The first review of the OQO Model 02 UMPC is in and its good.

PCMag’s Cisco Chen has obviously had the OQO for a pre-test and gives it 4 out of 5 points in his review. That’s the best result I’ve seen for a mainstream press review although Chen does seem to understand exactly what we has in his hands. He’s not moaning about the lack of gaming or video editing capability! 

Some points from the article:

• Keyboard better than Sony UX.
• Nice screen
• It heats up quite a bit after extensive use, and the noise from the fans gets annoying over long periods of time.
• Built-in accelerometer
• Impressive docking station
• You don’t get the Aero, or Vista’s 3D interface. (as on all UMPCs - Steve.)
• Not as powerful as the UX.

Full review here at PCMag.      Info and specifications here.

I love the design of this OQO. Not just from the aesthetic point of view (more images here) but also from the tech standpoint. The docking station is so so important and the slide out keyboard not only helps typing but also helps customers understand what the device is all about. Its a PC…that you can move about! With the new OQO I think many more people are going to see and understand that concept.

Would I buy one? No. Why? Because it doesn’t have a touch screen. Its got an active digitizer that requires a pen. I’ve got so used to using my finger on a screen now that I really miss it when its not there. I’m not going to pick up a pen to select an audio track and I rarely do any handwriting. Others will disagree of course and that’s fine. We all have our preferences and that’s why there’s room for many more devices in the UMPC market. Bring ‘em on.

The OQO is currently available for International pre order at Dynamism. Estimated delivery time is 4-8 weeks.

Steve