The OQO

This little thing is a fully functional WinXP computer the size of a pocketpc/palm pilot (with a 20GB hard drive). Maybe a little too small to really be practical though (it can't be too comfortable writing on that tiny little keyboard)....

They answered an e-mail I wrote super fast...and with a thorough answer. Hopefully this'll translate to good customer service once it comes out.

For anyone interested: I asked if I could write on its screen like a Tablet PC (I have a Toshiba tablet that sucks..it's currently being fixed and probably needs a new hard drive)...and if the handwriting could be translated to text. I also asked if it was known how much it would sell for.
This is the response:

Thanks for your interest in the OQO Ultra Personal Computer.
The OQO has the same pen digitizer technology that is used in the Tablet PC's (and most tablet PC products). However, our user testing indicated that users wanted the pen for navigation, cursor control and the thumb keyboard over using the pen for handwriting recognition. We are expecting users to use the pen for navigation and cursor control, and the thumb keyboard for text input.

As for handwriting recognition, there are third parties such as Pen & Internet(formerly Parascript, which supplied the technology Microsoft licensed for the TabletPC Edition) that offer software that can be installed providing similar functionality to TabletPC Edition.

As a result, we will be shipping with a choice of Windows XP Home or Windows XP Pro, and we will not be shipping with or supporting Windows XP TabletPC Edition. And that being said, you can still install TabletPC Edition and it will run just fine.

Regarding the cost of the OQO, we have not yet set a price for the unit but the suggested retail will be less than $2000.

Thanks again for your interest and we will keep you informed of new developments.

Kind Regards,
Rey

Hmm..I guess it makes sense that people wouldn't want to write on it with a pen--The screen would really be too small to write more than a few words at a time.--I have that problem with my pocket pc--I like writing on it, but there's barely enough screen space to write a full sentence. The pen digitizer is a good idea, though--that'll mean that the screen will only respond to the special pen, and not your fingers--which might sound like a bad thing, but it's actually really annoying when you mess something up because your hand was accidentally touching the screen.

Ok I'll switch off nerd mode for tonight.