There are still some devices winging their way over to Europe but I was lucky and got the OQO 2+ delivered this morning. Within 1 minute of closing the door on Mr UPS, I was filming….
I’ve turned on the device and tested through to see if everything is working and the first thing I’ve set up is a new grab-and-go desktop at home…
So far I’m impressed with its processing power and (64GB SSD) disk speed. The Vista experience is fine and I’m easily able to multitask with multiple apps. The fan noise is a bit annoying though. Hopefully that will be fixed before this device goes on sale!
I’ve come across a small problem with the 3G. My plans to ditch my cable broadband for a week have been scuppered due to the 3G being locked to EVDO. In theory the Gobi chipset should handle global 3G bands and types but it looks like its either been locked down of that the firmware isn’t complete yet.
Update. we’ve fixed that problem now. HSDPA is working fine.
I’d tether via bluetooth but the Toshiba bluetooth software refuses to talk with my Nokia N82 meaning i’m left with very few options. OQO are trying to find a solution as I type!
The screen is obviously extremely high quality although not as nice as I expected. I think i’ve been spoilt by high-end screens on the Wibrain and Q1 Ultra and the brightness and contrast isn’t far off what i’m used to on those devices. Still, i’m comparing against the best here and it’s easily as good.
Wifi-On, in-use battery life is looking like 2 hrs. With some tweaking I’m expecting this to stretch to 2.5 hours (browsing at 800Mhz isn’t a problem when you’re on the go) and with a spare battery weighing just 150gm it’s no problem to carry a spare.
Built quality is fantastic; just as it was on the previous OQO E2/02. The keyboard is excellent and the finishing is very stylish. The slider is smooth and they’ve even kept the pulsing LED inside the power adapter connector so you know it’s connected to the mains. Smart!
I’ll be writing more about the OQO as I go along but for the rest of today i’ll be preparing and testing. Tomorrow I attempt a 5-country tour so I’ve got a few things to prepare!
Update: More images available here.
The customer service guy at OQOTalk swears up and down that the enduser will be able to switch back and from between EVDO and HSPA on the production Model 2+. I hope that by the time the Model 2+ is publicly available, that you really can.
Do you remember what sort of battery life you were getting under similar circumstances with the Model 02/e2? OQO is claiming better battery life, cooler operation and less fan noise. I’m curious if any of those claims pan out.
Thanks.
Yeah I was somewhat puzzled by the same thing, Adam def makes statements that the GOBI unit would be “open” to any type of 3G more or less (excluding thee TmoUSA of course).
The battery time and fan noise from my handson with the 2+ at CES (w/WiMax at Motorola booth) gave me the impression that these have not changed that much, however performance is def better!
OQO are working internally to solve the Gobi issue. I’m guessing it hasnt got the final firmware or theres a driver missing. Can’t spend too much time on it as there’s a ton of other things to sort out before tommorrow!
Perhaps one could find something from Gobi direct?
On that battery life. its a smidgen better than the OQO E2 although I really feel there’s something that needs to be ‘fixed’. Maybe there’s scope for improvement.
Saying that, 2.5hours isnt bad from a 17wh batt.
I’ll be testing other batteries too so lets see how it goes.
Steve
Now this an area I wouldn’t be surprised if something could be done on a pure SW level of things, that hasn’t been finalized just yet.
But I kind of got the same hunch, something yet to be “fixed” but then again I was using it with WiMax, is that easier or harder on the battery than your typical 3G?
I learn from OQO talk that you’re talking about FERRARI :)
http://www.oqotalk.com/index.php/topic,3434.0.html
The OQO 2+ just became an MID:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/video-oqo-model-2-mid-gets-unboxed-previewed/#comments
Ok I guess I’m not up to speed it *IS* an MID :)
““OQO is excited to work with Intel to deliver the highest performing Mobile Internet Device (MID) on the market today,†said Bob Rosin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at OQO.”
http://www.oqo.com/news/press_releases/2009-01-07_mode2+_release.html
hello chippy,
The Gobi module, is that being based on the 3G module from Option Wireless which is focussing on MID’s?
Thanks
Hi I was wondering if any one knows if this will work with a US T-Mobile 3g sim?
I was thinking about getting gone but want to make sure about what I’ll be able to do with it.
Thanks in advance
Well there isn’t really anything that you could call a 3G SIM as such, the SIM is the same thing regardless of what service voice/data month to month or prepaid (now if the various service providers are able to within THEIR system transfer a SIM card between prepaid and contract is up to their system there’s no tech hindrance for it really)
So now to your TMoUSA question, the TMo card (that you could add DATA service to) would work in the OQO yes, and if you have a Tmo USA SIM w/data service say in a G1 phone it would use the GPRS, EGPRS or 3G accordingly how the service is available where you’re at.
