Mobile gadget enthusiasts can’t visit their favorite gadget news sites without being bombarded with news about the latest netbooks. Whether you want to refer to this category of extremely portable and affordable laptops as subnotebooks, ultraportables, UMPCs, MIDs or netbooks, is entirely up to you. What I call them is a whole lot of fun and convenience in a small package. The first netbook to capture our interest was the ASUS Eee PC, then it was the HP Mini-Note. Now it’s the MSI Wind. Let’s see if it’s worthy enough for a spot in your gear bag…

Hardware Specs

CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz, Front-side Bus 533Mhz, Cache 512K
Chipset: 945GSE+ ICH7-M
Operating System: Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
Display: 10″ WSVGA LCD, LED backlight, 1024 x 600 resolution
Graphics: Intel GMA950
System Memory: 1GB DDR2 667MHz
Hard Drive: 120GB SATA I
Communications: 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth
Touchpad: Sentelic
USB2.0 Port X 3
1.3M Webcam and microphone
4-in-1 Card Reader, SD/MMC/MS/MSpro
Output: 19V DC, 65W / Input: 100~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz Universal
Dimensions: 10.23″(L) X7.08″(D) X 0.748″~1.24″(H)
Weight: 2.3 lbs (3 cell)

Package Contents

MSI Wind Netbook
AC adapter
Power cord
Zippered slip case
Windows XP Home SP3 recovery CD
Driver, Utility, Manual CD
Quick start guide

Style and design

The MSI Wind netbook is currently available in four colors and two hardware configurations. The colors are Black, Pink, White and the Love Edition, which is White with heart line graphics. The hardware config choices are just between an 80GB or a 120GB hard drive. The 120GB version of this netbook is only available right now in the Black and Love Edition colors. At the time I placed my order last week, I didn’t even know there was an 120GB version. I was having a heck of a time trying to find any online stores that had any models in stock. I lucked out though and found the MWave store and they had some 120GB Black models in stock, so I snapped one up. I originally wanted a 6 cell battery model, but since I couldn’t find any in stock, I decided to go for the higher capacity hard drive model instead. I figure I can always get a 6 cell battery later.

Since I’ve already had the opportunity to try out two other popular netbooks, I was hoping that the MSI would fall somewhere in between the slightly toyish looking ASUS Eee PC and the really cool looking HP Mini-Note. Thankfully, it does. I like the design because it isn’t flashy. It has rounded sides and corners, with no sharp edges. The lid is shiny slick Black that has a tiny bit of sparkle to it. If you look really close, you can see multi-colored specs in the surface. The MSI logo is silk-screened in White in the center… perfect for slapping a sticker over it at some point ;o)

According to the product page on MSI’s site, the lid has “Special Insert Mold Roller Technology (IMR). The special IMR technology protects the notebook from fading and also reducing the fingerprints which makes the Wind always look glare and outstanding.” Ummm… do what? Trust me, the lid still shows fingerprints, smudges and smears.

The bottom half of the Wind is not shiny; it has various heat ventilation slits and five Grey rubber feet. There is also a speaker in the front corners.

On the left side, you’ll find a security lock slot, power connector, heat vents and two USB ports.

The opposite side has another USB port, a 4-in-1 card reader that supports SD, MMC, Memory Stick and MSPro formats, a Video out port and an Ethernet jack.

The lid / screen is held closed with friction. There isn’t a clasp or any other mechanism to keep it closed. The hinge feels sturdy enough that when you open the lid, it will lift the whole computer along with it. So opening it, is a two-handed operation.

This little guy should fit easily on an airplane tray table…

Here you see the screen open to the maximum angle.

Sizing it up

I purchased the MSI Wind netbook to serve as my travel companion for an upcoming vacation to Florida. I usually take my 15″ MacBook Pro with me whenever a travel, but I get tired of lugging it around the airport with me. I love it dearly, but it’s big and bulky. I decided against a MacBook Air a long time ago because I think they are overpriced and under powered.

The Wind is significantly smaller than the MacBook Pro as you can see here…

It is small and light enough to fit in almost any gear bag.

All by itself, it weights in at 2 lbs 8 oz on my scale. Great right?

Well, when you add the necessary AC adapter, the weight jumps up considerably. Actually, the AC adapter brick isn’t all that cumbersome by itself, but when you pair it with the bulky power cord that plugs into it, that’s when we see the issue. Why is it that the littlest gadgets seem to have the most massive power adapters / cords? Grrrrr. I knew I wouldn’t be happy till I could find something to help me lessen the weight and bulk problem…

It didn’t take me too long to find a cool little solution thanks to the fantastic MSI Wind forums at MsiWind.net. This little $3 adapter can be found at StayOnline.com and totally replaces the included power cord.

It plugs directly into the AC adapter. Nifty huh? It reduces the overall weight of the netbook and AC adapter from 3 lbs 3 oz to 2 lbs 15 oz. I know that’s only a 4 oz savings, but every little bit helps and it definitely saves some space in your gear bag too.

Using the keyboard and touch pad

Following an initial charge of the battery, I was ready to start putting this little netbook through all the same types of things I use my Macbook Pro for when I travel. I may be The Gadgeteer, but I’m really not an over the top power user when it comes to what I want out of a netbook. Basically, I want to be able to touch type on it, surf all my favorite websites on it, read and respond to emails with it, offload digital camera images to its hard drive and maybe do a bit of photo editing if the mood strikes me. Let’s start with the keyboard…

The size of the Wind’s keyboard is not an issue for me as far as hindering my ability to touch type on it. My hands fit comfortably on the ‘home’ row, without having to adjust the spacing of my fingers. The keys themselves are flat, but have good travel and tactile feedback.

The keyboard would be perfectly fine for me, but due to the layout, I do have consistent problems correctly typing the following characters: . ? /

The location of the . key under the L key is almost directly under it as you can see above. On regular full-size keyboards, the location of the . key is usually where the ? key is. So, when I want to end a sentence with a period, I almost always get a slash. When I want to type a question mark, I end up pressing the Right shift key instead. Same goes for typing a /. I also almost always accidently press the Right up arrow when I mean to press the Right Shift key. So, it ends up that I have to slow my typing down in order to keep from making mistakes. I’ve only had the Wind for a week now, so maybe with more time with it, I’ll automatically start adjusting to the layout. Maybe. I have to say that I really long for the HP Mini-Note keyboard. It was perfect for me.

The built in touch pad on the Wind is small (2 x 1.5 inches) and only has one button that can be pressed on either end, instead of two separate buttons that map to the Left and Right mouse buttons. Unfortunately, MSI stopped using Synaptics touch pads and started using Sentelic finger sensing pads for their Wind netbooks. The touch pad is quite sensitive, so I have had no problems using it like a mouse. Even the one button doesn’t bother me. I do miss not having the ability to do two finger scrolling like I can on my Macbook Pro though. The Sentelic driver does have a corner tapping scroll feature, but it doesn’t work very well at all. I ended up just disabling it. I’ll probably end up using a small Bluetooth mouse…

The power button is located in the upper Right corner of the keyboard. It has a Blue star LED built into. It’s small, but easy to press.

A row of status LEDs is located along the bottom Right edge of the keyboard. These LEDs show the battery charging status, Bluetooth and Wifi status, and hard drive activity.

The display

A 10 inch display was an important selling point for me as I didn’t like the Eee PC’s tiny 7″ screen at all. The HP’s display was the bigger at 8.9 inch and with a resolution of 1280 x 786, it was significantly better. The Wind’s display maximum resolution is 1024 x 600 and features an LED backlight that gives it really good color and brightness. Even with the brightness set back to 50%, the display is easy to read.

Here we have the Wind next to my Macbook Pro. Both machines are set to maximum brightness and are pointed at http://the-gadgeteer.com. Although I wish the maximum resolution was higher, I have had no problems using the Wind to surf all my favorite sites. Up and down scrolling isn’t that bad, and horizontal scrolling isn’t necessary thank goodness.

I haven’t tested the display outside in direct sunlight – I never use my laptops outside anyway… Today is gloomy, so I can’t do a valid test. Hopefully someone else will chime in and comment about that aspect of the display. So far, I can’t find any real faults with the screen. The colors are vibrant, text is crisp and the size is just fine.

Sound

I wouldn’t rely on the MSI Wind as a boom box. Sound quality through its small bottom speakers is only slightly better than mediocre. For videos on Youtube it’s fine though. Audio quality through the headphone jack is much better.

Battery performance

MSI claims that the 3 cell battery can last up to 3hrs per charge. In all my testing, I didn’t even make it to 2hrs. In all three full charge to automatic shutdown tests that I did, the battery lasted for about 1hr and 45 minutes give or take a minute or two. Not exactly stellar huh? All my tests had the screen set to 50% brightness and consisted of me surfing via WiFi with Firefox to my various fave sites including some Youtube video watching, RSS reading, email reading and responding, and a game or two of Spider Solitaire. Nothing too strenuous. That tells me that if I use the Wind at the airport before my flight, I better use it plugged into AC. The flight from Indiana to Florida is only about 2hrs, so I should be ok there… I am hoping that I’ll be able to get my hands on a higher capacity battery soon. The folks at Mugen Power Batteries have one on the works. Probably not in time for my trip though.

Overall system performance

The MSI Wind netbook is a very capable little device. It runs XP Home quite well. Rebooting from power off to ready to work, takes my machine 45 seconds. Not bad really. Launching applications, surfing, etc., all feels snappy to me. I really have no complaints with system speed.

