Handtops, UMPC - UX180P over the (rumored) OQO 02 -

1) The fact is, the UX180P is here now. And even while it was being shipped to my local Fry's, they were announcing the 16Gb NAND version which likely means other, newer versions at least in the short term. Unfortunately, its combination of A) being here and now and B) actually arriving to stores on time six weeks after annoucement really flies in the face of OQO.

The rumored Model 02 is for now just that... rumor. We all know they're working on something, but no one knows exactly what (well, some do, but they've signed NDA's). And honestly, we have to ask ourselves if OQO saw the annoucement of the UX180 and did an "oh, sh*t" and realized they were under-spec'd to compete and must retool to stay competitive. Does this mean delays? But here's the kicker... let's just assume that the 02 is on track and OQO follows the timeframes of their previous two models. If that happens, than around October sometime the new 02 will be "announced". Towards the end of October/early November it will be available for pre-order. And the first shipment won't actually happen til likely January. And sadly, those of us that want to see other people buy it first and post reviews won't pre-order. Which means its not til January/February that we'll all order which will flood OQO and we'll end up waiting 3 months for delivery. This is exactly what happened with the 01 and the 01+ (I know, I bought both... though after having done the announcement-preorder-read reviews-then buy game with the 01, I bought the 01+ as soon as I could and was one of the owners of the first batch). Sadly this doesn't bode well for OQO. This is July. If the vast majority of us don't get an 02 til February or March, that's two to three business quarters away... time for Sony to fix any issues they have and for the UMPC crowd to step up with better spec's and features with a cheaper price. Its also time for other companies to enter the foray (Dell is rumored to be working on their own UMPC and Apple is rumored to be working on a Tablet or PDA of some sort). And all this assumes they are on track and on schedule and not delayed by having to retool to stay competitive with other already shipping devices. One other thing to consider along these lines... many of us were expecting the 01+ to be the 02 and were quite disappointed to see so few upgrades almost a year after the 01 was available. Sadly, OQO is very likely to have a hard time fitting current technology into their form factor, which does cause some speculation as to whether or not the 02 will also be more of an upgrade than an overhaul of the internals... I for one would be very disappointed to see the same 512Mb of RAM, the same 30Gb of RAM, and the same 802.11b/BT 1.1 only to have the processor changed/upgraded and better video, etc.

2) OQO is too US-bound. They don't have any resellers, they are direct only. The one exception is there partnership with Expansys for international sales and even this is a joke. A $2000 OQO is sold for $2300 by Expansys. Why? Because OQO won't even give them a reseller price. While OQO sells one for $2000, of which easily $750 to $1000 is profit, Expansys must buy them from OQO at retail price, then mark them up enough to make some money. OQO has always been US-bound and the result is that there's very reliable rumor that the rumored 02 will include an integrated EVDO radio and a partnership with Verizon. Now granted, EVDO (esp EVDO rev. b) speeds will rock the GPRS/EDGE radio in the UX180P, but it also makes it immediately a US-bound device as far as WAN connections go. At least the UX180P can have a Cingular unlimited data plan with a roaming option to use in Mexico, Canada, and overseas.

Don't get me wrong here... I do still very much enjoy my OQO 01+ and I am looking forward to the 02. The problem is that the UX180P seems to address the speed and latency issues of the OQO while also being available now... and this in light of the realistic possibility that the 02 could still be 6 months or more away. So what's a technophile to do? Well, in my case, at least, I've been planning to go to an 02 when its available. However I really don't like waiting, and I really hate waiting for something that doesn't live up to its hype when something just as good can be had now. Thus since I own my OQO 01+, I'm letting my company buy me a UX180P that I'll have in a day or so and depending on what the specs of the 02 end up being and what I think of the UX180P compared to my existing 01+, I may or may not buy the 02. For now, I'm not playing the waiting game any longer...

Ironically, from my own experience with the OQO and the reviews I've read of the UX180P, I'm thinking that each addresses the other's downfalls. The UX180P has the snappier processor, integrated WAN capabilities, better stock battery life, better stylus calibration, and backlit keyboard that people complain about on the OQO. Yet the OQO seems to have the pocketability, screen size, better tactile keyboard, lack of CPU hammering pre-installed software, and overall experience that people are complaining about the Sony. I can only hope that someone (OQO, preferably with their Model 02) comes out with the device that answers all the complaints... to borrow from Tolkien, "One Handtop to Rule them All"... taking the best of the OQO 01+ and the Sony UX180P.