The cursor is controlled via the TrackStik shown in Figure B, a rough textured pencil eraser type touch stick that separates the keyboard from the dedicated number pad (a nice feature absent on most hand held devices).

FIGURE B


A majority of mousing is done with the responsive little Trackstik. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The TrackStik takes very little time to become acquainted with and actually makes navigation (particularly when blended with typing) a swift and natural affair. The left and right click buttons are on the opposite side of the thumb-board, designed for left hand thumb pressing.

In addition the bottom of the unit offers a useful thumb-wheel that allows for quick scrolling through Web pages, documents, and application switches. Like a convertible Tablet PC, the OQO Model 01 can be operated similarly to a slate, with the included stylus, while the screen is closed over the keyboard.

Surprisingly, OQO opted to run Windows XP Home and Professional as the system's operating platform rather than the more stylus application-friendly Windows XP Tablet Edition which includes features such as handwriting recognition and the ability to toggle between portrait and landscape visual operation.

As standard Windows XP includes neither feature, it isn't difficult to quickly get caught up in the "would haves, could haves" of the machine upon initial exploration. Running standard Windows XP also presents another double-edged sword in the form of software support, as although the system is capable of running the incredibly immense Windows supported software library, many impressive hand held specific applications are, in turn, not compatible with the unit.

However in all fairness to OQO, the unit's target demographic is the professional who requires a blend of desktop power with levels of mobility that make notebook and even Tablet PC's too bulky. As such, the Model 01's OS selection coupled with Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business Edition does make some sense.

Impressions
The photographs, like that in Figure C, don't actually do the Model 01 justice in capturing how truly compact the unit is.

FIGURE C


The Model 01 tucks away into a hardware design only slightly larger than a PDA. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Aside from being slightly thicker and heavier, this tiny PC wanders into PDA territory more effectively than the much larger laptops it aims to replace. Being that the unit has successfully made its rounds through most journalist scrutiny already, I view this opportunity of reviewing the hardware after the initial dust has settled an advantage due to the fact that I have a slightly better grasp of what to expect without the debut hype to contend with.

Having said that, I want to begin by dismissing many of the complaints others have used as grounds for assessment point deduction in their reviews involving screen size (or readable text size for that matter). In understanding that the primary objective for producing such a unit in a sea of laptop and Tablet PC's is near-PDA size and portability, it becomes hypocritical to fault the hardware for succeeding.