(Mis)Uses of Technology

(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Mike Masnick




A Real Pocket PC

from the very-cool dept

Okay, I'm sold. I want an OQO. It's a device about the size of a handheld PDA, but which is a complete computer. It runs on a Transmeta chip, uses the same hard drive as the new iPod (10gig), has firewire, USB, bluetooth, and WiFi. It costs $1,000. The best part is that you can get different "docking stations" with it that turn it into whatever you want. It's basically a computer that changes size to deal with whatever your situation is. There's a desktop docking station that makes it useable as a desktop machine. There's also a laptop docking station, where you just slide it into a laptop shell. Or you can just use it on its own. A computer for every situation. Of course, there are still questions of quality, but I've spoken to people about similar ideas in the past - and this is the first time I've seen a product come close to what I really want.

8 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Apr 16th, 2002 @ 1:13pm
  • No Subject Given

    by Anonymous Coward

    Give me one with a 10" screen for 1000 and ill buy one.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 16th, 2002 @ 3:18pm
  • heh...

    by mhh5

    give me one with a built-in projector, and I'll get one....

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 17th, 2002 @ 7:10am
  • stole my idea

    by uberdingo

    this has been my dream idea for a while, but it needs more work. A PDA form factor, with connectivity options. The next hurdle is the hardest, once you have the devices, you need to have a lot of options available for input and output. If airports, planes, and hotels had projectors or lcds you could use, the device would really start to have value. For input, maybe if voice recognition gets better, or an attachable blackberry style keyboard like they have for the palms now. The best part is that if bluetooth works as advertised you don't need a physical connection for possible input devices.
    The other big need for something like these is good encryption - if a lot of people are carrying their computers around and using them on public devices, they better have some good security.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 17th, 2002 @ 9:01am
  • Other Full-powered Handhelds

    by Marc

    Using the same operating system on a device in my pocket as on my desktop makes a lot of sense. Networking and syncronization would be greatly simplified (although not by any means perfect). Also think of all the proprietary programs that you don't have to port to Pocket PC or PalmOS. As for the programs you have already paid for, why not use an emulator written for the OS you just gave up you could run on your new full-powered windows or linux handheld.
    Check out a few others:
    http://pages.sbcglobal.net/tiqit83/index.html
    another full-powered handheld
    http://www.khyber.com/index.php has a very interesting product that is essentially a smart phone with an attachable clamshell screen/keyboard accessory.
    Xybernaut, the wearable computer company owns several patents on an idea that should allow you to swap processors, storage, inputs and outputs in block-like modules. http://www.xybernaut.com/newxybernaut/company/intellect/patents.htm

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 17th, 2002 @ 9:54am
    • Re: Other Full-powered Handhelds

      Yeah, I think that all of these full powered handhelds are cool... but the really cool thing about the OQO isn't just that it's a full powered handheld, but the various "docking" setups that make the computer the "right size for the right occasion".

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Apr 17th, 2002 @ 10:57am
  • IBM project

    by Mark D.

    The OQO looks like this project from IBM.

    MetaFilter had a thread on this a while back too.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Oct 10th, 2006 @ 4:37pm
  • sallam

    hi sory des is goood ind gooood i likid hundred mach ok by

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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