Q1P XP Essentials

Over the past 6 months that I have had my Q1P there have been a few essentials that I would recommend to others who have or are considering the Q1 UMPC.

Thanks to CTitanic of Ultra Mobile PC Tips HID drivers are available and can be downloaded here. You can find out more about HID drivers here thanks to Hugo Ortega but basically the benefits are a smoother inking experience and the floating tip.

One downside of the UMPC is the smaller screen size and the lack of some software being optimized for this size screen at the native resolution. Thanks to Vikram Madan of Microsoft there is a power toy available called the UMPC Scroll Bar and it can be downloaded here. No more having to switch to a higher screen resolution. Just scroll down to see what you couldn't before.

If you don't want to think about running out of juice, the extended battery is a must. Even with WiFi on I can expect to get just about 5 hours of usage. Unlike when I was using my Acer C110, I never give a second thought about running out of power when away from my power supply. I have even left my charger at work once and was able to use my Q1P that evening at home with power to spare. The battery adds some weight and adds about a half inch to the height but for me that is not a problem. In fact I haven't had the original battery in the device in months.

There are other programs and accessories that I use and would recommend but these would be the three that I would recommend to almost anyone who purchases a Q1 first generation UMPC.

I Bought a New Device!

Don't worry, I haven't traded in my Q1P. I still use it on a daily basis. The device I bought was a smartphone which coincidently has a Q in its name. In fact that is its name, the Motorola Q with service through Sprint.

Since I moved to Manhattan my commute is much longer. I am spending an hour and twenty minutes each way on the train. Luckily my boss allowed me to cut back on the amount of hours I need to be at the office so I actually get home at a very decent hour. But I still need to work the same amount of hours to get my job done. So time management is even more important for me. Being able to read and respond to emails on the train frees me up to do the things you can't quite get done virtually (such as face to face time with employees, coworkers and peers) when I am actually at the office.

While I could have gotten a EVDO modem for the Q1, the space on the train is limited and having a smaller device like a smartphone just made more sense.

Overall I like the Q and will post a review soon.

More OQO User Reviews

I have just moved to Manhattan and haven't had much time to post much lately. But I wanted to let you know of these two recent user reviews of the OQO 02. Again, its all about the user needs and how well the device or devices will meet them.

Neil Balthaser has posted part 3 of his user review. Overall he is very happy with the device. However, Warner Crocker has decided the OQO 02 is just not for him.

So if you are thinking about getting a UMPC or upgrading to a new one, I highly recommend you take the time to think about how you intend to use the device and evaluate each device against those needs.

Reviews and Commentaries

Since I last posted there have been quite a few good reviews and commentaries that should help those of you considering buying a UMPC or upgrading to a newer model.

Here is a review of the Q1 Ultra by Dennis Rice of GottaBeMobile.com and here are Steve Paine's comments on that review. Matt Faulkner lists his initial impressions of the OQO 02 here. Hugo Ortega responds to Steve Paine's comments on Hugo's original commentary on why he (Hugo) now uses the OQO 02. And here you can read part two of Neil Balthaser's user review of the OQO 02.

Enjoy!

Using the Q1 on Vacation

Vikram Madan, member of Microsoft's UMPC team, took his Q1 on vacation with him and his family and has written a nice review of its use. I think the biggest take away for someone considering a UMPC is this line "Gone are the days of lugging a full-sized laptop around, even though that’s what 1 in 5 people are now doing." Most of what Vikram and his family used the device for could have been done with a laptop. But the form factor and lighter weight are major advantages, in my opinion, when using the device on the go.

Get the Facts Straight!

I was paging through my paper copy of Business Week and started reading an article titled 'Dawn of the Ultra-Mobile PC'. In a graphic it included the Q1 among a list of devices. For each device Business Week listed the amount of 'storage' and for the Q1 was listed '8 GB'! My Q1P has a 60 GB hard drive, I know Q1 s come with a 40 GB drive and the SSD drives start at 32 GB. So I'm not sure how they came up with 8 GB. Perhaps a typo or just some poor research. Either way, its disappointing to see such mistakes in the mainstream media. As I blog more and more about UMPCs, I have been astonished at how many factual mistakes are made.

Here is a link to the article on line but they did not include the graphic that was in the paper version.

OQO 02 Review

Neil Balthaser at the Ultra Mobility blog has been using his OQO 02 for a while and has written part 1 of a 5 part review. Neil had been using the Samsung Q1P so its nice to see some comparisons to that device. Enjoy!