Now will TMo USA 3G and OQO work then? **NO!** Why? Because Tmo USA (just like ATT in a sence) uses a unique frequency NOT supported by the WWAN unit within the OQO, and frankly not really supported by much of any hardware yet. Kind of like it was with the AT&T 3G a while back, however AT&T has been around a while now and more and more hardware supports it.
To make this even more complex (it kind of is) GSM is as follows 850/1900Mhz in North America, but 900/1800MHz elsewhere, now PRE-3G data services were running on the same bands as the voice so they went hand-in-hand, and there was only NA GSM and everywhere else so to speak. Meaning AT&T *AND* Tmo USA share all the frequencies *EXCEPT* 3G where there essentially are three different. AT&T, Tmo USA and “the world”.
This is ONLY in regards to the GSM and 3G.
So if you stick a TmoUSA card with Data service in the OQO it will work BUT NO 3G speeds.
I’m sorry I feel I make these too hard every time :)
In an attempt to simplify my comments:
SIM card (just like any other plastic card can be assigned to what you want it to be assigned to):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscriber_Identity_Module
GSM :
“Most 3G GSM networks in Europe operate in the 2100 MHz frequency band”
More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM
“The specific frequency bands originally defined by the UMTS standard are 1885–2025 MHz for the mobile-to-base (uplink) and 2110–2200 MHz for the base-to-mobile (downlink). In the US, 1710–1755 MHz and 2110–2155 MHz will be used instead, as the 1900 MHz band was already utilized.”
More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Mobile_Telecommunications_System
Voice&Data (non 3G):
“GSM-900 and GSM-1800 are used in most parts of the world”
“GSM-850 and GSM-1900 are used in the United States, Canada, and many other countries in the Americas.”
More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_ranges
Bottom line OQO will support ALL 3G GSM data network EXCEPT the *3G* part of the Tmo USA one. Not to confuse Tmobile’s home country (Germany) users this has NOTHING to do with you! :)
That’s good to know. I’m not a tech guy but from what I gather from what you guys are saying, I wont benefit from adding the $34 3g to my service just for the OQO.
Guess I can still use it with my current $20 data plan. It runs OK on my nokia e70 but I imagine it may be pretty slow on the OQO. I don’t currently use the net a lot during the day but was hoping to have that option with the OQO and Tmo. :[
Correct your card will work “as is” and with the same speed as you have now.
Adding (Tmo USA) 3G wouldn’t give you anything in the OQO.
Also not sure about your package but some packages have increased now with Tmo meaning most (if not all?) are $34.99 now, only the old customers as myself get away with the $20 deal, even on NON 3G devices such as the Sidekicks from Tmo you pay the $35 now with a NEW contract so be careful to not “loose” your sweet $20, as if you are ok with the speed there’s nothing that beats it out there.
Myself also as an Tmo customer have an AT&T prepaid card with $20 unlimited for 3G data, but this ALSO is no longer available (at any price) but possible only if you have a card for which the 3G has been active BEFORE (and constantly after) the price increase. I was fortunate to be able to find one such card “2nd hand” :)
$20 for unlimited data (any speed) is a good deal in USA right now!
On the speed unless you use some very mobile orientated sites (and not the full sites) there won’t be that much difference really in the speed. Sometimes even better as your smart phone might itself slow down the process a bit due to lack of processing power. For instance my iPhone will pull up the same sites faster than the Sidekick (both on Tmo EDGE) most of the time.
Joe,
I found the link I was looking for:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deployed_UMTS_networks
So as you can see most do it on 2100 Mhz, AT&T at 850/1900 but see how Tmo USA stands out at 1700/2100 don’t think ANY other carrier worldwide does that!
Btw Tmo USA isn’t alone with not having support from the hardware, see Jenn’s posts here about the BenQ:
http://www.midmoves.com/2009/01/staying-connected-at-180-feet/
> Update. we’ve fixed that problem now. HSDPA is working fine.
What did you have to do? I’m playing around with the Sony VAIO P (which also uses the Gobi chipset) and it appears to be stuck in EVDO mode.
Supposedly it can’t be unlocked to work on AT&T. You are stuck with Verizon. BUT… if you get it working post it on your blog because that would almost push me to get one.
OQO is broke/doomed.
Too bad that this product will never ship. OQO is rumored to be broke, I believe it. My friends who work there haven’t been paid in several weeks and last week were unexpectedly “furloughed without pay” for two weeks with less than a day’s notice.
They probably aren’t going to pull out this time.
New article: Another OQO 2+ arrives. http://bit.ly/9QlNqm