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It's a battle royal between new Micro PC/UMPC Pro handhelds built on Microsoft's desktop operating systems Windows Vista or Windows XP.

In the near corner, weighing in at a just under pound and starting at $ 1,499, is the OQO Model O2 (follow up to the Model 01), which started shipping last week. At the far corner, available for the first time this week, weighing in at heavier 1.75 pounds and costing $1,999, is the first product from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen start up FlipStart Labs ... the FlipStart (see top image).

At 5.9 x 4.5 x 1.4 inches closed, the FlipStart is also bigger than the 5.6 x 3.3 x 1.0-inch OQO Model 02.

It also has a larger (5.6-inch) and higher resolution (1024 x 600 pixel wide SVGA) touch screen to the latter's 5.0-inch, 800 x 400 pixel type, but a hard drive that's half the size of the OQO's at 30 GB. The Flipstart also sports an external 1.8-inch, 220 x 176 pixel resolution display.


    OQO Model O2

Specifications include 512 MB of RAM, a 1.1 GHz Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra-Low Voltage processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EV-DO 3G cellular-wireless broadband with Sprint, and five types of input: a backlit QWERTY keyboard, mouse buttons, a touchpad, touchstick and jog dial. There's even a single button for ctrl-alt-del, which should make life easier with the devices cramped (par for the course for Micro PC) keyboard.

Additional features include a 3.5-mm stereo headphone and jack, dual built-in microphones, an integrated speaker, VGA camera, USB ports, and a port replicator—with VGA output, audio line output, a 10/100 Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports and power input—for using the FlipStart as a desktop computer.

The standard Lithium Polymer Batter specs out to last 3 to 6 hours, while an optional slimline type ($149.99), which drops the weight of the FlilpStart down to 1.5 pounds delivers only a mere 1 to 3 hours of power on a single charge.

At CTIA Wireless 2007 in Orlando last week, we got the chance to check out both the FlipStart and the OQO Model 02. While the specs are basically similar (see here for the Model, O2's), it became apparent right away that these are very different devices.

  
FlipStart at CTIA

Sure, both can be used in a tablet (screen only) mode, but the more compact OQO's keyboard slides out from underneath the screen, while the FlipStart's QWERTY thumb-typer appears when you flip the clamshell PC-handheld open.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. On the negative side, the FlipStart is far bulkier when used with the keyboard out, making the OQO more user-friendly in this mode. However, should you get tired of using the FlipStart this way, you can - unlike with the OQO - sit it down on the table and type text or use any of its applications as if it were a mini-laptop.

This wouldn't work with the Model 02, as the keyboard sits rigidly bellow the screen. Place the OQO on a table and you'll have to look straight down rather than ahead to use it.


FlipStart Port Replicator

We're going to get both the FlipStart and OQO Model 02 in for review shortly. We'll offer more head to head comparisons then.