key Chiclet keyboard, a plastic stylus, and a square monochrome LCD screen. The stylus can be used to draw electronic ink or input and manipulate text using Graffiti handwriting recognition. The keyboard can also fold behind the screen so the OmniGo can be held like a tablet and used solely for pen input (ŕ la Newton).The OmniGo has a complete set of personal information management (PIM) applications, including an appointment book, a phone book, a calculator, a database, a notepad, and a spreadsheet. It also has a complete set of financial tools, including Time Value of Money (TVM), Cash Flows, Business Percentages, Compound Interest, Solver, List Statistics, Conversions, Date Calculator, and an emulated HP 12C financial calculator. Pocket Quicken is included in the 120 model.
Within Hewlett-Packard's own family of palmtops, the OmniGo 100/120 is positioned below the 200LX and their new Windows CE devices, although it is difficult to compare it with any currently sold portable digital assistants (PDA's) in that it has a unique combination of pen and keyboard input. The OmniGo is in the category of devices such as the Sharp Zaurus, but also competes somewhat with the PalmPilot, Apple Newton, Sony Magic Link, Psion 3a, HP 200LX, and the new Windows CE devices. One USENET poster likened it as being "halfway between a Pilot and a Newton with the best implementation of Graffiti (you can write anywhere on the screen) and a much better built-in application set than either of the others."Q: What is the difference between the 100 and 120?
A: The OmniGo 120 has a brighter holographic screen, support for CompactFlash RAM cards (with adapter), and Pocket Quicken and a Clip & Go client in ROM. It also sports a Pocket Quicken logo on the front panel and comes with a dedicated manual for the financial tools and spreadsheet.
Q: How does it compare to other portable digital assistants?
A: Some possible advantages of the OmniGo over other PDA's are its flexibility in providing both pen and keyboard input options, a large (and surprisingly powerful) set of built-in applications, a relatively open operating system, lots of freeware and electronic books (Content) available for download, fine dot resolution, a screen texture that is easy to write on (unlike screens made of glass or flimsy plastic), rugged construction, a PCMCIA slot, and a low price (it can sometimes be purchased through online auctions such as ONSALE and AuctionWeb for less than $200).Some possible drawbacks of the OmniGo are a hard-to-see screen with no backlighting, limited amount of memory for storing applications and data, no infrared data port, relatively short battery life, no external power source, two somewhat expensive proprietary desktop PC connectivity options, no built-in Internet connectivity, long initial load times for some of the apps, lack of developer support, and the fact that it is discontinued and some accessories are getting harder to find.Visit ONSALE at http://www.onsale.comVisit AuctionWeb at http://www2.ebay.comQ: What operating system does the OmniGo use?
A: The OmniGo uses version 2.1 of the GEOS operating system, developed by Geoworks. GEOS was an early (but technically more efficient) competitor to Microsoft Windows, and like Windows, it runs over DOS and uses DOS file management functions. The OmniGo uses DOS to allow GEOS to boot and create the GEOS file structure. When the OmniGo 100 was first released, there was no way to exit GEOS and put the device in DOS mode; since then, several DOS mode drivers have been written that now allow OmniGo users to run DOS programs (see Section 7: DOS Mode).
GEOS is available on several different platforms. The desktop PC incarnations include Geoworks Ensemble, GeoWorks Pro, Quick Start, and most recently New Deal Office. GEOS is also used in the Zoomer PDA's (from Casio, Tandy, and AST) and the Canon StarWriter 5000. Applications written for any of these platforms may also work on the OmniGo.
Version 3.0 of GEOS has been released, but only in the form of the Nokia 9000 Communicator (a GSM cell phone-palmtop hybrid), the Toshiba Genio PCV (only available in Japan), and Brother's GeoBook. GEOS 3.0 includes, among other additions, the ability to process electronic mail, voice mail, pages, and fax documents through a universal mailbox facility; it also adds a TCP/IP protocol for Internet browsing (via PPP and SLIP) and connecting to wide-area networks. The OmniGo does not include a socketed system ROM chip for upgrading to GEOS version 3.0.Q: What is Graffiti?
A: Graffiti is a handwriting recognition system which recognizes characters written using a special single-stoke alphabet (go to the Graffiti page to see what it looks like). It was developed by Palm Computing, a division of U.S. Robotics. An experienced user can write approximately 20 words per minute with 100% accuracy using Graffiti. On the OmniGo, you can either write Graffiti anywhere on the screen or specifically into a Graffiti window. Graffiti can be used to enter text (including extended characters) into any data field; it can also be used to cut, copy, and paste data.Q: Where can I purchase an OmniGo?
A: Although Hewlett-Packard has officially discontinued the OmniGo, some retailers and mail order suppliers may still have the OmniGo and accessories in stock, although it is getting rarer. The best prices for new accessories (e.g., memory cards) are posted at PDApage, or you can use the search engine at ComputerESP—check both sites to compare. If you're in the market for a used OmniGo, your chances of finding one are much higher. You can often find a used OmniGo for sale in the OmniGo mailing list or in a few USENET newsgroups (specifically, comp.sys.palmtops and comp.sys.handhelds); if not, look in the classifieds (online and off) or visit the auction sites. Check out the Links page for more places to purchase OmniGo goods.Visit PDApage at http://www.pdapage.com/hpomnigo.htmVisit ComputerESP at http://www.computeresp.comQ: What online resources exist for OmniGo users?
A: Most OmniGo discussions occur in the OmniGo mailing list. To subscribe, send an email to majordomo@lifelike.com with "subscribe ogo" somewhere in the body. A searchable archive of previous postings to the list is available at Brian Smithson's website.
Check out the OmniGo mailing list archive at http://www.grot.com:80/zoomer/zoomer-list/archives.html