Out of the box, the 120GB 5400RPM hard drive is partitioned into a 39GB partition for C:\ and a 68.8GB partition for D:\. There’s also a hidden restore partition. Not sure why that’s needed though as the Wind comes with an XP Home restore CD.

The Wind runs cool and relatively quiet. After an hour and 45 minutes, the bottom of the netbook is warm, but no where near hot. As for noise, you can hear the fans running and the hard drive accessing, but it’s not distracting.

Conclusion

So far so good. I love the size and weight of the MSI Wind netbook, that’s for sure. I also like the display, but wouldn’t mind a little bit more resolution. The touch pad is fine too. The keyboard layout is probably my single biggest complaint, even over the 3 cell battery life. I can live with less than 2 hours of battery life because I know I’ll soon be able to get my hands on a higher capacity battery. The keyboard layout isn’t something I can really fix though. I’m hoping my fingers just need more time to adjust to it. We’ll see… Even with that one complaint, I really am enjoying this computer and am looking forward to taking it with me next month on my trip to Florida. That is unless HP comes out with a new Mini-Note that has an Atom processor in it ;o)

My next plan for this little guy is to try my hand at putting OSX on it. Wish me luck!

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

MSI Wind Netbook Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 5, 2008 at 2:30 pm.

Last year, Asus rocked the UMPC world with their announcement of a small, ultra-portable laptop – for only $200. Several
revisions, image leaks, speculative reports, and price increases later, the eeePC line was officially released – with
$200 added to price tag and 512MB RAM pulled from the default specs. I’ve had the flagship 701 model with 4GB of
solid-state disk space and a 0.3MP (300,000 pixel) webcam. Other model options include the 2G ($300) and 4G ($350)
Surfs with 2GB and 4GB SSD and no webcam, as well as the 8GB SSD/1GB RAM 8G at $500.

Since the initial eeePC release, Asus has upped the specs and released the 900 and 901 models. Additionally, Everex, Dell, HP, and MSI have announced and/or released hardware competitors to the eeePC. The eeePC appears to have introduced a previously-ignored hardware niche: cheap, portable laptops. Historically, the cheaper the laptop, the heavier the hardware. My Dell XPS M1330 weighs less than four pounds, with an $1800 price tag – an Inspiron 1420 with relatively similar specs weighs upwards of six, but costs about $700 less. The eeePC weighs less than 1kg (about two pounds), costs $400, and has quite low specs for a machine manufactured in 2007.

My stock eeePC 701 came with the following:

• 900MHz Intel ULV processor (underclocked to 600MHz)
• 4GB solid-state disk (SSD)
• 512MB DDR RAM (single DIMM slot)
• 7″ 800×480 WVGA LCD
• 802.11b/g wireless card
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• SDHC slot
• 0.3MP integrated webcam
• Integrated 10/100 NIC
• VGA out

Accessories included a polyester/nylon sleeve, a compact power adapter, and a reinstallation CD.

The Hardware

You know, I’ve been using this thing fairly regularly for the last month and a half, and I can’t really say that I’d
recommend this model to anyone. Given that 9″ models are coming out with 1024×600 displays, the paltry 800×480 WVGA
on the eee looks even more cramped than usual. You will barely be able to browse on this thing, let alone do any
basic computing tasks, like word processing, chatting, and email.

The keyboard is small. I mean, it’s *really* small. I have very tiny hands – adult gloves don’t fit me – and this thing
is cramped to me. I make a lot of typos. The more I use it, the more I can adapt to it, but it’s definitely not
something I could use regularly. Not only that, but as an aside, the right shift key is to the right of the up arrow
on the inverted-T directional keypad. This is backward from any standard desktop or laptop keyboard, and I frequently
find myself hitting Up instead of Shift when I’m typing. The punctuation keys along the right side of the keyboard
are smaller than the other keys (which are already quite small), and I’ve just about quit using periods and
apostrophes when I chat.

Here’s a comparison between the eeePC 701, the Dell XPS M1330, and an old 12″ Apple iBook G3:

The 900MHz processor has been underclocked to 600MHz, and there’s no apparent way to clock it up in the BIOS. 512MB
RAM is enough to run the preinstalled custom Xandros installation, but I would have been happier had Asus gone with
the 1GB announced for the original model.

The 4GB SSD is enough for the OS and some applications (Xandros takes a gig, and the restore partition takes
another gig), but the SDHC slot is a blessing when you quickly need to add more space.

My eeePC is one of the later revisions of the 701 – early models had the Mini-PCIe riser, allowing the addition
of bluetooth or extra storage. There was also a standard modem connector on the underside of the board. Both of these
have been removed in later revisions – the Mini-PCIe slot is present in the 8G model, as the 8GB of storage is
comprised of 4GB soldered onto the motherboard and a 4GB Mini-PCIe card.

Battery life is, in a word, appalling. For having a tiny, low-powered screen, an underclocked processor, and no
moving parts, this thing only gets around two and half hours on the battery with the wireless on and screen
brightness turned down. I believe that part of this is due to how Linux handles power management compared to
Windows. Additionally, faulty BIOS code can cause power management issues at the basic hardware level. One can
only hope that Asus releases a BIOS update to improve battery life, at least a bit.

For all these bad points, there are some good points. The integrated webcam is good if you like video chatting with
friends (although there is extremely limited support in Xandros – apparently only the latest Linux beta of Skype will
work at this point). The VGA output on the right side of the machine could be extremely handy if going to a meeting
where you’ll need to hook up to a projector. More than anything, of course, is the size. This thing is tiny.
I’ve taken it with me to work (before I got my XPS M1330), and I never cease to be amazed at how minute the eeePC
is for only $400.

The included sleeve is actually fairly nice – it’s stretchy with a velcro closure. The eeePC is obviously far too small
to require a normal laptop bag, so the sleeve protects it and allows you to toss it into anything. The included
power adapter is compact, and has a nice velcro strip attached to it to keep the cord wrapped up. The prongs of the
adapter fold into the side, so it’s well protected from any kind of damage.

The build of the machine itself is surprisingly sturdy. The hinge is strong, and there’s no latch to keep the LCD closed –
it uses a spring mechanism, which I’ve noticed has become more popular lately in notebook computer design. The screen is
usably bright, although it’s definitely not as nice as the LED-backlit display on my M1330. There is virtually no flex
in the plastic of the lid, which is very nice. The battery latches in securely, and SD cards don’t stick out at all when
inserted. The keyboard feels a little cheap, particularly due to the fact that it flexes up a bit on the left side of
the spacebar. The trackpad feels good and is very responsive – I suspect it’s from Synaptics. The single mouse button,
which rocks in either direction for left or right click, feels all right, although the chrome finish is too fingerprinty
for my preference. The SSD is certainly fast, but there is that caveat about limited read/write cycles on flash storage.
At some point, the eeePC will just quit working because of this – if you install Windows, make sure to disable virtual
memory, as this will eventally significantly reduce the lifespan of the internal storage.

Overall, I tend to give the hardware about a 5/10. It’s not unbearably bad, but it’s not good enough to make this a
primary machine. I mostly use mine for playing around, or when I don’t want to pull out my XPS M1330 or my old
clamshell iBook.

The Software

The eeePC comes preloaded with a custom build of Xandros Linux. It’s very simple, with large single-click icons and a
tabbed menu interface. It’s backed by a full installation of KDE, which can be enabled through system hacks. However,
I’ve found that the eeePC default interface works pretty well for what the eeePC can really be used for. The stock
interface is a modified copy of IceWM, which can be customized to add a few features, like a Start button.

Startup is extremely fast. It takes a few seconds from hitting the power button to seeing the main OS interface. When
you power the eeePC on for the first time, your user account defaults to logging in automatically, which helps speed
up login time.

One interesting thing of note is the recovery partition on the eeePC. Most home computers have this, but restoring
several gigs of software and Windows is pretty slow. The eee’s OS image is only a gig total (including software), so
restoring the image takes only a few seconds. While you do lose a quarter of the internal storage to the recovery
partition, I’d highly recommend keeping it around – the only other way to restore your eeePC is with the included DVD,
which requires a Windows machine to use. If you start playing with the system configuration to increase performance or
make the most of the UI on such a small screen, you’re likely to eventually break something – I know I did! It’s
very, very handy to be able to reboot, hit F9, select restore, and be back to a working machine. With the SDHC slot,
you can invest $30 in a 2GB or 4GB SD card, and keep your files and settings on that – then, restoring will barely be
painful.

Now. Onto the interface. The main menu screens can be manually customized, to add your own wallpaper and icons. Additionally,
it’s possible to customize the IceWM interface to remove some of the less important buttons from the taskbar.

This is what the stock interface looks like:

This is what it looked like after I tweaked IceWM, added an icon for DOSBox, and made some custom wallpaper:

I might be a tiny bit of a Harry Potter fan. Ahem. Moving on.

Most applications are preconfigured to sort of optimize the UI to the small display, but even regular toolbars take up
a large amount of screen real estate. Menus scroll off the screen in many cases, which can make navigation difficult.
For instance, the default configuration for OpenOffice.org Calc is rather unusable:

Removing the toolbars and relying on keyboard shortcuts and menus helps, but it’s still not an optimal situation. You’ll
also notice that the eeePC comes default with a Windows XP Luna-esque theme. This is a little annoying – not only is
Clearlook for Gnome far more asthetically pleasing, but there are plenty of Linux GUI themes out there that use less
vertical pixels for the main application title bars.

