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Ultramobile PC To Make a Comeback?

Posted by Soulskill on from the cellphones-that-can't-make-calls dept.

jfruhlinger writes "Remember the Oqo and other 'ultra-mobile PCs' — full-fledged Windows machines in a cell phone form factor, pushed without success in the early-to-mid '00s? Well, Japan's NTT DoCoMo thinks that they could still catch on, making plans for a Windows 7 computer with a 4-inch, 1024-by-600 screen."

4 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. I already have one... by milbournosphere · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and it's the android phone in my pocket. It does everything that I'd ever want to do on a device with a 4" screen. For everything else, I have a laptop that has a full size keyboard.

    1. Re:I already have one... by SlashdotOgre · · Score: 3, Insightful

      More importantly, Android applications are all designed with a touch based user interface in mind. One of the major issues with previous generations of tablets was that they relied on traditional applications which could work with a touch interface, but they were never designed for it. This made using the device for non-basic functions a headache. I remember the Oqo quite well, and as a geek I wanted one (or a Sharp Zarus...). However as an engineer and end user, I knew it was never practical and would be primarily an expensive toy.

      --
      Sadly, PS/2 was yet another victim of USB, which doesn't care what you plug into it, the electrical slut.
  2. Pics by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hey guise, I found a picture! It runs Debian Linux!

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Nokia_N900-1.jpg/788px-Nokia_N900-1.jpg

    --
    All rites reversed 2010
  3. Re:purpose by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Windows PC market. None of the devices you pointed to can run MS Office 2010 nicely.

    That being said, why would anyone want to run and OS that is designed for much higher screen resolutions on a device that can't run those resolutions? I want a device that has an OS that is designed to run at that resolution, like Android or iOS.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.