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07/08/07
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educationk12
You'll have to scroll down the page of this link, because the choice of putting an 01 picture on the top of the screen makes most people think it is aboout an 01 and they don't bother scrolling down.
link
BATTERY
One big mistake I made was comparing the OQO 02 with a double capacity battery with an Sony UX with a double capacity battery. After owning an OQO 02 and a Sony UX390n, I have decided that apples for apples the comparison should be made between real battery life. My sony UX390n with a standard capacity battery lasts just as long as the OQO 02 with a double! This means that using equivalent battery life that the OQO is heavier and the same overall size as the OQO 02.
NOISE
UX is a lot quieter.
HEAT
UX is a lot cooler.
KEYBOARD/MOUSE
After hours of use on the 02, my hands start hurting, yet I don't get this with the UX due to the ergonomic design of the mouse and palms, however I the 02 has a far superior keyboard. But what good is it if my hands feel like I have arthritis...and i've never had that feeling other than with the oqo.
Screen
I like the oqo better, you can do 1200x720 andthe extra .5 does make a difference. If the OQO was still stuck at 800x480 then I'd go with the sony, but the OQO wins with the screen. However, see my next comment.
DOCKING
Due to it using an Intel, the Sony wins with docking to external monitors (unless you need to do 1920x1200 or 1920x1080 and then you better make sure it'll do it on your monitor before buying the monitor). The external monitor support seems to not work well at all when the OQO has interpolated turned on, or at least is very buggy. The oqo has the dvd in the dock which is nice, yet you have to be plugged into the wall in order for it to work which means it's not mobile. I was disappointed when I learned this needed external power, but I guess that is why it is called a docking station and not just a low 8x dvd burner.
EVDO vs. EDGE
I have to say after having two 02 devices with Sprint. I would go with the UX390n EDGE any day...the disconnection issues with EVDO in New England states is awful. I hear it works well in the south and the west though, but if you live in the northeast then don't get EVDO unless you use a PC card with EVDO router which will use it's own special software to stay connected such as the Kyocera KR1 & Dlink DIR450.
BUILD QUALITY
I've had two RMAs with the OQO. A dead on arrival battery (yes I tried everything) and dead pixels in the OQO screen. The Sony doesn't have any RMA issues, but that isn't to say that there aren't any...but it does seem clear that OQO has more RMA issues than Sony from the posts in forums. I lost count how many RMAs I had with my 01/01+ devices, so the two RMA for the 02 is quite an improvement. I think it has a lot to do with outsourcing to Asia when Sony is right there in Asia with past experience.
PERFORMANCE
No comparison, the UX does what an Intel 1.33Ghz machine should do and combine that with the SSD speed...now don't get an SSD if you think it'll make your processor faster...it really just makes the hard drive read stuff super fast, but your 3D and such will be the same overall. The oqo tends to freeze up alot with most of my applications, which means a lot of reboots but if I do light stuff on it, it can handle it o rif I don't have too many things open and ask it to do too much, in other words, it will work if I am super patient and tread lightly. When using Intel based machines I don't have to tip toe.
WHICH IS BETTER?
So all in all, my view on the two devices is mixed. The advantage I see with the OQO is the screen and raised keyboard, yet all the other advantages that I thought it had over the UX have changed after owning both devices. Which would I recommend, well if I had a choice between the two...I'd pick the Sony just like meansquare. However, if my OQO had HSDPA in it and especially the HSDPA/GSM in it, then I might see saw over to the OQO because wireless internet is very important to me. But I suspect both Sony and OQO will be adding this in the near future. I think choice of processor is what has made the OQO not be what it could have been, and hopefully the next generation of the OQO will be Intel based. That is if Apple doesn't come out with an iPhone like UMPC device first. Although Apple doesn't seem to use their resources to develop new hardware devices one after another, they tend to take time to bring out an all new device from the ground up. So I suspect that wouldn't happen anytime this year.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I should have never compared the OQO double capacity with the Sony UX double capacity. If you can get by with very little battery life then the OQO standard would be your small UMPC device, but if you are considering the double capacity for the OQO then think standard with the UX.
P.S. .....
Ecsk2 asked me a good question..
Why did Sony, Flipstart and OQO come out with EVDO devices instead of HSDPA? Seems like HSDPA is more global, therefore bigger market.