Fortunately, some of the applications use GTK+ to render interface elements. You can create a custom .gtk-rc file to
use 8pt fonts in application menus and interfaces, which significantly improves the screen situation. Take, for instance,
the difference between the stock GTK+ settings and custom settings when using Pidgin:

Firefox can be customized similarly, using the chrome UI settings within the application.

The stock configuration:

A customized configuration with a smaller text size, theme, and toolbar placement:

Other fairly useful pieces, like the file explorer and network connection utilities, are fairly easy to use. The
file manager looks a lot like Windows Explorer, with a tree view to the left and the ability to view files as icons,
thumbnails, or in a detailed view.

Wireless and other network setup is fairly easy. One major caveat, however – the eeePC does not natively have support
for newer networking standards, like L2TP IPSec VPN and WPA2 wireless encryption, which is a problem for me, since my
employer (Purdue University) has minimal support for PPTP VPN.

There’s a simple wireless configuration window, like most laptops have these days – you can hit Fn+F2 and quickly see
a list of available networks (including networks with no broadcast SSID, if you’ve already setup profiles for them) and
connect to them.

There’s also a more advanced networking configuration utility, which lets you manage the wireless, internal NIC, and
any VPN connections you might want.

Shutting down, rebooting, and putting the machine to sleep is very easy – hitting the power button brings up a
simple, large window with several buttons:

The eeePC also comes preinstalled with a number of apps, including OpenOffice.org, some games, and some various
control panels for managing mouse options, power management, etc. In addition, you can download more apps from
Asus’ eeePC-specific repositories. If you want to grab anything else, you’ll have edit your config files to include
unsupported repositories.

Overall, I give the UI a 7/10. It’s definitely well-thought-out to accommodate the tiny screen, but certain things
are a little rough around the edges – I’d rather see GTK preconfigured with a smaller font. In general, though, the UI
has a very low learning curve and is quite easy to use.

Real-world Applications

I’ve found the eeePC useful for several things. When I moved 70 miles to a new town in April, I was able to keep
connected to my friends and email without needing to leave my desktop unpacked. I also find my eeePC quite useful in
the mornings. These days, it lives in my kitchen on my breakfast bar, and I use it in the morning to check weather,
email, and where the bus is on its morning route.

Theoretically, the eeePC could make a pretty stellar DOSBox rig – the low-resolution screen is better in this case,
because most DOS games are only CGA (320×200) or VGA (800×600). Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a good DOSBox config
that doesn’t cause the sound to skip, pop, and eventually get stuck on the same tone.

The interface is quite well-thought-out. Everything you need to get started is already installed. However, it’s
definitely still Linux. For instance, I was getting no sound in Pidgin, because it was set to use a GTK+ call to the
audio hardware that IceWM and KDE don’t support – a quick Google search found the solution, but not everyone would be
able to get even that far.

When you insert an SD card, the UI pops up a Windows-like screen that lets you import pictures or music, or open up
the file manager to the card. Removing the card is similar to Windows – you right-click the icon and select “Safely
Remove”, which unmounts it in Linux.

The default terminal is extremely limited xterm. However, a configuration change will allow you to bring up KDE’s
Konsole app instead, which is much more familiar to Linux users.

I’ll give the overall usability of the eeePC another 7/10. It’s got some room for improvement, but for what it is,
it’s quite good. It’s certainly the most dumbed-down Linux distro I’ve ever used – Ubuntu seems overly advanced compared
to this. I could see use as a quickie webserver with LAMPP. It’d make a nice little box to show Grandma your digital
pictures, since the screen is certainly bigger than the little 2″ one found on most digital cameras. It would
definitely make a good little machine to take on vacation or long car trips for the kids to use. You’ll need to get a
DC-to-AC converter, since the battery won’t last too long, but the portability and simplicity make it very kid-friendly.

Final Conclusion

The eeePC is an excellent effort. It’s the first of its kind on the market, and I think it’ll always be a little special
as a result. I’m quite interested in the MSI Wind at this point – the screen on the eeePC makes it almost unusable, and
there are too many quirks about the keyboard for a fast typer like myself to adjust easily. The Wind has a better keyboard
layout, a 9″ 1024×600 display, and a pretty attractive price tag – and pretty colors. It’s tempting, to say the least.

Most importantly, the eeePC has opened up an entire new market of compact, low-end, and extremely affordable laptop
computers. HP’s already released theirs (and sent it to Julie to review!), and Dell’s announced theirs (which I am
also extremely interested in – I have been very happy with my XPS M1330). Asus themselves have released better models
since the initial eeePC launch. I do think, though, that I’ll be installing Windows on mine. I need support for things
like L2TP VPN and good video chat, and I have too many Windows apps I really depend on to be productive.

As an aside, if you do plan on installing Windows XP on your eeePC, there’s one thing I found out the hard way – you must delete the four partitions on the eeePC completely in order to install on the internal memory. There are plenty of tutorials on installing to an SDHC card, so you could do that as well – just remember to disable the paging file (virtual memory), as the constant read/write cycles will significantly decrease the life of the internal SSD or an SDHC card.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

ASUS Eee PC 4G (701) Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2008 at 11:00 am.

In October of 1993, I bought what was then my ideal computer. It fit in my pocket, had a full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated numeric keypad, had lots of built-in apps, ran all my DOS programs with ease, had a gorgeous monochrome LCD screen and ran for 20 hours on two AA batteries. It was the HP 200LX. For years I used this machine for PIM storage, keeping grades for my students, writing a diary and keeping my important text documents on hand for easy reference. I moved to a new Windows-based grading program a year and a half ago, but I had used my 200LX for all that time. It still sits in my gadget cabinet, one gadget that will never see the light of Ebay.

Since then, I have been on a quest to find the perfect replacement for my 200LX. It would preferably have a color screen, have the same form factor and easy-to-use chiclet keyboard. I found the IBM PC110 (imported from T-Zone in Japan), a 486 handheld that was not terribly stable. It was the first machine I ever had with a CF slot! I returned it after crash after crash. I embraced the Psion 5 and 5mx, but there were always connection issues with my desktop computers. I had several models of the Jornada clamshell series, the 660, 680 and 720, but all were larger than I really wanted, had a low screen resolution and the built-in web browser was worse than useless. I realized that only a fully Windows compatible system would serve. Why not the Zaurus? Because I don’t know Linux and I want a machine that will work out of the box, not one I have to tinker with to get to work. Then came the Flipstart, but after years as vaporware, I gave up on it. The Nokia 770 was nice, but it was slow and quite limited.

Then came the OQO Model 01+.

It was the ideal size, ran XP and seemed loaded enough to do the job. I bought it from Ebay and marveled at the engineering of the tiny device. My joy was short-lived, however. The screen was difficult to see, the battery life was dismal, the keyboard was unusable, the screen was mushy to the touch and not terribly accurate with the digital pen. I sold it on Ebay and the buyer apparently still enjoys its use today.

Then came January 7th, 2007.

This is the day when I opened up Engadget.com and saw that OQO had unveiled a new model at CES. There were video clips of this new wonder, and it took me days to mop the drool off my keyboard. They were available for preorder right away, and I ordered one, despite the promised 8-12 week wait time to receive it. I ordered it, and waited.

I called OQO to ask them when I would be billed for the unit, and they told me right away. I had gone with the Bill Me Later option, so I could pay off the not-inconsiderable bill over the course of a year. I promptly canceled my order on the basis of this information. No point in paying for a few months for a unit I didn’t even have yet! It turned out that this information was in error, and it was February 26th before I found out differently,. I placed a new order for the Best model (1 GB RAM, 60 GB 4200 RPM hard drive, XP Pro, no EVDO module) with the Road Warrior accessory pack (mesh cable bag, AC adapter, car/plane adapter, Stronghold metal case, extended battery, Bluetooth folding keyboard, portable USB mouse, which has still not shipped as of the time of this review), a digital pen, a spare pack of screen protectors and some spare mouse nubs. The unit shipped out after only 8 weeks and took five days to reach me due to a customs problem (the units ship from Singapore) and a weekend. I saw the Fedex truck pulling up to where I work and I ran downstairs to the main office faster than an Olympic sprinter. You should have seen the grin that cracked my face from side to side as I carried the tiny, unassuming box back up to my classroom.

The box is a small one, black, sealed in plastic. Breaking the plastic reveals a lid that opens, disclosing the slick black OQO unit, protected in a swaddling of plastic. Lift up this top compartment, and you see the middle boxlet, which contains the AC adapter, power cable and a dongle that attaches to the docking port on the bottom of the OQO, and provides Ethernet, VGA and power. This dongle is really neat, because it swivels on its cable to adjust to any workable angle you want without putting undue stress on the cable connection to the dongle. It’s a very intelligent design, and just one example of the fine engineering that went into this package.

Underneath the accessory boxlet is the documentation boxlet. This has the sparse quick-start guide with a restore DVD safely ensconced in the rear of the booklet, a Windows XP certificate of authenticity and a spare mouse nubbin in a little ziplock bag.

Now, to what you have all been waiting for, the tiny little marvel of cutting-edge design and engineering known as the OQO Model 02. It is a small, black brick, measuring 5.6″ long (curving outwards for the last third of an inch on both sides), 3.3″ wide and 1″ thick with the standard battery. The extended battery adds ¼” to the thickness. This is exactly the same as the HP 200LX, but half an inch SHORTER! It fits perfectly into the leather case that held my 200LX for 14 years. It weighs one pound, but it feels deceptively heavy for its size.

