(Click here for a larger view of the OQO 2+)Touted as the "world's smallest fully functional Windows Vista PC," the eponymous OQO
initially shipped in October 2004. At that time, OQO referred to its device as a UMPC, but we note that the company now prefers to term it a
MID (mobile internet device), unwittingly showing how these device categories have begun to dissolve (see below).
Like the original OQO, the 2+ measures 5.6 x 3.3 x 1.0 inches and weighs approximately one pound with its standard battery. The device boasts a backlit, 58-key "thumb" keyboard, along with a track stick pointing device.
The previous iteration of the OQO was the
model 02, which had 1GB of RAM and a 1.6GHz Via
C7M ULV processor. The OQO 2+ now gets an 1.86GHz Intel Atom
Z540 processor, or an
1.33GHz Atom Z520, both paired with the chipmaker's SCH US15W northbridge/southbridge chip.
An even more interesting change is the adoption -- said to be a "world first" -- of an optional OLED display. Featuring a native resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, along with interpolated resolutions of 1024x768 or 1000x600, the touchscreen display has an amazing 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, extended color gamut, and is equally viewable from any angle, OQO says.
Also newly optional on the OQO 2+ is 3G wide area networking, based on Qualcomm's
GOBI chipset. By supporting CMA2000 EV-DO as well as GSM networks, the device can offer high-speed data transfer on Sprint and Verizon Wireless networks in the U.S., as well as many other carriers globally, the company says.
Offered with Windows Vista Business, Windows XP Professional, or Windows XP Home, the 2+ comes with either 1GB of 2GB of RAM. This raises an interesting point, since the SCH US15W has been said by a variety of sources -- including Intel's own website and April 2008 datasheet [PDF link,
here] -- to be capable of addressing only 1GB of memory. The OQO 2+ is not the only US15W-equipped device we've recently seen claiming 2GB of RAM, so we suspect either a running change or an error in Intel's original documentation.
The OQO 2+ includes 60GB or 120GB hard drives, a 60GB SSD (solid state drive) option, plus 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth wireless capabilities. Ports are all found on the device's left side
(OQO 2+ photo gallery), including, from left to right, a headphone jack, an HDMI connector, a docking connector, and a single USB 2.0 port.
OQO offers an external cable, which we presume plugs into the docking connector. It is said to provide both 10/100 Ethernet and VGA output. External displays can offer resolution up to 1920 x 1200 pixels, the company adds.
OQO lists the following key features and specifications for the 2+:
- Processor -- 1.86GHz Atom Z540 or 1.33Ghz Atom Z520 processor
- Memory -- 1GB or 2GB of DDR2 RAM
- Display -- 800 x 480 touchscreen display, available in both OLED and LCD versions
- Storage -- 60GB or 120GB hard disk drive; 64GB SSD also available
- Wireless:
- WAN -- Integrated 3G mobile broadband, supporting standard including CDMA2000, EV-DO, UMTS, and HSPA
- WLAN -- 802.11a/b/g
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- Other I/O:
- 10/100 Ethernet (with optional cable)
- VGA (with optional cable)
- Audio output
- HDMI port
- Docking/power connector
- Battery type/life:
- 4500 mAh standard battery; operates up to 3.5 hours
- 9000 mAH double-capacity battery; operates up to seven hours
- Dimensions -- 5.6 x 3.3 x 1.0 inches
- Weight -- 1 pound with standard battery
Definitions blur ... According to Intel, a
MID is supposed to be a touchscreen-oriented, "consumer-priced" device that has a 4- to 6-inch display, but no keyboard. They're supposed to be distinct from
UMPC (ultra mobile PCs), which have 5- to 7-inch displays, some sort of keyboard, and supposedly have more of a business orientation.
Asus's R50A
(Click image for more details) |
The iconic OQO was once considered the quintessential UMPC -- but its manufacturer now chooses to eschew that tarnished label, calling the device a MID instead. Several months ago, meanwhile, Asus announced its
R50A (right), which, like the OQO 2+, uses an Atom Z5xx processor and runs Window Vista. Equipped with a 5.6-inch display, but no keyboard, the R50A was termed a MID when it was in
prototype stage, but a UMPC when it hit the market. Price? Approximately the same as the OQO 2+'s.
For our part, we hope that one day soon, every mobile device will be a phone, a MID, a PMP (personal media player), a PND (personal navigation device), and maybe even a UMPC -- all rolled into one. When that happens, "convergence" will have put several linguistic invalids out of their misery.
Further informationAccording to OQO, the 2+ will cost approximately $1,000 with a 1.33GHz processor and a standard LCD screen. With the 1.86GHz CPU and OLED display, it will sell for approximately $1,500. An available docking station adds a dual-layer DVD writer, an Ethernet port, and three additional USB ports, the company says.
Orderable now, the device will be delivered "during the first half of 2009," according to OQO. More information may be found on the company's website,
here. An
ExtremeTech review of the device should be available
here.
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