OQO Ultraportable Gets Faster Via Chip

Via Technologies Inc. is shipping a faster version of its C-7M ultra low-voltage processor, and the 1.6GHz chip has found a home in an updated version of OQO Inc.'s diminutive handheld computer, the company said Monday.

The updated OQO Model 02 has the same slide-up display that reveals a QWERTY keyboard. Equipped with the 1.6GHz C7-M ULV processor, the handheld computer is priced starting from US$1,849. The Model 02 weighs less than 1 pound (454 grams) and measures 14.2 centimeters (cm) by 8.4cm by 2.5cm. It runs Windows Vista and comes with an 80G-byte hard-disk drive and 1G byte of RAM.

Swap Vista for Windows XP Home Edition and choose a slower version of the C7-M, and the price of the Model 02 can fall to $1,249. At that price, you get a 1.2GHz C7-M ULV processor, a 40G-byte hard disk, and 512M bytes of RAM. A Model 02 based on the 1.5GHz version of the C7-M starts at $1,599.

For users who want a powerful system, the Model 02 is available with Windows Vista, a 120G-byte hard drive and a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 2000-1x EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) mobile data card for $2,199. A 32G-byte solid-state drive is also available, starting from $2,349.