Slashdot Mirror
Transmeta Powered High-End Portable?
NETHED writes: "CNet is running a
story on the oQo (Very flash heavy) ultra portable computer. 'Along with Windows XP, it will come with a 5800 Crusoe processor from Transmeta, a 10GB hard drive, 256MB of memory, connection ports for FireWire and USB (universal serial bus), and wireless networking connections through either WiFi or Bluetooth.' Sounds like a winner, considering they want it to cost LESS than 1000USD. Now, only if this didn't sound like vaporware."
isn't indicative of the speed of their computers.
doh! can you feel the slashdotting...?
This could have a very interesting effect on MMORPG players. Why ever disconnect (unless your internet access fees are exorbitant)? Just pull it from your station at home, play on the bus/carpool to work, and then stash it in your drawer, checking frequently that your macros are still working properly.
I know I'd find it incredibly usefuly in WW2Online, for those moments I notice a weakness in the front, and just five minutes of game time could make a difference!
What the heck is transmeta? Liquid? Gas? Have fun with your gadget, but I'll stick with my *electricity* powered portable thank you. And don't complain to me if you can't buy a transmeta refill canister at CompUSA. I never saw any.
That is pure and simple FUD and you know it. I am running a 650mHz PIII with 256 Megs and 11 Gig and I have more than enought room for everything plus. XP runs just as stable and fast as any Linux box with KDE or Gnome running. (for those of us who like a GUI)
...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
"We see this as 'This is your only computer,'" said Colin Hunter, executive vice president of OQO. "It isn't a PDA (personal digital assistant). With this device you can dock it in and it is your PC."
I don't see this as my only computer... I just see it as taking up where handhelds leave off. Anyone remember the Apple Newton? That's what I want in a handheld. A fully functional computer with great battery life. I'm not looking for a desktop replacement ("portable desktop" might be more accurate) since I need a desktop for a lot of what I do. I'm not looking for a Palm/WinCE device, since I want more features than they offer. I'm looking for an instant-on, compact, take-anywhere, digital notebook. I'm out to replace pens and paper.
--Bennett Prescott
Former Lord Of Packets
leaving just barely enough for mozilla
"The screen measures just four inches in diameter"
Um, so is oQo introducing the hot new 1940s-style-television round-screen craze to the market, too?
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
http://www.fujitsupc.com/www/products_notebooks.sh tml?products/notebooks/p2000
With less hard disk and no CDRW/DVD
Big corporations are so pro-Intel
<best Bill Lumbergh voice>
Ah, uhm, I'm going to have to, ah, disagree with you there Bob.
</best Bill Lumbergh voice>
IT departments of "big corporations" don't know an AMD from an Intel from a MC68K (trust me on this one). More importantly, they don't care. All they can differentiate is OEMs: Dell, Compaq, Toshiba, etc. The OEM is the entity that provides all of the post sales service/support for the machines, so large IT crews are more interested in this than the processor.
If "alternative" processor manufacturers want to make inroads into "big corporations" they are going to have to start buddying up to the OEM's that supply PCs to them and get their chips inside those putty boxes.
it's not going to stop until you wise up, no it's not going to stop. so just give up.
Well, I'm sure they wanted to put a larger hard drive in the unit but since they are using the small hard drive from Toshiba (the one that comes in the iPod) I don't think they had much of a choice what with only 5 and 10 gig versions.
Regardless, this thing seems pretty well connected. With that connectivity, why not store your mp3's on an external drive/system? Then you can just stream your music via samba or http or something to the device? You could probably have a small (1 gig or so) "cache" of your favorite songs at the time. I'd love to have an mp3 player with a built in 802.11[a|b] card. My home and my workplace have wireless internet access so I'd just need an hour or so of music for the commute and such.
Looks like a pretty cool device but I'd want to see if the small screen is crisp enough to read and browse the web with.
