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I recently purchased the OQO Model 02 (1gb RAM, 1.5ghz processor, 60gb hard drive, Vista Business, Bluetooth 2.0). I purchased it because it was small - it is 450 grams and has a five inch screen. It is not my intention to write a product review. Products reviews are available here, here and here. The purpose of this article to publicise the changes I made to the OQO Model 02 to change it from dog to (almost) a star. After some background, I will outline the changes I made.

Background
My current laptop crashed and I needed an immediate replacement. I purchased the OQO Vista version immediately, rather than wait two weeks for the Windows XP version. I had planned to migrate to Ubuntu Linux. The reasons I stayed with Windows are:

• Skype for Linux has a fraction of the functionality of the Windows version. It also does not provide video or support USB devices well. I connect with my suppliers, customers and executive teams through Skype - it is my most important application.
• SyncbackSE is one of my most important applications and is only available on windows. It runs automated backups and move between laptops in my house, web and database servers (see Syncronising and backing up files amongst teams and across the world)
• Desktop Linux does not offer adequate device synchronisation. I can not share data between my mobile phone and my desktop applications (simply).

OQO Model 02 Vista - necessary tweaks
The OQO is great - it is small (that is my primary decision criteria). However, out of the box it could not run Skype or Voipstunt and it was frustratingly slow at responding to my requests. It simply could not deliver the CPU cycles necessary to run Skype. The result was that more than 50% of the voice was simply lost. From what I could determine, Vista was so busy running Vista that it couldn’t do what I wanted it to do.

After a few simple changes, the OQO Model 02 drastically improved the performance of the device. It was able to make a Skype call and became very responsive. Unfortunately, many users will not be aware of these tweaks and may continue to be disappointed with the device. Vista ships expecting to do everything on any computer. A tweak simply tells Vista what you want it to do and the specific resources that it should use. For those that find this article, I hope the following tweaks help:

• edit the registry and change DisablePagingExecutive = 1(see Beginners Guides: 101 Tips and Tweaks for Windows ). This was the single most effective change.
• edit the registry and change Win32PrioritySeparation = 38 (see Boosting workstation foreground priority and Windows Vista tips tricks and tweaks ). This was an equally significant change. The value 38 worked best for me. (This tweak added 26th August 2007)
• optimise your page file size by setting a fixed size of 1.5 times your Ram (see 24. Optimise your page file size )
• edit the registry and disable SuperFetch entirely by changing EnableSuperfetch to 0 (from the default of 3). See Vista SuperFetch is it really suitable for UMPCs?
• Adjust Visual Effects in Windows Vista: right click on My Computer and select “performance options” and then “Visual effects”. Turn off as many of the Visual options as you can.
• prioritise important processes: you can use Task Manager to set Skype to “high”. I also set Thunderbird to “above normal”. I also run Spamato Thunderbird extension (which consumes processes) and set javaw.exe to “idle” with startling results. You can also use Process Lasso for more sophisticated process management. To learn more about process priorities, I recommend you read General concepts for the layman.
• disable unnecessary Windows Vista services: see Disable unnecessary services the quick and easy way
• disable Readyboost service
• Stop the ‘last access update’ from taking up system resources (see Beginners Guides: 101 Tips and Tweaks for Windows )
• Stop real-time operation of Windows Defender. I have scheduled a scan at 3am every day.
• The firewall and virus protection software can consume significant resources. On Windows XP, my previous laptop processing power was consumed by Symantec software. I use Avast virus software and Zonealarm firewall. I have customised what the Antivirus software looks for and selected three of seven types of protection to run. For example, I have disabled the scanning of programs that are executing. I scan email and other file downloads. A virus scan is scheduled to run every day.
• Run Tune-up Utilities 2007
• Overnight tasks: I schedule Windows Defender, Windows Updates, Antivirus scans, disk defragmentation and web server backups of the disk at scheduled times between 12am and 6am.

Other comments

• Please understand the changes you are making and ensure they are appropriate for your circumstances.
• I suspect that an OQO with 512mb of RAM and running Vista would remain unresponsive despite the tweaks above.
• Vista is basically the same as Windows XP. It offers no new features of any significance and (probably) requires the purchase of new hardware. Many are choosing to remain with Windows XP.

Skype calls remain poor
After the changes above, the OQO is now very responsive. However, the OQO Model 02 still struggles to make a voice call. The CPU no longer operates at maximum during a Skype call, but the caller on the other end has an echo. I have tried different sound devices () USB handsets and bluetooth headsets), a direct connection to my router and prioritisation of network traffic. I use a second computer with Windows XP for Skype calls and I use Voipstunt to arrange a phone to phone call.

The OQO on a USB stick
I use portableapps.com on my OQO Model 02 laptop. I do not install software in Vista. My experience with previous versions of Windows suggests that the more software you install and uninstall, the slower the computer gets. By using portableapps, I can copy portableapps and my data to a USB key. The USB key may be used in other computers, and serves as a critical backup. The latest version of Syncback also automates the process - the act of inserting the USB key starts the syncronisation between OQO and USB key. I can also synchronise applications and data to another laptop. This signifcantly reduces the migration time associated with moving to a new computer.

The OQO setup above works very well for me. Many users will want to retain the full Microsoft Office capability. I would prefer the small physical size, ability to move programs and data between different computers quickly even though I sacrifice some software functionality.

EDIT (26th August 2007):After the “Win32PrioritySeparation=38″ was added above, the OQO could make a quality voicecall on Skype and Voipstunt. The OQO is a star because of its size and my applications and data are always backed up to a USB key. It is not a “star” for performance, but adequate. I will order the OQO CD/DVD accessory and try Ubuntu or Opensuse on it.