Tiny handheld PC is first with organic LED screen

The first computer with a screen of organic light-emitting diodes, a technology that is being touted as the future of both displays and lighting, was announced this week at the International Consumer Electronics show by San Francisco-based OQO Inc.

OLEDs make for thin, colorful screens with high contrast and low power consumption. However, they're expensive, and the OQO model 2+ computer is predictably small, with a screen diagonal of just 5 inches. The 800-by-480 pixel touch-sensitive screen is made by Samsung Electronics Co., which is aiming to make larger OLEDs for use in flat-panel TVs.

The OQO 2+ costs $1,499 and weighs 1 pound. It runs Windows Vista and has a thumb-typing keyboard that slides out from under the screen. A model with an LCD screen, less memory and a slower processor costs $999.

As with previous OQO models, the 2+ is aimed at the corporate market. It can be configured with built-in cellular broadband access.

Sony Corp. last year launched the first OLED TV set, an 11-inch model that costs $2,500.