Teaching, Technology, and Learning

Presentations

I described using the OQO 02 connected to a projector for presentations in this previous post.

To summarize, the major issues were how to prop up the OQO so I could connect it to the projector using the dongle, setting the display to 800x600 to get a good aspect ratio on the projector, and the small font size when using it as my guide for what to say. I could use the big projection screen as my guide, but then my back would be to the class and I like to face the class when I lecture. For this reason it's handy to have a screen right in front of me. The small font size can be overcome by using a bigger font, but what about the placement of the unit?

Performance

A hot topic for debate is the performance of the VIA C7-M processor. I ran the PCMark05 benchmark and reported the results here. MeanSquare has added these results to his table that compares them to the Sony UX series. Needless to say, the OQO 02 does not do so well. On many tests it is equivalent to the OQO 01+! Overall though, it is better than the OQO 01+ and one surprising area is the texturing on the 3D fill rate which has some nice implications for games (discussed below).

I've been one of the lucky ones to receive an OQO 02 from the first batch that went out in early April. I received it on 4/5/07. I purchased the OQO 02 "Best" configuration with a 1.5 Ghz VIA processor, 60 GB HD, 1 GB of RAM, standard battery, and Windows XP Tablet PC edition. I didn't get the WWAN option since neither Sprint nor Verizon offer service where I live (Alaska), so it's just Wi-fi for me. Now that I've used the machine I feel competent to write a review of my experience so far.

Overview of the Machine

By request I made a video showing the response times for the OQO 02 on a variety of apps. First I show how long it takes to boot (around 1 minute and 5 seconds) and them demonstrate running some office apps.

I think this is a better indicator of the machine's performance if you're going to run mostly productivity apps than the PCMark05 benchmarks I previously posted.

I still intend to post a more detailed review at some future date, but hopefully this will give you a better idea of the machine's general performance!

Video created by Camtasia Studio is available here:
http://www.math.uaa.alaska.edu/~afkjm/video/OqoDemo/OqoDemo.html (17 Mb. My apologies for the mediocre production quality.)

For years I put up with the built-in microphone on my tc1100 for recording lectures when using Camtasia Studio. The problem with the built-in microphone is its weak strength; the volume for recorded audio is extremely low and requires amplification to be heard adequately in a video. This arrangement finally became untenable when I replaced my 4200 rpm hard drive with a much noisier 7200 rpm hard drive, resulting in annoying clicks in the audio.