The screen bezel is made of black plastic (with metal on the back), and there is no more mush factor with the screen itself. The screen is solid. Not being a touch-screen, they really made it durable this time. The 02 comes with a screen protector installed. I had to squeeze one bubble out, and it has not returned. The protector covers the screen all the way out to the edge of the bezel, including the OQO logo on the lower left, the light sensor on the upper right and the capacitive touch scrollers on the lower right. It smudges easily, but it appears to be quite durable.

On the bottom of the unit, there is an HDMI port on the right, so you can connect it directly to an HDTV! Not MY HDTV, though. In their infinite wisdom, Samsung did not incorporate support for HD HDMI into the 24″ model I bought, despite the HDMI port.

There is also a vent for the fan, the power/docking port and a single USB 2.0 port. It will drive a USB hub, so no worries there.

The right side is bare, except for a vent. Since I did not opt for the EVDO WWAN module (I have a Treo 700p with EVDO and PDANet), a solid piece of black plastic covers where the module and pull-out antenna would have been. It would have been nice for them to engineer a slot for storing the optional pen where the antenna would have gone, but they didn’t. If you get the unit with XP Tablet installed, you get a digital pen for free. But there is nowhere on the unit to stow it. This is one of only a few design flaws I found with this unit. There is also a metal wire that appears to be a guide for the sliding screen on the top side of the unit, there is an identical one on the other side. It would be interesting to find out if these wires double as the WiFi and Bluetooth antennas. In the Model 01+, the antennas stuck out to either side of the unit. If these are doubling as antennas, they are totally out of the way when holding the unit in two hands. In the WWAN units, there is an antenna that comes out of this side and then can be swiveled into an upright position for increased reception in poor coverage areas.

The top of the unit has one vent. This is one well-ventilated unit, and it runs a LOT cooler than the 01+ did. It still gets warm, and the fan can get pretty loud, but at least you can’t fry eggs on this one.

The left side is vent-free. It has the battery release button, a Kensington lock slot and the power button. Like the 01+, the power button glows white, and pulses white when the unit is in standby mode. I appreciate the Kensington lock slot, but I never let this leave my sight or side. I work in a high school, and this thing would disappear faster than a feather in a tornado if I turned my back on it for a second.

Now, about all those vents… There is a fan inside this unit that keeps the innards cool. You can adjust the fan to be louder (higher CPU performance) or quieter (slower CPU performance). I keep it in the middle, and after I installed all of my apps, I hardly ever hear the fan. It can get quite loud, but unless you are in a dead quiet room, you would likely not notice the noise. It sounds like a small hair dryer when it really gets going. It does do the job, though. While the unit can get warm with use, it is not the scorching brick of death that the 01+ was. The AC adapter also stays relatively cool. The 01+ adapter had a tendency to get hot, so this is a nice improvement.

The battery attaches to the bottom of the unit. It is the entire bottom of the unit, and is released by the battery release button on the left side of the 02. There is a built-in battery gauge, a series of four rectangular white LEDs, While not as elegant as the tiny LED’s on the 01+’s battery, it gets the job done. When recharging, the lights go on, cycling up through the number of LED’s corresponding to the current charge. When the battery is full, it shows four LED’s, and then it shuts off. When in use, pushing the long rectangular button that houses the LED’s lights them up so you can see how much power is left. I love this feature on my Sony Handycam’s battery, and I don’t love it any less on the OQO. The standard battery is good for about 2.5 hours of real-world use, some browsing with Wifi on, keyboard backlight on, work in productivity apps. I recommend letting the battery charge overnight the first day you get it for optimum results. The extended battery should get you about five hours of continuous use, on average, and adds only 1/4″ to the thickness of the Model 02. As my extended battery has not yet arrived, I cannot give you real-world results on this.

OK, now for the real fun. Slide open that screen. Push upwards with your thumbs on either side on the bottom. Feel the initial resistance and then it slides upwards smoothly and clicks into position. With the 01+, the screen would sometimes threaten to slide closed. No problem with that here. When it’s up, it stays up. There is no wiggle in the screen when the unit is shaken.

Oooh, look! A keyboard! And not a silly membrane job, but a real keyboard with real individual keys! They press easily, as they have slightly rounded tops, and they have tactile feedback!!! Just like the keyboard on my HP200LX, even a similar feel. The keys are a little wider top to bottom, and are closer together than on the 200LX, but look, there’s the dedicated numeric keypad! The layout is opposite of what you would find on a calculator or a desktop keyboard’s keypad, which is, in my opinion, design flaw number two. The number keys double as function keys F1-F12 with the help of the Fn button. There are -/_ and =/+ keys flanking the 0 key.

The mouse nubbin lies between the QWERTY pad and the numeric pad. Above it is the Backspace/Delete key and below it is the ENTER/Insert key. This keyboard will take a little getting used to, but it doesn’t take long! The mouse is very responsive and its action is tight. The cursor can tend to wander after you let the nubbin go, but no more than any other notebook with this style of mouse control. Just let the cursor slide until it’s done and happy, and then it’s no problem! The mouse buttons are on the left side and are large and the whole mouse control feels natural and easy.

There are no Windows or Menu keys on this keyboard, but there are several specialty keys that help to make up for it. Fn+DESK takes the place of Windows + D in bringing up the desktop. While in DESK mode, there is a green rectangle in the upper right corner of the screen. Clicking on this will restore your open windows.

Fn+KEY brings up the Ctrl-Alt-Del Task Manager! Fn+((i)) brings up the OQO Wireless Control Panel. From here, you can power on or off your WiFi (a.b and g), Bluetooth or WWAN (if installed). You can also hit the little airplane icon to put the unit into flight mode!

I am used to using Windows+E to bring up Windows Explorer, and you cannot do that on this model. I simply made a shortcut from C:/Windows/explorer.exe and pasted it into RocketDock. More about that nifty app later.

The Shift, Ctrl, Fn and Alt keys are all sticky. Press them once and a little green light lights up on the key’s lower right corner. You can then press the next button without having to hold down the previous button. There is no Caps Lock, so what you do is press SHIFT twice in rapid succession, and that locks the Caps.

Speaking of the keyboard, turn down the lights, and the keyboard backlighting comes on! The light sensor in the upper right corner detects when the light falls below a certain level (adjustable from the control panel) and turns the blue backlight on. The keys are labeled with letters that are nice and wide, so reading the backlit keys is VERY easy. Beats the heck out of my Treo 700p’s backlit keyboard. The Treo’s might be brighter, but the OQO’s delineates each character clearly, even the Fn-activated characters and functions! You can also turn the backlight on and off manually using Fn+KBD. This is one area where OQO really came through over the 01+. They took the keyboard from useless to perfect in one model iteration.

Now, push that power button on the lower left side and watch the machine boot up. The first thing you see is “OQO” on the screen and it doesn’t look real. It is so crisp and clear that you might think you are looking at a silkscreened logo instead of a tiny LCD screen. The 02 boots up quite fast. Much faster than my Fujitsu P1510D! Before long, you are greeted by your typical XP screen. But MUCH smaller! I customized my screen to use a theme I put together a few years ago, based on the Classic Windows theme. No matter what you decide to make your theme, it will look great on this bright, clear and crisp display. Bright? BLINDING. The 01+ was dull, dim and dismal. The 02′s screen is brighter than my P1510D’s screen, which is pretty bright! It has the best screen I have ever seen on a laptop. At first, one of the pixels was stuck (visible in gray areas as I installed software), but the pixel unstuck and now the screen is perfect all the way across. There is a brightness control on the keyboard using an Fn key combination. Even turned down to half brightness, it is still more brilliant than the 01+ screen. It is a transflective screen, so it is visible in bright areas, but washes out in direct sunlight. I blame this mostly on the glossy screen protector they use. Perhaps someone can make a matte screen protector for the 02?

Compared to the Fujitsu P1510D at full brightness for both machines:

Compared to the Palm Treo 700p, both at full brightness:

Compared to the Dell Axim x51v, both at full brightness:

Compared to my Dell desktop 19″ LCD monitor:

OK, now it’s time to load up on apps. I used an external DVD drive, which the OQO recognized instantly. I installed all of the apps I wanted to use, and then came the moment of truth. How long would it take to start a program? Actually, programs start right up. The 1.5 GHz VIA processor may be rated as being slower than the 1.2 GHz Pentium D on my P1510D, but the OQO is actually more responsive in opening programs. Powerpoint opened immediately. Word opened quickly. The slowest apps to open were Paint Shop Pro and Firefox, and even they opened up faster than they did on my P1510D.

I keep a repository of hundreds of multimedia files that I put together for my chemistry classes, and organized them into an HTML file for easy browsing. I installed RealPlayer Alternative and Quicktime Alternative, both of which open their respective files in Media Player Classic. Since this program has a lot less memory overhead than the players it was designed to replace, video clips open very quickly and play stutter-free. In Powerpoint, embedded video plays smoothly. I used my 02 to give a presentation to an educational conference, and it played the video and music files stutter-free.

How about internet? I am running Firefox with the Littlefox theme. This makes the menus and toolbars smaller, increasing your browsing real estate. The scroll bars work well to go up and down your web page, although there is the occasional lag. This does not significantly impact your browsing experience. To further enhance the speed of this unit, I installed RealPlayer Alternative and Quicktime Alternative, which use Media Player Classic to play video clips and avoid the overhead of Quicktime and Real Player. Video clips open almost instantly and play very smoothly. I have over a hundred clips I culled from online sources to show my chemistry students, and the OQO 02 handles them all with no trouble at all! I connect using my 802.11.g router at home, and the speed is just as fast as with my Fujitsu P1510D on the same router. On the road, I connect to the web using PDANet with my Treo 700p on a USB cable connection. It is very fast!

