It has been a good tech week.
I sold my Samsung q1u and it was paid for and delivered last weekend.
I just sold my OQO and I am expecting payment today.
I also sold my UX and they should be paying me this week.
I got a new Sony P, she is fabulous.
I ordered a u820 to replace my u810 (she is for sale).
Great tech week.
Well OQO is in trouble, but the devices are everywhere. On Lie to Me a few weeks ago the team used it to watch live tape of a woman to see if she was lying.
Well, I finally sold my Q1u on eBay. Then I turned around and bought a Sony P which will arrive in about 12 hours.
Now onto OQO. After being excited about its appearance on TV and the big screen it seems those money issues I predicted back in Feb when I had trouble getting my 02 model back from repairs have surfaced. People’s OQOs are not being serviced, all calls go to voicemail, and people whose machines were received months ago still have no way of getting their machines back.
So, it seems we will not see a 2+ on the open market… such a shame.
Can’t wait for my P530 to get here tomorrow and my OQO may be up on eBay VERY soon.
Well, 24 has previously used TC1100s in the CTU command center, Miles used a Sony UX to program the bomb in Los Angeles in season 6, and now an OQO Model 2 was used by the African terrorists to break into the White House in season 7.
Isn’t technology great???
Hi all-
This saga is over.
I think something strange was going on, because the Teleplan guy (when he called today) kept saying he couldn’t comment on why it took so long for my computer to ship and I would have to ask OQO. He did reassure me that Teleplan had replaced both the fan blower and the keypad [OQO kept stating this wasn’t replaced] and the computer should is working better than it left.
W key is working!
The fan is quieter, but still louder than my other UMPCs.
The buzzing noise is down to 15% of what it was, but is still there sometimes. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I will live with this as long as it doesn’t get any louder or more frequent.
Got an email from Andy Popell that they will have a shipping date for me tomorrow. Again, am I being too impatient for expecting my computer tomorrow and not another update?
Did not get a returned email or phone call from Teleplan concerning my message left on the general RMA status voicemail or specific voicemail and email I sent to Cherie Brinkerhoff listed as the contact for Teleplan’s Dallas (Irving) location.
I swear if I don’t have the computer by the end of the week I will look for other people to call. Considering news stations (San Francisco and Dallas) and BBB in CA and TX. You suggest anyone else?
I have been giving this a lot of thought today. Since I don’t have my OQO back and my UX280 has one foot out the door I have to wonder, why did Sony not improve the two things that virtually everyone complains about in newer models?
No one can deny that Sony makes some of the best computer products, even if it is at a premium. I don’t know my history of handtop computers so I don’t know whether the OQO 01 or the Sony 750 debuted first. When Sony went from the Sony 750 to the UX180 (or previous Japanese models) they added the keyboard most were hammering for in the 750.
However, from the UX 180 to the current 490, what has really changed??? Yes, the jump from 180 to 280 got a significant increase in RAM (512MB to 1GB), but most state the 1GB max for all future refreshes was simply not sufficient. Since the UX came out the screen, forum, keyboard, WWAN module, and weight did not improve or change. I for one would have been willing to put down the $2000+ price tag a year ago for one that simply had a better keyboard and 3g/EVDO instead of that slow EDGE. In higher models you got Vista instead of XP (most hated it) an SSD instead of an HD (nice but I could live without it). As far as I know the cameras didn’t get any better. Most who have used an OQO and a UX state the UX is more powerful, but the keyboard on the OQO is 3 times better and I happen to agree. Why keep refreshing the same model instead of improving on it?
OQO has done a pretty good job of improving their model in the latest refresh, am I making any sense? They changed the screen to a passive touch (which lots of people were clamoring for), they added the GOBI to allow people to CHOOSE their poisonous WWAN (not like the lockdown job Sony did on the P series), they have gone with a better? processor (better on battery and more powerful than the current VIA chip in their 02 models), the only thing that prevents me and calling it an improved model instead of a refresh is that they kept the same form. Now some may say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but while I find the size and general form GREAT, others wanted a card reader and I would like the power plug to be standardized and somewhere other than the bottom of the unit.
Why can we not get the best of both worlds?
This is what I would want in the perfect model
I am really talking about all of these in a slider, because I have to admit the Fujitsu u8xx series has most of this at a decent price compared to the other two. This is in a clamshell form. I talked about my likes and dislikes of my u810 over on Pocketables, but the two things that drive me bonkers are the spread of the keyboard and the placement of the fan. I would be much happier if I could go from the keyboard to the mouse keys without shifting my hands and if hot air didn’t blow out on my right hand as I held it.
It has AT&T 3g, it has a pretty useable keyboard, it has a nice size passive screen with palm rejection to make handwriting easier, it has a SD card reader, it has a cheap extended battery $99 (with 4.5-5 hours on wifi) that sticks out the back, not affecting use, and finally it is made by Fujitsu (which to me is just as good as a Sony).
So why in the hell did I buy an OQO 02 instead of a new u820, I have no freakin’ clue. If you know, you let me in.
However, I would just be happy if a company (preferably one of the giants) would make my perfect device detailed above. I would be willing to pay a premium and I think others would too. I don’t care if you call it a handtop, UMPC, microcomputer, etc… what about just personal computing device (PCD)?
I must admit, I read this post right before I sent mine in for repair and as a result I took pics of EVERY ANGLE while sitting at the FedEx Kinkos to prove my unit was scratchless when mailed (just in case).
http://mobilitytoday.com/news/008335/oqo_qc_problems
Dave also went through a litany of people: Bob, Dennis, Adam and Jose.
I have personally went through 4 different CS reps, Adam, Jose, and now Andy.
The funny thing is now that I know the repair work is farmed out to Teleplan it makes me read Dave’s post in a new way. Teleplan is actually the one who must have scratched up his unit (likely why it needed a new touchscreen). Then if it was shipped to Jose for a Bios update, he wouldn’t have known the unit wasn’t scratched when Teleplan received it in TX.
God… if I ever get it back what will happen if/when it needs repairs again?????
Okay, I got an email from Andy Propell of OQO in response to my email indicating he would look into it today.
I called Teleplan at 972-594-3400 and got an automated message giving me three options
Well, I tried 3 first. However, you are forced to leave a message including your name, serial number, RMA number, and a phone number for them to call you back at.
After two hours I got impatient and called back to try #3 again. Again, forced to leave a message (but I didn’t this time). Next, I called back and tried #2. I figure I can get a live person if I have to start a new RMA, right? WRONG! I get a message that it is an invalid choice and I am being transferred to the operator (which again is an automated person instead of a live person).
I can’t try #1 because I don’t know anyone’s name.
This is getting ridiculous. My mom is not mean enough to send to the repair location, but I am thinking about sending my sister (she can be a real ***ch or my brother-in-law who is a cop). I want my damn computer back.
me and my gadgets 