OQO: Rich And Beautiful

OQO Inc. got $20 million in venture funding this week. All that money makes OQO very attractive, but I confess, I was in love with OQO even before it was rich, because it makes an intriguingly beautiful tiny PC.

If want a little dose of computer lust (or maybe a Christmas gift suggestion) go to www.oqo.com and gaze longingly at the OQO Model 01+. It's got a 1GHz processor, a 30GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, integrated wireless networking, and FireWire and USB ports. So what's the big deal with that?Well, it comes in a package that's 4.9 inches long, 3.4 inches wide, 0.9 inches thin, and weighs 14 ounces.

Ohmigawd, it is a lovely thing. And a review last April of the OQO Model 1 found the beauty was more than skin-deep. It had the horsepower to replace a desktop, laptop and PDA, reviewer Mark Brandenburg concluded and while it was a little short on memory with only 256MB, if you sprang for a few peripherals, such as a full-size keyboard, mouse and possibly external drives, the Model 01 would serve as a passable desktop in the office.

Since April the Model 1+ has doubled the memory to 512MB and adds hard drive capacity. With XP Home it's a pricey 1,899, but hey, nothing this beautiful and rich is going to be a cheap date. (If you're pinching pennies, you can still get the Model 1 at a reduced price of $1,499.)

I hope for OQO that $20 million can buy happiness. For me, all it would take is $1,899.