I feel compelled to write this blog in with detail and explanation in hopes that it will help a prospective UMPC user understand "screen size".
This is a long story. Please read the entire story in order to get the full impact of the result.
Background - My name is Adam Snide. I have been intrigued with the UMPC evolution since the begining. Our company, Advanced Dining Solutions used the TabletKiosk 7110 model as the foundation of our business. BuildYourUMPC.com is now the largest UMPC retail site on-line dedicated solely to Ultra Mobile PCs. I have been involved with computers for over 15 years. My first computer was a Tandy 128 which I mastered the art of programming in Basic way back in the day. I've recently had an epiphany because of the following event...

I brought my children to an indoor Olympic size pool the other day, as we typically do in the winter. My son who is 6 and my daughter who is 10 were both pulling for my attention in the pool. I was next to my son as we were splashing each other in the shallow end. My daughter was on the other side of the pool holding onto the wall, impatiently waiting for me to watch her swim to us. I was trying to watch my daughter and son at the same time but this didn't seem to satisfy either of them. All of sudden my son stopped splashing and turned to his sister with a scowl on his face. He then rose his hand out of the water, as if in slow motion with as much concentration as he could muster. With his index finger and thumb about 1/8" apart, I asked him what he was doing. He didn't reply but yet began to pinch his fingers repeatedly. He then told me that he was "Squishing Ziggy's head" (Ziggy is my daughter's nick name). We all laughed a hearty laugh and then it hit me... Ratio and Proportion...


Exercise for the next step - Please bear with me, this is all relavant.
Stand up and spread your arms as wide as possible while looking forward. Bring your hands together slowly until you can see them in your peripherial vision. Look to your left and right to understand your horizontal spectrum of view. Now do the same vertically. Keep your maximum viewable spectrum in mind.
Sit down at your computer (this is more difficult if you are using a laptop). My monitor is roughly 2 1/2 feet away from my face. Take note of how far your monitor is away from you. This is not an exact science, I don't mean for anybody to pull out a ruler, I'm not using one. Now, measure your monitor with your index finger and thumb from roughly a 3 or 4 inches from your nose. My 19" monitor is roughly 3" between my fingers.
The OQO is the most amazing UMPC for me. I use it everyday as my core computer. I have other computers and laptops that have more power, but nothing is as versitile as the OQO. I've come to realize that I hold the OQO in my hands roughly 8 to 10 inches from my face as I'm checking my email or surfing the web when I am mobile. This is about the same distance as I hold my BlackBerry or a book when I read. I typically hold these items by my chest which may not be the way you hold them but I wanted to give you my perspective.
When I hold my OQO and measure the screen with my index finger and thumb, it is roughly the same size as my monitor. The obvious reason is because it is closer to my face. The notable point for a non-OQO owner is that the 5" screen on the OQO is very much a workable screen.

From 100 Meters away, my daughter's head was only about an 1/8" big, from 2 1/2 feet away, my monitor was about 3" and from 10" away my OQO was about 3". Considering these ratios, I can keep my OQO in my pocket and access my computer's desktop at anytime from anywhere. Typically, I have found that the major applications people use on the go are for working with emails and surfing the net. Vertical markets have specific programs they may access while not at their desk but for the majority of the time, I'm finding that people love the OQO because of it's portablity and security. One of the other nice features that has been brought to my attention about having UMPC (like the OQO) is that programs do not need to be re-loaded onto several devices and security is limited to one device versus several devices (possibly a home PC, a laptop and a work PC) which legally means you should have copies of every licensed software on each computer. MS Office on 3 computers adds up.

With the OQO, I am able to dock the device and use my monitors, mouse, keyboard and stationed peripherials such as my printers and scanners hooked up to a USB hub. I'm also logging into my different LAN's using one device. I've installed several small but useful programs that ensure if I loose (or my OQO is stolen) my data is not only protected but I have a good chance of retrieving my OQO through LoJack for Laptops. LoJack for Laptops is-as "must have" on an OQO as a screen protector (in my opinion).
I've gone off topic a little bit. The point is that the OQO is not only my pick as the best UMPC of 2007, but our site which offers most notable UMPCs sells many more OQO's then any other UMPC. The idea behind the OQO is to be portable but I always recommend either the docking station or at least a docking stand. The OQO does not compare to the superior laptops of today with their robust processors and bulging memory, but for me, I use XP Pro still and my needs are relatively simple yet demanding.
If you are interested in an OQO and have never tried one before, our site has a new program called "Try-it Before You Buy-it" whereas for $75 you get to try a UMPC for a week. Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments about the OQO, or any UMPC. I hope my above story helps explain the screen size and how you able to use a 5" screen when you are on the go.
Kindest Regards,
Adam Snide
adam@buildyourumpc.com
www.buildyourumpc.com
Try-it Before You Buy-it Program is located here: http://www.buildyourumpc.com/Articles.asp?ID=191
OQO Docking Stand
LoJack for Laptops information located here: http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/
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