The OQO Tablet?

The much-anticipated launch of the OQO has many gadget enthusiast frantically checking their credit card limits. For Tablet enthusiasts the question is: Does it support the Tablet PC OS? Unfortunately, it’s a bit confusing. On the company’s support page it says that the Tablet PC OS is not supported. Hmm. I thought it had a Wacom digitizer–although in press accounts people are calling it a “touchscreen.” The specs though, say the OQO includes a “digital pen.” I wonder if we’re dealing with licensing issues, qualification issues, or technical ones. I hope it’s an issue that can be overcome. The Tablet PC OS needs friends in small places.

We’ll have to see though. Spencer and Josh are eagerly awaiting their OQO so they can promptly wipe out XP and install the Tablet OS. I’m hoping it works. Because the OQO has many features I’ve dreamed of in a Tablet, such as a “slate” form factor with a retractable thumb keyboard, an indoor-outdoor display in a reasonable price range, pocket size, and less than a pound.

I’m guessing that if the Tablet OS works on the OQO there are going to be lots of OQO advocates like myself. We’ll have to see. If the Tablet PC OS doesn’t work and the digitizer has enough quality to support handwriting recognition and smooth capture, then the Tablet SDK might be in for a challenge. We’ll have to see.

Interestingly, the OQO is drawing many comments that are similar to the issues brought up with Tablets. Namely price, battery life, lack of instant on, performance, expandability, heat, etc. Yep. These are difficult engineering challenges. From this list, if I had a full version of Windows with instant on it would most dramatically change the way I use Windows. Just like I often use my cell phone as a watch, I’d find myself using my instant-on Windows machine in micro-ways I’d never could have fully appreciated.

Now I realize that the OQO is being marketed as a “desktop replacement,” but to me this is just marketing. Maybe the OQO is being positioned as a full desktop machine because of the notebook-level price–$1899–but I’m guessing also because to this day there is no effortless way to sync data and apps between multiple machines. I don’t want to think about what’s installed where and I don’t want to worry about leaving machines on to sync. If there was a solution to this set of problems, I’m guessing there would be substantial new growth in how people like me use my Windows boxes.

I can’t wait to hear reports of whether the OQO can actually run the Tablet PC OS. I’m crossing my fingers. Even if it doesn’t, it points out how useful it would be for the ink SDK to be independent of the Tablet OS. When you think about it, the Tablet PC OS is organized around a form-factor and ink is more generic. I know this sounds a lot like the failed Pen Windows API, but it makes sense. We’ll have to see if Longhorn (the next version of Windows) addresses this.

I’d like to see the Tablet SDK become more inclusive and welcome under its umbrella devices like the OQO. I’m thinking in terms of development efforts here. As a developer, ideally I’d like to target one platform. If, however, the market pulls users in different directions, that’ll mean multi-platform products may have the edge. One thing is for sure, the early adopters move towards innovation. And it’s going to be important for the Tablet OEMs to keep innovating–not just working on price. Interesting times ahead.