Going Mobile

Handheld Computers

Need more power than a PDA, but don't want the bulk of a notebook? Priced around $2000, these palmtop Windows PCs have their drawbacks--but if you need maximum horsepower in a minimal package, they might be the way to go.

Sony VAIO U750P

Photograph: Rick Rizner
Price: $2000
Weight: 1.2 pounds (sans keyboard)
Dimensions: 6.6 by 4.3 by 1.0 inches
Screen quality: Excellent. The VAIO U750P's 5-inch-diagonal, 800-by-600-pixel, touch-sensitive color LCD provides an impressively wide range of acceptable viewing angles. The display is fast enough to handle video clips, and it makes both photographs and Web sites look great.
Text entry: Good. When the unit is connected to the included fold-out USB keyboard, typing is on a par with that of a standard laptop. Otherwise, you'll either have to use a stylus and the RitePen handwriting recognition software or tap out letters using an on-screen keyboard.
Web worthiness: Excellent. Built-in Wi-Fi lets you link to the Net and surf using your favorite browser.
Bottom line: Powerful and compact, this VAIO U Series machine is full of interesting design compromises. The U750P runs Windows XP Pro, and it packs 512MB of RAM, a 1.1-GHz Pentium M Ultra Low Voltage 733 CPU, a 20GB hard drive, and built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi into a package that is smaller and lighter than some paperback novels. But the separate keyboard makes the U750P harder to use--at least for writing messages--when it isn't plugged into its docking station.
Vendor link: Sony VAIO U750P

Eric Dahl

Up Close

Photograph: Rick Rizner Photograph: Rick RiznerMousing around: The small stick on the right side of the U750P controls your pointer, while the three buttons on the opposite side act as your mouse buttons. Both the buttons and the control stick work well.
Screen orientation: The Rotate key lets you easily switch from landscape mode to portrait mode, which makes this device good for reading e-books or lengthy documents.

OQO Model 01 Ultra Personal Computer

Photograph: Rick Rizner
Preproduction unit, not rated
Price: $1999
Weight: 14 ounces
Dimensions: 4.9 by 3.4 by 0.9 inches
Screen quality: Very good. The 5-inch-diagonal, 800-by-480-pixel touch-screen display is good for viewing most standard-width Web sites, but many Windows XP fonts appear awfully small at the default settings.
Text entry: Fair. Decent tactile feedback, but keys are placed oddly and the spacebar is hard to reach.
Web worthiness: Good. Unique TrackStick input makes navigation manageable, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections are Included, but page rendering seemed sluggish even over broadband.
Bottom line: The OQO includes a 20GB hard drive and 256MB of RAM, runs a full version of Windows XP, and is good for a little over an hour of battery life with Wi-Fi active. Unfortunately, the unit's small screen and its underpowered 1-GHz Transmeta Crusoe processor make it difficult to use as if it really were a full-fledged PC. Although it's a groundbreaking product, the OQO can't quite justify its high price tag.
Vendor link: OQO Model 01 Ultra Personal Computer

Tom Mainelli

Photograph: Rick Rizner

Up Close

TrackStick and mouse buttons: Like the VAIO U750P, the OQO relies on a combination of a right-side TrackStick (it works like the eraserhead controllers on many laptops) and two left-side mouse buttons that makes navigation intuitive.
Headphone jack: To listen to movies or music on the Model 01, you'll need to wear a set of headphones, since this unit has no built-in speaker. Unfortunately for multitaskers, a poorly placed headphone jack makes it hard to continue typing once you're plugged in.