The battery attaches to the bottom of the unit. It is the entire bottom of the unit, and is released by the battery release button on the left side of the 02. I cannot speak to the double-capacity battery, as OQO is not shipping the accessory packs yet, as of the writing of this review (despite an email that it had already shipped).

Other applications that make using the OQO 02 a joy:

1) RocketDock: places a app launcher bar anywhere on the screen, it is highly customizable and designed to emulate the Mac OS X launcher bar. I do not use the Start button at all!

2) Google Earth: Actually works on the 02! Best results when zoomed out to 1000X600 resolution. Very responsive using OpenGL rendering. ActiveX rendering gives flickering images. Not pretty! That’s my house!

3) Candy: The 02 comes with an icon labeled “Candy”. Double-click it and you are brought to a partner’s page with special offers for 15% off the price of any Slingbox or accessory, special accessories for those who ordered with Vista, 50% off the price of any Popcap game (I have Chuzzle installed), free Ereader Pro for Windows, and some other special offers! A nice bonus from OQO!

4) Nvu: an open-source WYSIWYG HTML editor that I use to maintain my website. Very simple and not a lot of overhead to bog the system down.

5) Starry Night: What a great portable night-time reference guide for amateur astronomers! The OQO 02 would make an excellent accessory for anyone who does digital photography with their telescope, or wants to do computer control of a telescope with that capability.

6) Media Player Classic: A nice, small open-source audio and video player. It works great in XP! I recommend downloading the XP Codec Pack to make sure you are covered. It plays my AVI video clips with aplomb!

7) Thunderbird: a great complement to Firefox, I use this instead of Outlook for my email.

GSAK: Geocaching Swiss Army Knife. It allows me to collect geocache waypoints from geocaching.com and upload them to my handheld GPS! Perfect for geocaching while on vacation!

Don’t like the cramped screen real estate? Change it! You can use the (+) and (-) magnification buttons to change the resolution from 800X480 to 1000X600 or 1200 X 800. These higher resolutions are interpolated. The characters have some artifacting at these higher resolutions, but at 1000X600, text is still very readable.

Zoomed in, you can use the mouse and the screen will move to where you want it to, so you have use of the whole screen. I never use it in this mode, but someone who is having trouble seeing tiny characters might find this useful.

At normal 800X400 resolution:

At 1000X600 interpolated resolution:

At 1200X 800 interpolated resolution:

I was going to review the unit with accessories, such as the double capacity battery, Bluetooth keyboard and car adapter, but OQO has dropped the ball pretty badly with their communicating delays to customers. They have also had some quality control issues with their manufacturers. There has been a lot of talk about defective docking stations, batteries that don’t fit properly, scuffed and scratched units right out of the box. My own unit had a couple of tiny scuffs on one side when I first got it. I believe that OQO should not have released this machine for order until they were sure they could actually deliver a product in a timely fashion. They have been good about taking care of problems, but they have not been terribly forthcoming about expected ship dates for units running Vista or for the accessory kit packages. This has been the one down side of this unit. I hope that it will not remain so for long, or OQO will lose their customer base on an already niche product despite their innovative and exceptional handtops.

So what am I using this OQO Model 02 for? Well, while it is possible to do document creation with this unit, especially if you have a Bluetooth keyboard, it is primarily an information storage and retrieval device. I can keep my lessons on hand at all times, the multimedia files I show my students, copies of every Regents exam in PDF format, MSDS data for hundreds of chemicals, web browsing, email, basic photo editing and storage while on the road, basic video editing and storage while on the road, storing audiobooks, maps, backing up my Treo phone, uploading waypoints to my GPS, reading a book, playing a simple puzzle game, as an astronomy reference, a geocaching tool…and the list goes on. The vast majority of my time on the computer is not spent in document creation. The OQO is perfect for making changes to existing documents and as a repository for your entire information library, on the go, at all times. The fact that it goes into and comes out of standby almost instantly and uses almost no battery power while in standby mode makes it every bit as useful as a PDA for on-the-spur-of-the-moment use. I would recommend getting the extended battery to stretch your use of this highly portable device.

The OQO Model 02 can be many different things to many different people. To me, it fits the purpose I bought it for perfectly. I rate this tiny marvel a 9.8 out of 10. How you like it will depend on your preconceptions of what it is. It is not a desktop replacement. It is not really a laptop replacement, though I will be using it in place of my P1510D for my school work. It is a solid, zippy, pocketable way to take your computer with you anywhere you might want to go.

Size comparison: OQO 02 (5″ screen), Fujitsu P1510D (8.9″ screen) and Toshiba M115 (14.1″ screen)

Price: $1499 (XP Home, 512 MB RAM, 30 GB HD, 1.2 GHz VIA processor)
$1699 (XP Pro, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB HD, 1.5 GHz VIA processor)
$1849 (XP Pro or Vista Business, 1 GB RAM, 60 GB HD, 1.5 GHz VIA processor), as reviewed.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

OQO Model 02 Ultra Personal Computer originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 30, 2007 at 9:15 am.

Ultra portable PCs (uPC) seem to be really hot right now. With
Microsoft’s Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) / Origami devices being announced here there and everywhere, it looks like this product category has the potential to become as popular as PDAs were a few years ago.

Maybe… Exactly one year ago I reviewed the
Sony Vaio VGN-U71P ultra portable Windows XP PC. Despite a few minor complaints, that little guy made a very good travel companion. To this day I kick myself for deciding to get rid of it… Especially now that I don’t have even one Windows PC in the house any longer. Yes, Mac person here.

I was more than a little excited when I learned that Sony had decided to
announce a new uPC a couple months ago. Not content to jump on the Origami bandwagon, Sony has come out with their own ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ style device. The UX series Personal Computers as
Sony calls them, are available in 3 different models: the UX50, UX90S and UX180P. The UX50 and UX90S are both Japanese models that are currently available. The UX180P will be the US version that should be released sometime in July. The differences between the different models are as follows… The UX50 has a 1.06GHz processor, while the UX90S has a 1.2GHz processor. The US version (UX180P) will have a 1.2GHz processor, XP Pro instead of XP Home, and a Cingular EDGE modem instead of a CompactFlash slot.

Our friends at Dynamism were kind enough to let us borrow a UX50 for a brief period to review. When I say brief, I
really mean brief. I received the package around 6pm on a Thursday evening and had to ship it back the following Monday. As you can imagine, this review will not be our standard 2 week usage review. It will be more of a first impressions type of article. With that said, let’s get on with the show!

Hardware Specs

CPU: Intel Core Solo U1300 1.06GHz
L2 Cache: 2 MB CPU integrated
RAM: 512MB
Chipset: Intel 915GMS Express
Graphics:

Chip: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
VRAM: 128MB (shared with main memory)
Display: 4.5″ Color TFT Display
Resolution: 1024 x 600 pixels
External Resolution: Up to 1600 x 1200 pixels
Sound card: Intel High Definition Audio
Card slots: Memory Stick Duo, Compact Flash
Integrated Ports: USB 2.0 (1), Headphone jack, Microphone, DC, I/O Connector
Port replicator Ports: USB 2.0 (3), i.Link, Fast Ethernet 100Base-TX/10Base-T, External Display Port, AV out, DC in
Wireless: 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
HDD: 30GB Ultra ATA/100 4200RPM
Power: 40W, AC Adapter 100-240V / 50-60 Hz, 4.5hr rechargeable battery
Dimensions: 5.91 (W) x 3.74 (H) x 1.27-1.50 (D) inches / 150 x 95 x 32.25-38.1 mm
Weight: 1.2 lbs / 544g

Operating System: Windows XP Home (English)

Package Contents

UX-50
Standard Lithium-ion battery
AC Adapter
Port Replicator
Soft Carrying Case
Power Cord
Stylus
VGA/LAN Adapter
Hand Strap
Thumb mouse covers (2)
Powerbrick, LAN adapter strap
Folding stand
Manual

My first impressions of this device were that the pictures that I had seen on the web, did not accurately convey just how thick and heavy this little guy was. I’m not sure even my pictures here can get that point across. The UX50 isn’t a pocket device by any means. It’s still gear bag sized uPC that just happens to have a PDA sized display.

The UX50 is designed so that you can hold it between your hands while you use it. The back side has hand grips
similar to those of the Sony Play Station Portable handheld gaming system. One of the grips actually
houses the rechargeable battery pack.

Unlike other Origami devices currently on the market or recently announced, the UX50 has a built-in QWERTY keyboard. It’s revealed when you slide the display up. Anyone else thinking of the OQO? It appears that Sony borrowed that design for this feature.

Sliding the display upwards will bring the computer out of standby. It will also allow you access to one of the built-in cameras.
A 306k pixel camera is located on the face in the top middle of the display frame.

The other camera is 1.3 megapixels and is built into the back of the display. You can see it in the top left corner of the picture above.
Two cameras give this computer the ability to do video-conferencing and mobile
blogging / video capture.

Click thumbnails to see unaltered snaps.

The digital picture quality of this device leaves a lot to be desired though.
The 1.3mp camera does an ‘ok’ job with macro shots (there is a macro and normal
shot switch on the top of the display), but normal shots are pretty blurry.
There’s also the fact that it’s close to impossible to use the camera outside in
bright sunlight. Why? Because the viewfinder is the computer display, and it
totally blacks out in direct sun.