Geoffeg
To alleviate DoS effect:
e ss / qo_16apr02.html
http://www.transmeta.com/about/press/special_pr
"Seattle, Washington - April 16, 2002 - OQO (pronounced "oh-q-oh"), today at Microsoft's WinHEC Conference, announced the world's first ultra-personal computer, representing a new PC category that could transform personal computing the same way the cell phone has revolutionized telecommunications.
OQO's first product is a highly functional and versatile handheld wireless computer that easily becomes a notebook or desktop PC. Measuring just 4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9 [inches] and weighing less than nine ounces, OQO's PC is a full-function computer running Microsoft Windows XP Professional and incorporating up to a 1GHz Crusoe TM5800 processor from Transmeta Corporation (NASDAQ:TMTA); four inch, super bright VGA color LCD; Synaptics touchscreen; 256MB onboard RAM; 10GB+ hard drive; 1394 FireWire, USB, audio, OQO-link connectors; and 802.11b and Bluetooth wireless networking.
"We're impressed with the direction that OQO is showing in developing its ultra-mobile, ultra-connected Windows XP-based PC," said Jim Allchin, group vice president of the Platforms Group at Microsoft Corp." These types of small-form-factor PCs, with their ability to deliver the power and richness of Windows any time and anywhere, will enable exciting new user experiences and opportunities."
"The OQO device represents an exciting new mobile computing platform that delivers full desktop applications in a handheld form factor," said Tim Bajarin, computer industry analyst and president, Creative Strategies, Inc. "It clearly breaks new ground and opens the door to a new category in mobile personal computing."
As a standalone device, OQO's ultra-personal computer slips easily into a shirt pocket. When inserted into an OQO-designed enclosure, it becomes a notebook PC. When placed in a cradle with a standard screen and keyboard, it becomes a desktop PC. This modular design allows for ease of use and convenience when traveling, whether to and from the office, across the country, or around the world.
"Modular computers have been identified as one of the most desirable form factors by Giga's IT audience every time we have surveyed for it," said Rob Enderle, research fellow for Giga Information Group. "This is one concept that actually could transform the technology industry and ensure a more steady revenue stream preceded by unprecedented--and potentially incredible--growth."
"After years of designing Apple and IBM laptops, the OQO team felt the time had come for the next step--but a revolutionary one--of the full-featured, wireless PC." said Jory Bell, president and CEO, OQO. "We wanted an ultra-personal computer that you always carry, but that was still powerful enough to be your only PC. We sought a device that incorporates wireless access as a central idea to the whole mobile experience. Moreover, we tried to instantiate something that would make people optimistic about the future."
"Crusoe is a catalyst for innovative, small, cool and quiet computing for emerging wireless platforms," said David Ditzel, vice-chairman and chief technology officer, Transmeta Corporation. "Until Crusoe, no one imagined that you could run Windows XP on a computer weighing less than nine ounces."
The first OQO PCs are expected to be commercially available from leading consumer electronics manufacturers in the second half of 2002.
OQO was founded in 1999 and is based San Francisco. The company includes executives, engineers and designers with exceptional credentials, including key positions at Apple Computer (Powerbook Design), Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, IBM Almaden Research, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Oracle Corporation and Transmeta Corporation."
I went to the city because I wished to live without deliberation.
The concept is still interesting. From what I gathered from the article, what they want this thing to do is make this your 'one computer'. So when you're at home, dock it and a big screen monitor and keyboard and mouse are all up and running. When you go somewhere, undock it and take it with you.
I find this concept interesting. I have both a desktop and a laptop, and to tell you the truth I'm a little sick of trying to keep everything sync'd. There are some apps where the laptop excels for it's mobility, and then there's my desktop which is just a better layout for woking in.
Coming from the point of view of 'All you need is this device' instead of using a PDA as an accessory to my computer, I'd say it's a pretty cool idea.
As for XP, I remember a while back they announed some sort of interface for XP that was geared for Television. The idea was that the buttons had to be big and tuned to the app that it was running. Presumably, this type of interface would also facilitate using Windows XP in lower resolution modes, including that of a PDA. If that's the case, then this device may take advantage of that functionality.