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07/08/07
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MeanSquare
ed.: Thanks for the comments. They are really quite helpful since they contain your reasoning and some data as well as your conclusions. As to using the 01 instead of the 02, the reason is very simple. I wrote the piece long, long before the 02 was out. I've added bits and pieces here and there to reflect some of the enhancements in the 02, but, as I don't own one, I can't take pictures of it. (I guess I could use some stock photos like a few of the 01 and UX shots I also used though. Ultimately, it comes down to not having the time to go back and essentially re-write the article for the 02 yet. Since, as you pointed out, 02 vs UX(300 series) is the real basis of comparison, I think it's appropriate to do so. To that end, could you look at the battery table in the article and see if you could get some numbers to fill in for the 02? I have other data, but not that.
Thanks.
In reference to the HSDPA vs EVDO, I don't have a real answer for that. I assume it's just a matter of which carrier is willing to partner with the companies.
edited: Jul 08 2007
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educationk12
The 01 is quite a bit smaller than the 02. Pictures of an 02 with a double capacity battery next to the UX would be quite revealing. Otherwise, comparing pictures of the 01 with a standard capacity next to the UX isn't really a fair picture comparison especially if battery life means anything to you. Don't get me wrong, I really LIKE your review A LOT! Even pictures of the 02 with a standard next to the ux would show the size jump in the 02 from the 01, so the older 01 pictures are nice as a reference!
I can take comparison pictures of my 02 and 390n and send them to you if you'd like. I have sent this link for the 02 v. UX comparison to ecsk2 and he responded that it was the 01, which was what I thought when I first looked at it, so if we could put a picture of the 02/ux3xx up front then I think it'll catch the surfers attention. It's a great review, I wish I would have known of it sooner.
I've never used the "burn it" test for battery life, but I LIKE the idea for a real comparison! I have never heard of it before, so I'll have to learn how to use it...and I tend to be an idiot with technical stuff like this but I should figure it out. I guess I download from this link?
link
I'd be more than happy to do it, but I may need some help.
Oh, and the sony only has one mini-pci slot, which is occupied by the WLAN wifi. So adding HSDPA would mean taking out the wifi unless you could find a way to add WIFI to the UX through usb internallly. I suspect due to this constraint that the next UX will be a different form factor than the current UX, which would make it smaller because the EDGE card in the UX is huge. I suspect the next Sony will be quite a nice UMPC, and it's due to come out. Currently, my conclusion is that neither device really suits my needs for mobility...for the simple reason that the Sony lacks 3/3.5G ad the OQO lacks performance. If you could put an Intel in the OQO then I'd go with OQO, if you could put 3.5G in the Sony then I'd go with the Sony, but I think neither are going to meet my day-to-day mobile needs, which I think is why I am going to resort to the even larger Flybook V5 & iPhone.
So, IF there is anyone out there with enough smarts to modify the Sony UX with my MC8775V mini-PCI HSDPA/GSM chp with my Sony UX390n, then let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to resort to the Flybook, but I've managed to get that chip to stop working on that machine, which is fun. Although I am seesawing with the idea of putting the MC8775V chip in the Sony myself to see if I can figure it out...it's called my name a few times.
07/08/07
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edgemaster
If you have HSDPA, why would you need WIFI??
edited: Jul 08 2007
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educationk12
edgemaster said: "If you have HSDPA, why would you need WIFI??"
I know, I was thinking that very thing and the fact that my flybook is giving me so much grief makes me want to try it...but I'm going to wait until I can call flybook, sierra wireless and whomever next week to see if I can at least first get it to work again with the flybook before i venture to the UX...maybe by then I'll become a guru at this....surely is making me an expert at installing windows...xp pro was having me type in d: (forwardslash)i386 every minute of the install...some bug in XP that will lose track of external usb optical drives...but I got-er-done thank to google search.
07/08/07
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kyone
WIFI so you can connect to home and work networks, transfer files, printing etc. WIFI is not just for internet.
Some of the fundamentals of computing are: Input, processing and output. For input the OQO has a better keyboard IMO, Sony has better processing and the OQO has better screen. I still think OQO is the better machine.
80% of the time the standard battery is fine for what I want to do that day. I don't like having the double capacity battery on a standard day, it's too big. So if Sony came out with a slim battery then that would be an advantage.
The biggest reason I went with OQO is that it supports 1900 x 1200 external. I have a 24" LCD screen. And also the OQO has HDMI on the device. These are a big plus.
I've owned my 02 for a week now, with Vista business, I am very impressed. It will be replacing my desktop.
