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OQO Handheld Disappoints

Attempt to provide PC performance and features in a handheld falls short.

Tom Mainelli

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Click here to view full-size image.Who wouldn't want a full-featured PC the size of a PDA? That's the promise of OQO's $1999 Model 01 Ultra PC with Windows XP. Unfortunately, the Model 01 is better in concept than as a product.

I tested a preproduction unit using Windows XP Pro, with a 1-GHz Transmeta Crusoe CPU, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, integrated 802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a 5-inch-diagonal touch display.

The Model 01's performance was painfully slow. Applications took too long to load, and most Web pages that I visited refreshed at a snail's pace.

I could overlook the unit's unhurried performance if it were more comfortable to use. But I found some of the keyboard's key placements a bit odd, and the spacebar was difficult to reach. Add to those deficiencies a poorly located headphone jack, noticeable heat, and erratic touch-screen performance, and you have a PDA that's awkward to use at best.

I like the idea of a handheld PC, and I would willingly sacrifice some comfort and performance to have one. But the Model 01 requires that I give up dramatically more than I'm willing to surrender.

Tom Mainelli

OQO Model 01 Ultra PC

Preproduction model,not rated

Handheld features Windows XP, but poor design and pedestrian performance make it impossible to recommend.
Price when reviewed: $1999
Current Prices (if available)

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