As for the apps, I think you have a good point. Existing apps may behave kind of funny on it. I'm curious if they'll have to wedge IE into the smaller form factor, of if they have some other trick up their sleeve.
"Derp de derp."
The screen measures just four inches in diameter
[Boggled look] The screen is round?
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
The real bottleneck to shrinking computers are no longer really the actual chips and disks. These are getting smaller and lighter and more energy efficient (well, at least the first two anyway).
What has not been effectively shrunk yet is the areas of human interface. The input (mouse and keyboard) and output (computer screen)
On the input size, cameras and microphones are shrinking, so these may be useful. On the output side, I know there are small screens out there, but to get real work done, you often need a big screen area.
evanchik.net
I hate to say this to all you Linus-junkies, but the Crusoe processor runs SIGNIFICANTLY slower than a similar Intel or AMD processor.
For instance, check this out. The Crusoe laptop does SIGNIFICANTLY worse than the other "ultra-portables". The hyped "larger cache" is an absolute necessity for the Transmeta processors; they rely on the larger cache to do stuff like "code morphing", because Crusoe is naturally a 128-bit proc, and all these apps are 32-bit, kinda like an emulation mode. That's really why the larger cache is necessary.
I would imageine, however, that a Linux distro with all software compiled on a crusoe would run a lot faster than Windows XP.
"Despite the faster chip, the batteries on the OQO run about 9.5 hours, Ditzel and Hunter said. Although the Crusoe processor runs on fairly low amounts of energy, the small screen size helps enormously."
Power consumption of a 4" LCD CCFL is around 1W, which is the same for any 4" - 15" single lamp LCD panel. The small screen size does not help any with the reduction of power consumtion. Power consumtion for this device will about the same as any Crusoe powered laptop since memory and the hard drive will still draw the same amount of power. This unit will only see a 9.5 hour battery life if the CCFL is off and the hardrive is powered down with the processor running at under 20% with not many accesses to memory.
Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur
- ibm research
/. article
Strikingly similar in concept.I'm not saying the concept isn't interesting, but I don't think the concept works in the long-run.
I personally like the idea that I have all of my information on 2 or 3 different physical devices. It makes crashes and hardware failures less catastophic...(if I drop my palm pilot, I don't lose all of my financial information)
Which brings me to another point, some things I keep on my desktop I don't want/need on a Handheld.
As for the idea of the 4inch screen, I have to belive that they are limited to current consumer grade LCD technology which limits a 4 inch screen to no larger than ~400x400 which, for this OS would be awkward at best...
Anyone who has tried to use a 640x480 screen resolution recently knows the pain involved in using any resolution under 800x600 (and in some cases 1024x768).
I don't think that this is a very modular design...and for most ppl, that is a big benefit of having a desktop... Now, looking at the thickness of the unit, I'ld also have to belive that the notebook dock would be thicker than most notebooks. Which brings me to an interesting point...Even though it's supposed to be light, the thing looks damned thick for a handheld.
Notebooks did this for a while, but they all kinda died...there are some residual things like port replicators that came out of it, but the idea of a notebook that docks to form a complete desktop kinda died. One reason is that the combined cost was more expensive than buying 2 seperate units and the fact that notebooks kind of matured into the equivalent of a desktop.
Crusoe comments...
As somebody using a Toshiba Libretto L1, with a 600MHz crusoe chip in it, I think I can offer some insight.. basically, the 600MHz crusoe is similar to 450MHz PII. So... yeah, it's slow. But the speed is fine. I'm currently running Debian with Mozilla + KDE as my main apps. But then, I only really do basic web browsing, etc on it.
Also, you can't compile for the Crusoe. it spends a lot of memory on code morphing caches (16MB of main memory), and looks to all the world like an x86 chip. And it's very much an emulation mode... only thing is, you can't get out of it. Which Transmeta sees as a good thing, 'cause they can change the underlying chip without anyone noticing from one rev to the next... the 5800 could have a different ISA from the 5600, if they wanted. They haven't said, so I assume it doesn't, but still...