The stylus silo is also located on the back of the device. It is built into the top right corner of the battery compartment grip. The stylus is your typical telescoping PDA style stylus.
Nothing fancy.

Along the top edge of the UX50 is a set of heat dissipation slots, a Memory Stick Duo slot and a camera capture button. The shiny black tubular looking appendage
running along the bottom edge is the WiFi antenna.

On the opposite end, you will find the AC adapter port, docking connector, earphone jack and microphone jack, along with more heat
dissipation slots. The bottom edge of the display has several status LEDs that show battery charging status, hard drive access, Bluetooth and WiFi radio status.

The left side of the UX50 has a Compact Flash memory slot. According to Dynamism’s site, the US version of this uPC, will not have a CF card slot. Instead, it will have a Cingular Edge wireless modem built into it.
That’s a shame since the CF slot makes this device very handy for offloading
digital camera pictures. There is also a full sized USB port located on this side of the device.

On either side of the display there are several thumb accessible buttons. On the right side, you’ll find (from the bottom up) the Power / Hold switch and Power status LED. Slide this spring loaded switch upwards to power on the device
or put it in standby mode if it is already powered on. Slide it down to put it in hold mode. When powered on, the status LED will glow
Green, and while in standby mode, it will slowly flash Amber.

Above the Power switch are the zoom buttons. These change the magnification of the display. At the very top is the thumb mouse stick. This is a hard rubber pad with a rough surface. This surface allows you to easy move the onscreen cursor around the screen without your thumb slipping off. You can also tap / double tap this mouse stick to select or launch applications.

An easier way to select and launch applications is to use the two buttons located on the other side of the display. The top button reacts like a left mouse button, and the button directly below it acts like the right mouse button. Using these buttons
with the mouse stick makes navigating screens, web-pages, etc. easy and comfortable.

Also located on the left side is the special Vaio launcher application button and Wireless on/off
switch. The wireless switch will power on/off both the Bluetooth and WiFi radios.

The built-in keyboard on the UX50 sure isn’t the most user friendly keyboard I’ve
ever had the opportunity to use. It is a welcome addition, don’t get me wrong. But the keys are quite small and almost completely flush with the case. This makes it very difficult to thumb type without looking at the keys to make sure your thumbs are pressing the correct
letters. The keyboard has 64 keys with a 0.15mm stroke and 8.6mm pitch. The keys do have good tactile feedback and are backlit in blue.

For real typing though, it’s best to use the included docking station / port replicator. When connected, the UX50 is at a perfect viewing angle and using the built in USB ports (there are 3 on the port replicator, and 1 on the UX50), you can connect a keyboard and mouse for added working comfort.
It is also possible to use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard with this computer.

There is an iLink connector (aka FireWire), video out and Ethernet ports on the back of the replicator. With this setup, you can use the UX50 like a regular desktop computer and then
when you want to go on the road, you can just unplug the computer and go. Leaving all the cables connected and undisturbed.

For added convenience, a smaller video out, Ethernet jack dongle is also
included. Bring this with you when you travel.

The UX50 has a feature that I’ve not seen mentioned for any other UMPC / Origami
devices yet; a fingerprint scanner.

The scanner is located in the top left corner of the display. It look me quite a
while to figure out how to activate it. I finally realized that there was an
application icon in the task tray that controlled it. First you have to password
protect your user ID with a regular text password. Then the software will guide you
through the process of swiping and enrolling your fingerprints as passwords.

Following the steps is a simple procedure. I had no problems recording my
fingerprints or completing the enrollment process.

You don’t have to scan each finger during the enrollment. I actually just
scanned my 2 index fingers and that was all. Once you finish the procedure,
every time you restart your computer or come out of standby mode, you’ll be
presented with the regular Win XP login screen. Instead of typing a password, you can just
swipe your finger. It’s really fast and easy and I never had a problem with it
recognizing my finger swipes.

Now let’s talk a little about the overall size and construction of the UX50. As you can see in the pictures below, it’s not a whole heck of a lot bigger than my Treo 650!

When closed, the size is very nice for travel (as long as you don’t also need to
carry the port replicator, AC adapter, an external mouse and keyboard along with it). It’s bigger (thicker) than the OQO, which does make it feel a bit bulk. That said, almost everything else about the UX50 is better than the OQO. Mainly the screen is brighter, not so horribly spongy, and is accurately calibrated for touch screen usage.

Again, in hand, this device feels heavy and thick. But at 1.5 pounds, it’s smaller and lighter than almost any regular
to smaller sized notebook on the market. So you have to take the good with the bad.

As far as build quality with this device, I would say that the UX50 is a solid little uPC. I wouldn’t want to drop it on a hard surface, but it feels rugged enough to withstand regular everyday use. It is solid and didn’t
yield any creaks or groans when I performed the requisite Gadgeteer squeeze test.

Battery life for this little guy is supposed to approach 4.5hrs. I don’t know
how accurate that is though. Maybe if you turn off the backlight and don’t
access the hard drive. By default, the battery life indicator on my review until
reported 2hrs after a full recharge. That was on the optimized setting. This is
where I have a real gripe about all uPCs. That’s just not enough untethered
power for a device that is supposed to be totally mobile. Who wants to carry
around an AC adapter and power cord with them everywhere they go? Not I.

Besides Windows XP Home, the UX50 doesn’t come loaded with any super fantastico
software bundles. It does come with SonicStage, Sony’s iTunes like store front
for purchasing music.

There’s also a simple application launcher that is activated when you press the
button on the left side of the display.

The launcher interface isn’t fancy, but it is a quick way to change volume,
brightness etc There’s also a button that you can tap to rotate the
screen 90 degrees. It’s also where you can launch the little handwriting
application.

The handwriting app seemed to be for drawing and not writing, like I thought it
would be. I assumed that it would allow me to use HWR (handwriting recognition)
to fill in fields or write lists. As far as I could tell (all the dialog boxes
are in Japanese), it is just for drawing on the screen. Hmmmmm….

That brings me to a big grumble… Why doesn’t this device ship with the tablet
edition of Windows XP? The UX50 is a device that is perfectly made for that
version of the OS… I don’t get it.

Back to the screen / display. Like most Sony devices, their displays are very
nice. Bright, vibrant, etc. But there is a problem with the UX50 display… It’s
too darn small! It’s just 4.5" diagonal. For a PDA, it’s a perfect size. But for
Windows XP, it’s pretty hard to read text. By default, the screen resolution is
set to 1024 x 600. You can set it to something lower, but it doesn’t help all
that much because then you can’t fit as much info on the display. The Zoom buttons aren’t very useful either as they just pump up the
size (a maximum of 3x) and allow you to scroll around on the screen. It doesn’t
allow interactivity with the running apps. It’s just a view only zoom.

The thing is that small screen sizes haven’t been that much of an issue for me
until this device. I have not had any problems with my Treo 650 and had no real
problems with the
Sony Vaio VGN-U71P
either. Maybe it’s because I’m close to needing bifocals. Or maybe it’s just
because everything on the UX50 has been crammed into an itty bitty 4.5 inch
display ;o) For viewing images, it’s not a problem. The only problem is with
reading lots of text. I find myself squinting quite a bit.

Even though I love the idea of an ultra miniature PC, it comes down to the fact
that these devices just don’t give me quite what I need in a mobile device of
this size. First of all, the screen is too small for true Windows XP use. Maybe
it’s just me and my eyes though. Then there’s the battery life issue. When will
our mobile devices be able to get us through an entire 8hr work day without
needing to be recharged?

With all that said, I still think the UX50 would make a
great travel companion for someone that doesn’t want to lug a full-sized laptop
with them on a trip. Using this device for picture offloading, websurfing and emailing would be perfect. Hardcore photoshop work, spreadsheet work, powerpoint presentation creations, etc, might present a problem. Unless you have bionic eyes or something ;o) I don’t want to be too hard on Sony, because they seem to be the one of the few companies that continue to push the envelope and bring innovative feature rich products to the market for us consumers to drool over.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

Sony Vaio VGN-UX50 uPC originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 14, 2006 at 5:57 am.

Last summer I had the opportunity to review a very small Windows XP computer from Sony. The Vaio VGN-U71P made a good travel companion, but wasn’t perfect due to the fact that you had to also pack a folding keyboard, AC adapter brick and docking station with you if you wanted access to all its features. When it was all said and done, all of these components ended up taking as much space in my gear back as a regular smallish laptop. As a result, I sold the Vaio and continued the search for my next travel buddy.

Why not go ahead and just buy a regular small notebook? Well, I want something even smaller than a notebook. I like to pack as light as possible when I’m on the road. Even my 12″ Apple Powerbook is too bulky for my liking when I have to carry it on my shoulder while running through an airport to get to my next gate.

When Judie and I first saw the OQO advertised in late 2004, we were both pretty interested in it. The size looked perfect, and the built in keyboard was way convenient. But when we finally got to see one in person at CES 2005, we weren’t impressed at all with the display. It was just too dim. We decided to wait till the next generation, hoping for massive improvements. The improved model 01+ has been available for awhile now and late last year I decided to pick one up from one of the coolest gadget shops on the net: Dynamism.

