HTC's Advantage is the biggest Windows Mobile device yet, packed with features and an extra-large 5" VGA screen. OQO's model 01+ is the smallest PC you can buy, stripped down certainly, but running Windows XP quite happily. How do they compare?
Size:
Both of these machines are built around a 5" screen so you would expect them to have a similar surface area. In fact the Advantage is wider and taller than the OQO and with the keyboard attached, just as deep.
Weight:
The OQO weighs 408g whilst the Advantage tips the scales at 359g. Add the keyboard and the gap is even closer. Neither of these machines are really designed to fit in a trouser pocket but both can be in a pinch.
Warm startup time:
The Advantage starts from standby in about one second from keypress, whilst the OQO takes around three. It doesn't sound a lot, but when you're in a hurry it could be very frustrating.
Time to standby:
Both machines standby in around two seconds, although the Advantage is really just killing the screen and network connections thanks to flash memory. The OQO's active digitiser and near total absence of external buttons means you can hit the power button for standby and shove it straight into a pocket, effectively giving it instant off capability.
Display:
Both have 5" displays, but the OQO has a widescreen 800x480 screen and the Advantage a standard 640x480. Windows XP looks great on the OQO's screen and other than the occasional off-screen dialog buttons, doesn't seem compromised at all. Unfortunately Windows Mobile 6 on the Advantage isn't really designed to run on such a large or high resolution screen. The net effect is like being in the front row of the cinema, all the screen elements are far too big and it feels like you're using something from the Fisher Price stable, rather than a top of the line Smartphone.
Keyboard:
HTC blew this one completely. The Advantage's magnetically attached keyboard is at the wrong angle to the screen for every situation I've used it in. Add to that the poor feel of the keys, the lack of a backlight, the completely illegible secondary function markings on the keys and you have a disaster of epic proportions. Incomprehensible from the company that produced the Universal, which sported the best keyboard ever attached to a smartphone. The OQO's keyboard is, by comparison, excellent. Key spacing is good, there's good tactile response and it even manages to integrate a number pad and trackstick pointing device. Missing here is only a backlight for the keys.
Features:
HTC took the 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach with the Advantage, it sports Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, HSDPA and an 8GB microdrive. The keyboard and display I've discussed already, but the Advantage allows you to attach to an external display (at 640x480) or connect an external USB device, although only the VGA adapter is supplied. The OQO appears to have a different approach to things. There is no HSDPA capability, although with the standard USB port you could add that function should you so desire. Also missing is a GPS, again something that can be added externally if so desired. Otherwise it matches the Advantage feature set quite well, although the hard disk is a much more usable 30GB. However the standard USB 2 and firewire port mean connectivity is greatly enhanced. The included docking cable and stand allows the OQO to become a desktop computer with full size screen (1280x1024), keyboard, mouse, network and additional USB and Firewire ports.
In use:
There's just no contest here. The OQO runs full XP, Office, email, in fact whatever you want, the full desktop experience is there. There are no problems with finding mobile equivalents, compromising on features or document conversion. By comparison the Advantage's mobile suite is pointless. Only in two areas does the Advantage put up a fight, as an MP3 player where it is triumphant and as an ebook reader where it claims an honourable draw. Wifi performance is just better in the Advantage, however a 5" touchscreen turns out to be a problem as its so easy to accidentally touch the screen whilst writing. The OQO solution is to use an active digitiser which avoids this problem, although it does mean you have to touch the screen with the pen if you want to get a response. Handwriting is far better on the OQO too, by virtue of a better screen/pen combination which does a good impression of writing on paper.
The Advantage runs silently, whilst the OQO can be set anywhere between near silent and wind tunnel depending on how you set the fan speed. If you can stand the OQO a little hotter you can reduce the fans and benefit from some quiet, or vice verse...
Summary:
This something of a mismatch, possible only because the OQO has been slashed in price and is now cheaper than the Advantager. Nevertheless the OQO sweeps the board and Windows Mobile just can't compete.
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