07/08/07
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MeanSquare
ed: I'd welcome any pictures you could provide. Those are just the kind of comparisons that would be helpful for people making a decision right now instead of over a year ago when I wrote the review. I don't mind doing the write up, but I just don't have the resources to get the 02 just for that purpose.
Kyone: I can see how you define "a better screen" (in terms of what's available externally). The UX built-in screen is better than the 02's, especially when it comes to resolution. In addition, the graphics support of the Intel graphics accelerator is better than that of the 02's accelerator. The result is that you can run Aero on the UX without slogging the machine down and, more importantly, do other graphics work without taxing the machine too much. More screen real estate and HDMI output is a plus, true, but there are other considerations. A larger display is not as useful when you the software can't use it (or can't use it without moving like a grandmother in a school zone).
To be sure, this is probably yet another example of different people's needs producing different responses. If it works for you, go with it.
edited: Jul 08 2007
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educationk12
meansquare, i have to disagree and say the 1200x720 interpolated beats the smaller 1024x600 on the ux...but not big enough for it to weigh too heavily between the two.
kyone, I agree but I don't use wifi at home anymore. I use LAN only, but WLAN is nice to have...I get 30Mb down at home which beats HSDPA by far but I don't use these small computers at home much.
My mobile printing is done through bluetooth via a PocketJet3+. I could live without wifi on the ux because HSDPA is everywhere I go, and wifi is hard to find when mobile. But I am skeptical that I could pull of such an upgrade so it's more talk than anything else at this point.
I agree, if 80 percent of the time you are fine with a standard then the OQO is your device and the Sony would limit you to 1600x1200.
I'm not even sure if the ux suites my mobile needs either...part of me wants to throw in the towel with the sacrafices of umpc and just go with a macbook pro or some other 1920x1200 notebook and iphone. I'm considering a multiple remote desktop connection at 1920x1200 via a laptop with that resolution when mobile, then a remote desktop when not mobile to external at 3840x2400 when "docked". Using the flybook would allow me the docked feature yet would not give me 1920x1200 in mobile mode. If I do then I would only use the umpc for the occassional need for more efficient internet use than a smaller device like the iphone, and i need a portable umpc for SQL and I'm not sure SQL compact will work as well as windows so I might not be able to live without a umpc....I think my interest in these devices as a general everyday use isn't practical for me, so in the overall scheme of things my problem with the UMPC market is the battery life and lack of pocketability with it turned on, which leaves it to be a nice device to carry around for when you want to take it out of a bag and turn it on for a specific project but not mobile like an iphone which is turned on in the pocket without having a pound brick in the pocket...i wish it could always be on for the day and charge at night without it being so big.
07/09/07
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kyone
All of the points raised are good point... the first thing I did with the new Vista OQO was to go to settings and turn off all visual effects and sounds. That Aero sounds like fun but not something I would be interested in using in the real world, ALT TAB is good enough for me. (I admit I turned on the last visual effect, the one that makes Vista look like Vista and not XP) As a result I don't notice any difference in speed between the 5" or the 24" screen.
Also the higher resolution Sony screen... not sure what the extra resolution on such a small screen could be used for. Besides where menus go over the edge of the 800x480 screen.
I'm yet to see the graphics driver stuggle for general apps but that's not supprising as I don't use my OQO for multimedia. I will install the recommended GOM player for watching videos.
edited: Jul 09 2007
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educationk12
FLIP FLOPPING MORE THESE DAYS THAN A POLITICIAN
Okay, I have now decided that the OQO is the better solution for me than the Sony UX, because I have figured out a way to swap OQO standard capacity batteries without having to shut the machine down or use a 110v/12v source.
To me the OQO is the better device if you can get away with a standard capacity battery...and i just figure out how...yay! link
07/09/07
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MeanSquare
kyone: "...besides where menus go over the edge of the 800x480 screen." Exactly. You got it in one. (There are other pluses, but honestly, that one is such a big deal the others pale in comparison.)
ed: Exactly how does interpolated mode work? I've played with 1600x1200 on an 8 inch display (where there isn't a 1-to-1 pixel relationship). I assume interpolated mode works somewhat the same way. If so, and (big if here) if it's actually readable, then I won't argue the point.
