What a shame. One of the companies at the core of the ultra mobile PC movement and with a history that goes back beyond my first blogs about the topic has gone under. The confirmation came through GottaBeMobile and all we’re left with is the thought about what could have been with the OQO 2+ Atom-based ultra mobile PC that we first spotted on stage at Intel’s IDF Sept 2008.
The economic slowdown, netbooks, the increasing capabilities of smartphones and the introduction of some lower-cost ultra mobile computing options were obviously too much to bear for a company that kept a tight focus at the top end of the ultra mobile PC market with their innovative designs. From the high quality keyboard including sticky keys with indicators to pulsing LED power cables, external battery chargers and desktop docks, they always put the extra effort in to make the whole product suite as complete as possible.
OQO is trying to seal a deal for the technology and engineering teams so we keep our fingers crossed that they managed to find a new, exciting venture for them. We also hope they manage to find a way to repair and return owners broken OQO devices that still haven’t been recieved back by the owners yet.
New article: OQO Shuts Up Shop. http://cli.gs/BMYzUG
RT @chippy: New article: OQO Shuts Up Shop. http://cli.gs/BMYzUG
SM:OQO Shuts Up Shop. – I guess that UMPC/MID market isn’t there! http://bit.ly/9VZXL
RT @girlygeekdom: RT @chippy: New article: OQO Shuts Up Shop. http://cli.gs/BMYzUG – that is a shame.
Its a shame really. I hope one of the cheaper UMPC producers adopts the OQO design at some point, because I for one think its perfect.. just too expencive.
“we first spotted on stage at Intel’s IDF Sept 2009”? Are you time-traveling now, Chippy?
Did you miss the story about Raon Digital buying OQO and launching the OQO 3+ then? ;-)
[error corrected]
It is sad that a company goes under and the employees who worked so hard have to find new jobs. With that said, Oqo will be missed because they made something unique, but lets be honest shall we about them. They priced way too high, had severe quality control issues, and also painfully slow to jump with upcoming new tech(VIA instead of Atom). Vulcan did it worse though so there’s that I guess.
Atom would of helped them if they got their act together other places too:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/10/oqo-model-2s-suffering-from-failing-main-boards/
I did think the design was the best of any UMPC.
I would buy something like the Everun Note (needn’t be a clamshell) with the new AMD Tigris platform (45 nm dual core underclocked/undervolted and RS880D) but definitely no Atom waste.
The OQO is a sweet design. I’m hoping someone with the engineering and manufacturing horsepower clues into the design and makes a similar product; Sony, Samsung, etc.
Always sad to see one of the little guys go.
But ultimately they charged for a premium product, which in my mind didn’t live up to it’s billing. Battery life, noise and heat were woeful and never justified the price (for me).
To bad they did not innovate as they had the technology to be a great company but people just do not want to buy a full PC if it has a thumb keyboard. Full Windows needs a touch type keyboard to be functional.
You sir, have failed to realize that is your own opinion. AND in case you haven’t noticed…for the past few months, the most popular, widely anticipated machine, out of all netbooks and umpcs, has NO KEYBOARD AT ALL. Obviously, your opinion isnt one many UMPC fans share…
widely anticipated by the same geeks whom love the OQO. The problem is just like all the other years and tweaks they made it is the same lame design with no keyboard that has never generated any real demand. Get a clue they could not sell many units ever and that is why they are dead. Full Windows requires a keyboard to be useful to most people.
They were innovative in making a full PC small but they completely forgot that nobody wants a thumb based full PC.
I think you mean, ‘not enough people want one’.
I do. I just don’t want a massively expensive one that gets very hot, is very noisy and has short battery life.
oqo not innovate?
They invented the umpc (microsoft just jumped on the bandwagon). For years, people laughed at them as crackpots who could never deliver, but they came through and started a (very small, almost microscopic) revolution…
“To bad they did not innovate”
He is excelling himself, isn’t he Tmarks11?
I blame Al. He stirred up the “mainstream”….
OQO Shuts Up Shop. | UMPCPortal – The Mobile Internet and … http://bit.ly/9XVQL
OQO Shuts Up Shop. | UMPCPortal – The Mobile Internet and … http://tinyurl.com/pyfsf4
http://3wdesign.com/ OQO Shuts Up Shop. | UMPCPortal – The Mobile Internet and … http://tinyurl.com/pyfsf4
Don’t enter in his crazy circle. It may never end
But going serious now
I AM sad, Really sad
Few people can imagine how anyone can integrate himself with a PC untill he finds a device like the OQO (or the original Everun maybe) It may sounds too geeky but I actually can’t be without my OQO. I wouldn’t say it’s symbiosis but it’s not too far from that. It’s part of me as it may be the blackberry for some guys, the cap for a rapper, etc…
This only can be achieved by a device as small and well engineered as this one and I think I’m going to be very unhappy when it stops working (in a couple of years, I hope) and I have to look for a replace and can’t buy another OQO (even i there is another as small as it)
Правда?
it is a shame they went bust,in saying that my oqo +1 would melt your hands and was about as slow as a week in jail but i stil loved it,no doubt these design guys will find work,i am sure i read somewhere most of these designers were in bed with apple,california based anyway,tried the oqo 02 and not as good as my feeble everun which i stil have so speaks volumes,never the less i will still miss the excitement which came with a new oqo model (rehash on existing)
Yes
UMPC’s world is never going to see the OQO 03 and will loose a great milestone along with it.