Hardware Specs

Processor: 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe TM5800

Memory: 512MB DDR RAM
Hard disk: 30GB hard drive (shock-mounted)
Display: 800 x 480 W-VGA 5″ transflective display (indoor/outdoor readable),
3D accelerated graphics with 8MB of video RAM
Communication: 802.11b wireless, Bluetooth wireless
Expansion: 4-pin FireWire (1394), USB 2.0
Audio: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, Microphone, Speaker
Dimensions: 4.9″ x 3.4″ x 0.9″
Weight: 14 ounces
Power: Removable lithium polymer battery (Battery life up to three hours, depending on usage)

Package Contents

OQO Model 01+ Ultra Personal Computer
Universal power supply (air/auto adapters included)
Docking cable
Desktop stand
Digital pen
Carrying sleeve
Windows XP Pro (with Service Pack 2) reinstallation CD
Start guide

I have to admit that when the OQO first arrived, that I was pretty excited. The package opening experience ranked right up there with opening a new Apple computer.

Presentation is everything. All of the items were enclosed in a sealed black box with the stylized OQO logo on top.

Upon opening the box I was greeted with the OQO in a very Apple-like pose.

Removing the tray that holds the OQO, I found all the included accessories. It actually ships with pretty much everything you need for desktop and travel use. More about all the bits later.

The OQO is small. Smaller than I had remembered (it’s been a year since I had one in my hand). However, weighing in close to one pound, this little guy has some definite heft to it. Not that this is a bad thing, as weight can sometimes be equated to quality. The device does feel solid and well made. The OQO had no problems with the Gadgeteer creak test.

I’m not quite sure what type of metal the OQO is constructed of, but it has a Titanium hue. Sort of gold or bronze, with a slightly rubberized feeling on the back and sides.

In hand, the OQO is definitely bigger than a PDA, but not uncomfortably so.

The picture above gives you an idea of the size of the OQO in relation to other devices. Here you see the Treo 650 on the left and a Video iPod on the right.

Except for the small round power button and the microphone next to it, the front of this device is almost entirely taken up by the 5in diagonal 800 x 480 VGA display. When Judie and I saw the OQO at CES, we were really disappointed with how dim the screen was. Unfortunately, this new model has not been improved in that particular area. It’s not dark enough to render it too dark to see, but it’s just not comfortable for my eyes. I like bright displays and this one makes me feel like squinting. Even set to the highest brightness setting, it is still dim.

The pictures above were taken without flash. The display is set to the maximum brightness level.

Despite the brightness issue, the display is crisp and clear. If it were just a bit brighter, it would make a nice ebook reader!

The OQO’s display is pen based. It’s not exactly a touch screen like a PDA, as it requires a special magnetic stylus (included). This is where another disappointment with the display makes itself known. The calibration of the digitizer is not 100% accurate even after re-calibrating multiple times. The start guide does say to use the stylus at a right angle to the screen (quite difficult to do in practice), but even so, the calibration drifts at the edges of the display. This makes scrolling up and down in full screen windows frustrating because it’s hard to tap the scroll arrows.

I should also mention that the display is very spongy. And if that weren’t bad enough, touching the display with the stylus results in a dark mark under the stylus. If you’ve ever had someone touch your laptop display with their finger, it’s the same type of result. The OQO makes PDAs seem advanced in this respect. Kinda sad…

The back of the OQO is also the rechargeable / removable 4000mAh lithium polymer battery with LED fuel gauge. Pressing the small round button will cause the LEDs to light up. Four lit LEDs mean a fully charged battery. A full charge will power the OQO for approximately 2-3hrs. If you opt for a 2nd battery, it will set you back $149. Ouchy.

The top edge of the OQO has the stylus slot and an air vent. There’s also a lanyard attachment point right above the stylus slot. The stylus seems like your standard run of the mill plastic stick. It is actually a special magnetic stylus. You can’t use a regular stylus on the display, so don’t lose the included one.

On the left side of the device is a FireWire port and a strange clear plastic bar attached via special screws. This bar is actually the WiFi / Bluetooth antenna. There is a matching one on the opposite side of the OQO.

The right side has a standard sized stereo earphone jack, battery release latch (looks like an air vent) and the other WiFi / Bluetooth antenna. Sound through the earphone is very good. There is also a built in speaker (a feature that was lacking with the 01 model), so that you can listen without earphones. Maximum volume is decent too.

On the bottom edge of the OQO is the power connector, docking cable connectors, multi-function thumb-wheel and USB 2.0 port. The docking cable that is included with the OQO is pretty cool. It’s one long cable with connections for power, audio, Ethernet, VGA out, FireWire and USB.

If you want to use the OQO as a desktop computer, you can attach an external monitor or projector to the docking cable. With the cable you can drive a monitor with a max resolution of 1280 x 1024.

The OQO comes with a car power adapter (cigarette lighter adapter). To use it, you have to plug it into the power brick and then plug the brick into the OQO. Not exactly all that convenient if you ask me. The same goes for the included airplane power adapter. I really wish the OQO used a smaller power adapter. Something that would more easily fit in a gear bag. Something with folding prongs. Something better… Oh, the power brick makes an annoying buzzing noise. It’s not very loud, but if it is a quiet room, you will probably hear it.

As a “touch screen” ultra small computer, the OQO is already pretty impressive, but then there’s the sliding display, which reveals a thumb keyboard. Ok, now things just got really interesting…

The display slides up quite smoothly to reveal a membrane style QWERTY keyboard with a number pad, mouse buttons and an eraser head TrackStik pointing device. The keys are small, but not difficult to press with my thumbs when holding the OQO in between my hands. Each key is slightly raised and provides good tactile feedback when pressed. The TrackStik has a rough texture so that your thumb does not slip off while you are moving the cursor around on the screen.

Using the TrackStik in combination with the left and right mouse buttons on the left side of the keyboard is actually pretty easy to get used to. It’s much easier than using the stylus due to the calibration problem.

Also included with the OQO is a nice metal stand. The only thing that could make the stand even nicer would be if it could fold up flat for easy packing. Even so, it puts the OQO in the correct viewing angle to be used on a desk. You can even plug in a full sized keyboard and mouse into the USB slot, docking cable or via Bluetooth.

The OQO is available with a choice of Windows XP Home, Windows XP Pro and now Windows XP Tablet Edition too. My OQO has XP Pro. The only additions to the installation are 2 special settings / properties control panels. Below are some screen shots…

The Tablet Properties application allows you to adjust the sensitivity of stylus. This is also where you calibrate the stylus (not that it will help that much…).

As far as performance, the OQO isn’t a speed demon, but it’s fine for surfing, emailing, and most tasks. I wouldn’t use it for hardcore gaming or heavy duty photo editing though.

After using the OQO for a couple of weeks now, I’ve become both very impressed and very disappointed by it. You can’t help but be impressed by such a small device that can run Windows XP Pro, has WiFi, Bluetooth, and a keyboard built in. I remember back before the days of The Gadgeteer, when my friend Dave Simpson and I would dream of the ultimate computer (when we were supposed to be working during our 2nd shift job). The computer would be about the size of a deck of cards, it would have tons of storage space and would plug into a docking station at home and work. You would just take it out of your pocket and whichever dock you plugged it into, that would become your computer with all your info, files, etc. It’s funny because the OQO is pretty much the computer we lusted after. Actually an even better one as the OQO has a display and a keyboard too. That’s what makes the OQO a great device, the ability to go from mobile to desktop usage by way of the docking cable or built in keyboard. BUT, as a mobile device, the OQO has some real deficiencies. The screen is much too dim. Much too spongy and not the best for stylus input. Then there is the fact that this little powerhouse gulps battery juice like I gulp Diet Coke. It runs pretty warm too. So it is hard to imagine cramming an even speedier processor in that package. You’d probably have to wear asbestos gloves and carry a couple spare batteries in your pocket. All that said, the OQO is a real marvel. I’m really looking forward to their next model!

See it in action…

Click on image to play the QuickTime video (2min 03sec, 4.6mb).

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

OQO Model 01+ Ultra Personal Computer originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2006 at 11:02 am.

I’ve always been a huge fan of very small computers and have had several such
devices throughout the years. A few notable ones come to mind… Remember the
REX PC Companion? It
was a PDA in a PCMCIA card form factor. What about the hard to find
IBM PC110 palmtop computer?
Then there was the
Toshiba Libretto. I had those devices over 5 yrs ago or so. In more recent
years, I’ve had the Sharp Zaurus C750 and then the Fujitsu Lifebook. The
Lifebook was my travel computer, going with me to trade shows and on vacations.
Last year, I took another trip down PowerBook lane, and bought a PowerBook. At
that time, I ended up giving the Lifebook to my sister. After I sold the
PowerBook, I was without a travel computer. Since then, I’ve been on the look
out for the perfect travel companion. One that wouldn’t weigh me down while
jogging through an airport, but would be able to handle all the tasks I could
throw at it without complaining.

When I saw the Sony Vaio U71, I knew I had to get my hands on one as it
looked to be the perfect combination of size and power. Unfortunately, they were
only available in Japan (at one point I thought Sony was going to sell these in
the US, but a look at their site doesn’t show them…). Lucky for me, the folks
at GeekStuff4U were able to provide one
to me for review.
 

