…and around it goes

As long as I am blogging and discussing the OQO here is a quick list of additions for it that I am finding useful:

USB Web Cam - It’s  a tiny cam on a flexible stalk that plugs right into the USB.  Cheap on e-bay.  Works well.  I plan on trying a bike trip video blog of sorts.

ELM 327 Bluetooth - Also off e-bay.  This is a device that allows me to wirelessly read my vehicle’s OBDII (on board diagnostic) data, and also compile real time dyno info and such using ProScan.   Very useful when using the OQO as my car pc.

Two 80 GB 1/8 in ZIF drives in tiny USB ZIF enclosures - also off e-bay (drive and enclosure were separate purchases).  Each about the size of an ipod.  This gives me one drive that I keep fully encrypted for key data I want with me at all times (security keys, personal data and info, etc) and one for DVD/CD storage.  They power perfectly off the OQO’s USB port alone.

ZIPLink cables - retractable cables.  I have USB of all sizes, IPAQ (yes I still use my ipaq for e-books and GPS due to it’s size and battery life), CAT6, Crossover, and RJ11 (just in case, I also bought a tiny USB Zoom modem (size reference: network pigtail for old PCMCIA NICs are same size as this modem and look similar) in case I have to use a land line).

USB RS232 and parallel cables - The RS232 is great for network devices, the parallel I really haven’t used yet but was on a USB buying spree and didn’t yet have one.

USB Floppy drive - Mainly for FreeBSD network install, but I do occasionally find myself needing a floppy drive.  It makes sense to have a USB one for those times.

I also have a small USB drive reader (sata, IDE, etc), for any drives I may need to image.  Along with two standard batteries and an extended battery for the OQO.  A Sierra bluetooth full size foldable kb and a Think Outside bluetooth mouse.

(I’ve yet to use the kb or mouse, I was thinking of releasing them back to e-bay)

I have the A/C adapter and car /plane adapter (you can cut down to one and carry just the car/plane adapter and use it inside with a 120 v to 12v adapter, but you need one of those that will push at least 1 amp.  (Do not try to use the a/c adapter with a power inverter in the car, it needs a pure sine and the inverters are a modified sine, you’ll burn it out eventually)).

I also have foldable headphones for watching dvds or TV (yes, I bought a slingbox, however Sprint just changed their plan to be like Verizon (capped at 5 gig/mo), which will seriously limit my ability to stream my TV and I am not happy.  That is not what I bought.  Another reason I chose Sprint over Verizon is Sprint said unlimited bandwidth (meaning unmetered) and now are telling me “nope, that changed, so sorry, you no get what you bought, you get new, tanks for shopping Sprint…for engrish please press 1″ (ok it didn’t go exactly like that but it felt the same)), a tiny bluetooth gps (holux, and yes, we’re off Sprint and back on the accessories), a USB DVDRW slim, a multicard flash reader, usb hub, and more.

It all fits (including my OQO and IPAQ) into a small camera bag I got at walmart.  This is my current roadwarrior dream pack, it’s easy to carry, it fits nicely into a saddlebag (with room to spare), and I can do everything with it that I need a computer to do.  Far more carried in far less of a package than my thinkpad and it’s accessories, that is progress.

I know, I need pics.  I’ll get them here sooner or later.

I’ve had my OQO now about three months now so I figure a quick update:

I am still finding it very useful and love the machine, however it did have to go back and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.  Shortly after I wrote my last blog entry (I know I need to update far more) I noticed the drive was making funky noises.  In reading the OQOTalk forum I read that drive failure was common and the drive should be silent.  So I called support, they agreed, and I sent it back.

I was also reading in the forum about people sending it back for repair on a Monday and getting it back fixed Friday, so I was hoping for quick.  I even worked it so it would be a week I didn’t really need it.  I hit troubled times with OQO.   I got it back a month later.  I was not happy.  They do claim to be resolving the issues I hit, we’ll see.  I hope if it has to go back again that it is a bit faster of a turn around.

(Note: The machine still makes the same noises, it’s either normal noise or they didn’t replace the drive.  This time I am waiting for a complete failure.)

I do still want to emphasize that I love this machine.  It’s one of those devices that you love even with quirks.  If the drive fails and it has to go back I’ll really miss the machine.  In fact, I have even considered buying another so that I will still have one when the other is in the shop (unfortunately that has to wait, too much money to justify a spare).  It’s been a while since a device hooked me like this.