Desktop Power in Your Palm
The OmniOne Pocket PC packs desktop power into a handheld device with a keyboard, touchscreen, and N150 CPU for doing real work on the go.
We come across an awful lot of DIY portable computers here at Hackster News, and each one feels like a must-have in its own way. Some are perfectly tuned for distraction-free writing, while others focus on coding on the go. But by and large, the reality is that most of these little computers are likely to wind up in the drawer of shame, where all unused electronics eventually go. They tend to be too quirky or too limited in their capabilities to get much practical use out of them.
Don’t give up hope just yet, though. If you are still in the market for an ultra-portable computer that can actually be used like a real computer, then the OmniOne Pocket PC might be exactly what you are looking for. It looks something like an oversized BlackBerry, with a physical keyboard and a sizable display. And since it is powered by an Intel x86 processor, you can easily run desktop operating systems, like Windows or Linux, to get real work done from anywhere.
The OmniOne Pocket PC comes equipped with an Intel Twin Lake N150 processor. It may not knock your socks off with its gaming performance, but it is more than powerful enough for web browsing, office apps, and all sorts of other general computing tasks. With a 5.7-inch touchscreen, there is enough real estate to actually open a few windows, and if you happen to be at home, you can also hook up an additional two monitors to the computer.
The keyboard is split in half, with a touchpad in the center for mousing. Tapping away with your thumbs may not be the best typing experience, but it sure beats virtual keyboards on touchscreens for extended work sessions.
Just about everything you would expect from a traditional mini PC is also found in the OmniOne Pocket PC. It comes standard with HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, and there is USB, audio out, and even an Ethernet port on the side of the device. The onboard battery lasts up to 5 hours, depending on how heavy the task load is, of course. All of this fits into a slick case and weighs just over 0.7 pounds.
The OmniOne Pocket PC starts at $359, so if you are used to Raspberry Pi-based mobile computers, you may feel a little sticker shock. But since this little machine is essentially a budget desktop PC, it seems pretty reasonable. If you want to learn more about the OmniOne Pocket PC, check out the Kickstarter campaign.