Hardware Specs

CPU: Pentium M Dothan 1.1 GHz
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home (SP2)
RAM: 512mb
Hard Disk: 30 GB (ultra ATA)
Video: Integrated 855GM chipset, 64mb shared with main memory
Display: 5" TFT (800 x 600) / External Resolution: 1600 x 1200
Sound: PCM 16bit audio, integrated speaker
Networking: 802.11b/g WiFi, LAN (100BT)
Integrated Ports: Internal USB 2.0 x 1 / External (through docking station) USB
2.0 x 4
AC Adapter: 100~240V / 50-60 Hz
Dimensions: 6.58 x 4.25 x 1.04in (167 x 108 x 26.4mm)
Weight: 1.22lbs (550 grams)

Package Contents

Sony Vaio U71P
Standard Battery
USB Keyboard (2 extra eraser heads)
Docking Station
AC Adapter
Stylus
Earbuds (2 extra sets of ear pads)
Computer Pouch
Keyboard Pouch
External Monitor Adapter
Audio Remote
Manual
Windows XP Home CD

The Vaio is small… Almost PDA small. Ok, it’s not really that
small, but it is about the size of a paperback book. Given all the features
packed inside, its
size is pretty impressive. As far as weight, when you first pull the Vaio out of
the box, it feels very light. Adding the battery pack to the back brings the
overall weight up
to 1.3 lbs on my electronic scale.

Back side of Vaio, which is the battery pack

In hand the device is relatively comfortable to hold between two hands for a
moderate length of time. The Vaio is a bit slippery though… The back (battery)
and sides could use some rubber strips to help add some friction to your grip. That
said, I’ve never dropped the Vaio <shudder>.

A quick Gadgeteer squeeze test yielded no flexing, creaking or cracking. You
can tell that this is a solid and well made device from the first time you
handle it. Sony, like
Apple knows how to build quality hardware.

The left side of the Vaio has a lanyard attachment eyelet, an combo earphone / remote jack, hold switch, and
power switch. The power switch on this device is a slide and hold type of
switch.

This computer ships with some of Sony’s better in-ear earbuds and a clip-on
remote that is similar in design to the one that ships with
Sony’s
Network Walkman. You don’t have to use the remote, but if you do, you just
plug it into the end of the remote.

The right side has a full sized USB 2.0 port, WiFi power switch, and reset
switch.

If you look at the top side of the Vaio, you will find a Compact Flash slot
and Memory Stick Pro slot. In the middle is a heat vent, and on the outside
edges are the battery latches. There is also a standby button that will quickly
take XP into and out of standby mode. Putting the device into standby takes
about 3 seconds once you press the button. Bringing it out of standby takes
approximately 5-6 seconds. Not bad at all really! You can also use the standby
button as a power button if you have shut the computer completely down.

On the bottom of the device, there are 2 sets of heat dissipation vents /
speaker grills, the I/O port and AC adapter connector. The I/O port allows you
to plug the Vaio into the included docking station. This port also allows you to
send video to an external monitor by using the included short adapter cable.

The face of the Vaio is constructed of brushed metal. Surrounding the 5 inch
display are a collection of buttons and LEDs. In the upper right corner is a
square 4-way scroll button with an enter button in the center. You use this
button to scroll up and down in most applications like web browsers. The button
is somewhat stiff, and has great tactile feedback.

The round button below the 4-way button is the spring loaded pointer. Think
of it like the eraser that is built into some keyboards (including the one that
ships with this Vaio). The pointer is metal with a rubbery tip on the top that
keeps your thumb from slipping off.

On the opposite side of the face are the mouse buttons. You have a left,
right and even a middle mouse button. Having the buttons in these locations
really facilitates holding the Vaio between your two hands and using it like a
tablet computer instead of like a notebook computer.

LEDs on the left side middle of the face show the status of power, battery
and hard drive. There appears to be a matching set of LEDs on the right side,
but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them light up…

The display on the U71 is really quite nice. At the brightest setting it is
clear and easy to read. Text is crisp and colors are rich. At half brightness,
you can still comfortably view the screen and save battery life at the same
time. The surface of the display is easy to clean if it gets smudged.

At the bottom of the face on both sides are more flat metal buttons. On the
left side there is a zoom and a rotate button. Zoom allows you to cycle
resolutions: 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×1024, 1600×1200. I set mine up at
800 x 600 to avoid scrolling around to see the entire desktop. The rotate button
does just that, it rotates the display so you can hold the Vaio in portrait
mode. I never really used it in this orientation much during the review period.
I can see how it might be good if you wanted to read e-books on this device…

There are 3 buttons on the other side. One brings up a set of tools (mute
toggle, volume adjust, brightness adjust, external display toggle, and mega bass
toggle). One button just brings up the brightness adjust tool, and the bottom
button toggles the on-screen keyboard.

In case you weren’t aware, the Vaio has a touch screen. And if you also
didn’t notice, it doesn’t have a physical keyboard attached to it. So, if you
want to input data, you can either attach the folding keyboard, or use the
on-screen keyboard and stylus combo. The stylus the comes with the Vaio sort of
looks like a leaf. At first I didn’t like the design, but as I used the device,
I began to like it. It is easy to hold on to and use.

I don’t much like using a stylus to tap a keyboard for inputting more than a
minimum amount of text. I prefer a physical keyboard. The USB keyboard that
comes with the Vaio folds for travel, but opens up to a comfortable size.

The key pitch is pretty shallow though, so some people may not like the
action.

I didn’t have much trouble touch typing with it, except that key placement
was off for some keys. Although the U71 comes with an English version of Windows
XP Home and English keyboard drivers, the keyboard still has Asian characters
and extra keys on it. The only problems I had were with the backspace and quotes
keys. Otherwise, I had no real problem with it. There is even an eraser head
pointer that you can use instead of packing a mouse.

If you do want to use a mouse and keyboard with the Vaio (like I do), then
you’ll need to use the included docking station because the U71 only has 1 USB
port on the computer itself. The docking station has 4 more, for a total of 5.
Wow!

The dock is actually comprised of 2 parts. A back rest for the Vaio, and the
base unit. The Vaio easily slides into place and sits at a perfect notebook-like
viewing angle. On the right side of the dock is one USB port.

On the back of the dock are the other 3 USB ports, 4 pin Firewire
(non-powered), iLink power port, VGA, Ethernet jack and AC adapter.

I found using the dock with the Vaio to be the most comfortable way to use
this computer for any real length of time. Especially when doing actual work
instead of just surfing the web. So the thing is that if you think you’ll be
using the Vaio in this configuration more often then not, you’ll want to bring
the dock with you whenever you travel. Not a big deal you say? Well, when you
add the dock and the keyboard to the Vaio itself, you have a handful of items
that while only totaling up to about 3lbs, are a bit bulky to carry. After
taking the U71 with me on vacation, I started to wonder if maybe a regular
sub-notebook might be more convenient for me.

I used the U71 for an entire week as my one and only computer while I was on
vacation. I was surprised at how well it performed with all the tasks I threw at
it. Granted, I don’t do rocket science on my computers, but I do some photo
editing, which isn’t anything to sniff at. Boot up times were no problem,
application loading times didn’t bother me. Surfing and emailing were fine via
WiFi, and photo editing was doable. The 1.1GHz process in this little puppy,
along with the 512mb of RAM really make this a usable travel computer.

Speaking of the built in WiFi, it really saved my butt while I was on
vacation. For some reason, I had it in my head that the port on the back of the
docking station was for a modem… the place where I was staying on Sanibel
Island, Florida only had dial up access… So I get there and realize that I
don’t have a modem, and my Verizonized Treo
650 doesn’t have the best signal (1 bar), so I can’t depend on it for use
with PDAnet as a modem. Soooo, as I start to sniffle about my plight, I just
turn on WiFi and look to see if there are any access points nearby. I didn’t
expect to see any, but there were 2 and they were unsecured! So I click on one,
connect and voila! I have free high speed internet access for the entire week!
Yay me!  Then on the way home, I discover that the Fort Myers airport also
has free WiFi. ) Life is good!

All in all, this device served me well for that week while I was away from my
primary desktop PC. My only gripes were
with the non US keyboard and the fact that I wouldn’t mind the display being a
couple inches larger. But I can’t really complain much at all, this device packs
a lot into such a small package.

As far as software, the device came from GeekStuff4U with the English version
of Windows XP Home. Also installed are  Open Office 1.1.3 (an open source
MS Office clone that is Word, Excel and PowerPoint compatible) and the
Mozilla web browser, along with a couple Japanese applications for sound and
Kanji input. If you want the U71P to have English handwriting recognition,
you’ll have to install a 3rd party application. There are several available if
you search around.

You’re probably wondering about battery life at this point. The standard
capacity battery that ships with the Vaio is rated for 2.5 hrs. I found this
rating to be pretty accurate. A higher capacity battery is available for a
lot of cash, that doubles the battery life (5.5 hrs) and looks to double the
thickness as well. 2.5 hrs isn’t a long time, so this device really wouldn’t
work as a PDA like some people might think it would.

When it is all said and done, I have found that the U71P makes a decent
travel PC for me. The docking station might make my load a little bulkier than I
would like, but it isn’t completely necessary to take along if you have
something else to use to prop it up with when using the keyboard with it. Having
the built in CF slot was a real convenience for me when offloading digital
camera pix. I didn’t have to bring along a separate card reader.

Yes, the Sony U71P is expensive. That really isn’t anything new when it comes
to Sony products though is it? If you have been looking for a itty bitty touch
screen Win XP device with WiFi, and aren’t scared away by the price, this device
could be your next travel buddy.

Price: $2152.88

Pros:
Extremely portable Win XP device
Decent performance
Docking station adds 4 USB 2.0 ports
CF and Memory Stick slots

Cons:
Expensive
Manual is in Japanese
Carrying the AC adapter and docking station increases the bulk quotient

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Handheld PC, Netbook, Ultra Portable, UMPC

Sony Vaio VGN-U71P originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 13, 2005 at 7:34 pm.