OQO Model 01 laptop

Posted by T3 Online on Mon 22 Oct 2007

Like a laptop built especially for Hobbits.

If you think even the smallest, ultra-portable laptops are bloated behemoths that won't fit in your hand luggage, this might sate your thirst for miniaturisation. A proper Windows XP-based computer, this machine is barely bigger than your hand, and slides open to reveal a full keyboard beneath its five-inch LCD.

Controllable via a combination of tiny mouse buttons, an electronic pen and a thumb wheel for scrolling documents, the tiny PC takes a bit of getting used to for laptop novices and is quite heavy in the hand - this isn't one for the weak-wristed. After a few minutes of practice, though, you'll be zipping around the bright, sharp screen like an old pro.

Due to the mini size, there's no room for a high-powered chip inside, but it's still well equipped. The 1GHz processor isn't up to the power you'd expect from a desktop PC chip, so gaming isn't an option, but it's fine for office duties on the move. There's also a surprisingly large 20GB hard drive for storing files.

Mobile business users will be happy to know that both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are included, as well as a USB port for plugging in external devices.

The battery life of only two hours isn't ideal for this otherwise flawless mobile masterpiece, but the novelty factor alone of having one of the smallest Windows-based computers in the world is a prime selling point.

It's certainly not the cheapest "laptop" around, but for power and style it proves that the best things really do come in small packages.