I’m on my way to MBC09, the microblogging conference that starts tomorrow in Hamburg so its a good opportunity to do some more testing. OQO 2+, Wibrain i1 and a mobile phone on a seat-back table.

My personal lower limit for battery life on a mobile device is three hours. When I tested the OQO and got just 2hrs, I was disappointed. Since then I’ve been doing some cleaning, tweaking and testing and I’m now able to give you my results. The OQO 2+ can reach just under 3hrs of constant online action after tweaks. The tweaks I’ve done are not difficult and most people will be familiar with them. Number 1 tweak is to run the device in power saving battery mode. The CPU is […]

For the last day of my MID Moves tour, I’m changing course and skipping the theme park. Rather than track down more mascots or try to balance devices on more inanimate objects, I’ll be talking to real people at places without rollercoasters to find out what they think about the OQO Model 2+, BenQ S6, Willcom/Sharp D4, and Intel-based MIDs/UMPCs in general. I plan to chat with different types of people in different kinds of places to get spontaneous reactions and thoughts from those who don’t spend their time immersed […]

The OQO Model 2+, BenQ S6, and Willcom/Sharp D4 all just got off the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride, which Disneyland describes as "turbulent" because of the sharp turns and sudden drops. All three units were on during their time on rails . . . and all three survived. They were doing something different when they got out of the bobsled cars than when they got in (the jostling caused some accidental button presses and application launches), but no harm was done. I wouldn’t recommend using a MID or ultra mobile PC […]

For a fellow prone to temper tantrums and emotional outbursts, an Intel MID like the BenQ S6 is a solid choice for Donald Duck to stay connected and be entertained. He has no patience for Windows and is too likely to throw something at a wall in a fit of rage to be trusted with a spinning hard drive, so the S6’s leaner Linux OS and use of flash storage (internal SSD expandable with microSD cards) would work well for him.

Intel MIDs and UMPCs are available in several form factors, each designed with a different type of user in mind. The most flexible of these designs, and my personal favorite, is what I call the slide-and-tilt. It’s the most versatile because it can be used in slate/tablet mode, two-handed slider mode, and laptop mode.

Not only was Chip thrilled to learn about the new OQO and how it could help him keep track of his acorn stash, he also said that with the extended battery, he could put Dale to work on it too. A combination of portability and power, the Model 2+ is ideal for mobile professionals who do a lot of their work in the field. With the native Vista operating system, users can access, edit, and create files and documents that can easily be transferred to their office computers and shared […]

Here goes. More exciting than a presidential inauguration (or maybe just the sort of steady, easy-to-follow entertainment some Americans need after the parties last night!) it’s the live city-wide, MID-based dot-to-dot. I am still having problems with my gps module but there’s no more time left for messing around so I have to go for it. As per previous live maps, my current position (and you should see occasional comments too) is on the top map and the dot-to-dot will appear in sections below. Each diot should show a comment […]