Going mobile with the OQO e2
I was lucky enough to get my first OQO 02 just before attending Microsoft Tech-ED on the Gold Coast last year. The 5 inch Vista ready device running a Via 1.5 GHz CPU and up to 60GBHDD puts the mobile into Ultra Mobile PC! Here's the configuration:
| CPU | Via 1.5 GHz C7M ULV |
|
| HDD | 60GB – 5400 RPM | |
| RAM | 1GB (Max) | |
| OS | Vista Ultimate |
My first impression of the device was WOW!! It was shiny, the screen was clear and crisp and the size gave me the ability to carry a PC in my pocket (well, suit pocket anyway). After using the OQO for a few months, I was more than happy with it and convinced many others to head down the same path. That was until Christmas Eve when the screen started to show "waves" similar to those you used to see on old analogue TVs with a bad signal. During a call to OQO tech support, they told me to send it in so that they could work on it.
About 3 weeks later, I received an email letting me know that my device had been fixed and would be promptly sent back. Within 10 days, I had a brand new OQO e2 with a 32GB Solid State Drive in my hands. When I looked at the paperwork, the company had decided to replace the unit with the new OQO e2 version (faster processor & more options) and had even thrown in the 32GB SSD since I’d been without the device for a month. This is a great example of high quality customer service: rewarding the customer for loyalty and apologising for delays.
Since taking back possession of the device on Tuesday, I've only been able to install my usual software, connect to my hosted exchange server and my Windows Home Server. I've had a family emergency and have been too busy at work to configure it any further for meetings etc. And to distract me even more from the OQO, I received my brand new Dell Latitude XT (Yes, that's right! - Dell's brand spanking new Tablet PC. But more on that in my next post).
Most people ask me when they see the OQO, what I use it for and whether it’s too small. My answer to them is that you can use it for just about anything you would any other PC and after giving them a demo of the screen and letting them use it, they too have been able to adjust to the smaller form factor.
The major advantage of the OQO e2 is PORTABILITY. You can make it your primary PC and take everything with you wherever you go; no need for USB memory sticks, VPN to home/office servers, or to sync multiple devices. The ability to edit Photoshop files, develop with MS Visual Studio 2005 and communicate using MS Outlook 07, means that this device is a must have for all mobile workers.
I'll be blogging in the future about how i use my OQO on a daily basis :-)