re: Graphics: I can't think of a general app that would actually tax the graphics to any real extent and, if that's all you're doing, I certainly wouldn't argue with an OQO to do it. I've got a few apps that are a bit more graphically intensive. I use my handtop to do presentations, which often include embedded videos and moving graphics. The OQO 01 wasn't up to it. Given the data on the 02's graphics sub-system, I don't think it would do nearly as well as the UX's Intel sub-system. I also do a bit of number crunching, for which the Intel processor is a better solution. If I could find something with the relative power of the UX and the keyboard and size of the 02, I'd be on it in a flash. As it is, (and as we all do), I make some compromises to get what I really want and need most.
edited: Jul 09 2007
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educationk12
meansquare...do you mean you've done UXGA on an 8" screen with spanning, i.e. you scroll from one side of the screen to the other and up and down. As far as the technical pixel ratio...I have no clue, but it's not spanning and it works very well on the OQO. The Q1 has that feature and it was AWFUL...but the OQO does it so well that it looks just like WXGA. It's slightly pixelated, but not enough to bother me. I like it MUCH better than my UX390n. Much better. It's very readable to me, but I"m use to high dpi/ppi resolutions, so someone who is use to standard dpi/ppi resoutions might say it is too difficult.
So now my question to you or anyone...is it possible to add interpolation to laptop screens. If I could get 1920x1200 to my flybook then that would be a dream come true! How did you get 1600x1200 on an 8" screen...I want to know!!!
Yeh, without a doubt the UX performs like an Intel machine...the OQO performs like a Via machine...there is nothing like Intel...but as kyone said, he's not doing intensive stuff so it works for him plus he does WUXGA...it's too bad I can't get WUXGA on the internal screen...hehe
I'm not sure if it is PowerPoint 2007 or what, but my OQO struggles to keep up with a basic 10 slide slideshow. It also opens up the icons slow when you open up a folder...it's like I need XP or something for the oqo, but maybe i should do those settings that kyone did to see if that helps. Aero is nice but I can live without it. And thats wit hit set at high performance, which means a loud fan...the other settings make the fan noise to be quiet but high performance is a bit noisy. Speaking of that I have to do the presentation at 4 so I better get of this site! lol
07/10/07
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MeanSquare
ed: No. It does what I'd call interpolating in the sense that, although the display isn't actually capable of showing every pixel in a 1600x1200 array, it shows enough them that the picture looks OK. I suspect that on a larger screen, you'd be able to see some "artifacts" of the interpolation. What I was wondering was whether the OQO does that as well. In other words, do you see the whole display on the OQO's 800x480 pixels or does it scroll so you're only viewing part of the screen at one time.
The way I "fooled" the screen is to use one of the options in the Intel Graphics driver that allows you to see any graphic mode the card is capable of regardless of the actual attached screen. (Theoretically, that would allow me to do something like that on the built-in screen as well. I haven't tried it yet.)
I am using PPt 2007. I had been using 2003 before I updated to Vista. I started out with doing massive tweaking on my machine. Then I did a clean install of Vista to clear up a problem I was having with MS Office and I noticed that the performance wasn't tanking even without the tweaks so I left well enough alone. I suspect at least some of it has to do with having a Solid State Drive which handles Vistas more aggressive pre-Fetch and Super-Fetch and the swap file without the performance and battery drain of a conventional drive. However, my performance under Vista is pretty much the same as my performance under XP was.
(As an aside, I think SSDs may change a lot of conventional wisdom. For instance, you don't have to defrag them. In fact, you probably shouldn't (!))
Aero is pretty much eye-candy. I only have it on because I can.
07/10/07
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Tekara
The OQO uses interpolation for most resolutions, 800x600 is the one exception that I know of which uses scrolling. The 1000x600 interpolated resolution is actually very usable for everything, including reading text; I find myself using that setting quite often. 1200x720 is a bit much for detail work, however it works fine for times when I just need more desktop space and it works great for viewing images.
I haven't tried any resolutions higher than those, though with some older games I've used several lower resolutions which are stretched to fit. There is an option in the OQO's BIOS to cause that.
07/10/07
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educationk12
Tekara said: "
I haven't tried any resolutions higher than those, though with some older games I've used several lower resolutions which are stretched to fit. There is an option in the OQO's BIOS to cause that."
I thought the OQO couldn't do higher than 1200x720...if I could get higher then I'd go higher...do you know how to make it do it? Powerstrip or some tool like that? I'd flip if this was possible...maybe not on the OQO, but I would LOVE to not have to use a 15.4" in laptop to get 1920x1200...or even go higher! 
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