pen. There is touch sensitive scrolling as well as keys which are dedicated to increase magnification.

Sound quality is not impressive but this is not unexpected in such a small device. This is not a gaming or audiophile’s tool (except perhaps for transporting the data).

Our battery life tests yielded results that were below those stated by the manufacturer. For travelers on the go, I would strongly recommend purchasing a spare. The OQO like many other small laptops generates a fair amount of heat.

The most useful and practical tool for a road warrior is the wireless and networking options. In addition to Wifi (802.11 abg); Bluetooth™ 2.0; and Ethernet; there is wireless WAN integrated EV-DO with either Sprint or Verizon Wireless Broadband access. Surfing the internet or connecting to the office is easy and can be done almost anywhere.

The OQO has an optional docking station, however none was provided for this review. The docking station holds the OQO and allows the OQO to be connected to its optical DVD drive (CD RW/DVD-ROM). The ports include video out HDMI and VGA; 3 USB 2.0 ports; Ethernet networking; and a line out audio jack. This makes connecting to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse possible. In addition, the unit offers dual monitor support.

Conclusion

The OQO may not be the fastest mobile computer, but it does offer a powerful full function computing environment that can be carried around in an extremely small package. The networking options allow users to connect wirelessly from almost anywhere. The docking station offers the option to connect to a larger monitor screen, keyboard and mouse.
My initial impressions of excitement continue as the OQO offers a serious alternative for those challenged to save space and weight.

Suggested Retail $1,295.

www.oqo.com

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