Well, hopefully I will be able to get my unit serviced, pick up a docking station at discount and enjoy a few more years of use. It really has been a great tool for composing documents on the fly, consuming video online, and it is extremely portable.
However, life goes on. I believe that we are going to see similar designs at two thirds the thickness with 4-6 hours battery life within a relatively short period of time.
Also hoping for a new and improved “earth shattering” version of the Nokia tablet/slider.
Ssagg hit on an interesting point, i.e. how these devices become integrated into our lives to the point that we can’t leave home without it. I had originally thought about the OQO2, but the price was just too high. I went for the original Raon Everun and have never looked back. But it has become so much a part of every day life that when, several weeks ago, it seemed to die I picked up another one used on ebay. Luckily after many days of trial and error I was able to revive the Everun and now I have a spare! Devices like the OQO and Everun have a rather obsessive niche that they fill, as we all know, and more the shame when they are no longer available. RIP OQO.
you and me both. My Everun is held together with double edge tape. Still waiting for somebody to come out with an (affordable) replacement slate.
Just can’t see using a “mini laptop” the way I would my Everun. I had hopes about the OQO2+ (although the pricing scale was crazy; the low priced version didn’t have an OLED screen, which was one of the biggest improvements).
I agree that a mini laptop or netbook is just not the same as the Everun. My wife has an Acer 8.9″ and it is a really nice device but you can’t slip it into your pants pocket. To me that’s the whole point of the UMPC niche. Anything too large for the pocket requires a briefcase or pocketbook. With the Everun I can put it to multiple use, as a GPS in the car cradle, a media player, etc. all in one small package. The Everun also has versatility at home with the docking station. It certainly was never meant as a PC replacement, but as a road warrior it fits my needs perfectly.
Its a crying shame that the pioneer of the market has gone, but at first their business model was great pay through the nose for a premium product no-one else produces.
Alas they hid their head in the sand and despoite some sweet product placement they never adjusted to the market – the 02 despite its amazing looks etc was under powered and didnt perform well with Vista and an XP option just never came.
The asus r2h ran better with vista than the 02 and the everun was awesome by comparision, but didnt look so good.
Had they either toned down the highest of high end materials for the case and all those miriad of screens they kept bringing out despite the poorly performing chip they used they may have weathered the storm better.
It was looks over substance and I would much rather have a viliv device over the oqo 02 BUT if they shoved the viliv innerds into an OQO I would go for that as that would actually work.
It’s a shame that OQO is going under as they had a great product. Unfortunately it was just too expensive to make it to a mass market where they could achieve economy of scale. With many businesses now embracing consumer netbooks to fill the niche previously serviced by more expensive MIDs I think we’ll see more closures, but hopefully I’ll be proven wrong and the mass appeal of netbooks will actually create a larger market for MIDs, saving more manfacturers from the chopping block.
Gurry
That was the OQO 02+ and BTW there always was an XP option
I have the 02 running W7 now and It handles it smoothly. If the 02+ would have hit the market It could have give OQO the time they needed to adapt to the years to come (didn’t you notice the prices were half of it’s predecessor?)
Agreed. Awesome it was. Cost too much I think.
Sry SW moment. It was without a doubt my favorite UMPC.
I think it was cool being small but without a keyboard it seems like a no brainer that it would be a business failure.
RIP OQO
Great design, just out priced, it is still the best looking UMPC around. I hope all the design and tech guys get jobs making other UMPCs.
I liked it being pocket size but after trying to use it found the query thumb keys just a joke. Even if it was cheaper the inability to have keyboard would still have prevented me from forking out the bucks.
RT @chippy: New article: OQO Shuts Up Shop. http://cli.gs/BMYzUG (KK: big bummer, OQO made one of the prettiest Intel Atom-MIDs I’ve seen).
I sort of blame this website. The only news of OQO recently, is of its demise. This website has only posted articles of evey other netbook/UMPC besides the OQO. (I would try searching for “OQO” in articles, i bet it would not appear much in comparison reviews). I believe the OQO is one of the best designed UMPC’s available and it’s good there is supportive comments/posts in this thread. I don’t see why another company does not buy OQO’s talent/design.
You are joking right? UMPC Portal can’t make up stories about OQO just to fill space and keep them alive. OQO actually have to do something to get coverage!
Have a search, from the point the 02+ was announced in January at CES there were 8 articles through the month solely about it and how great it looked like it was going to be. It was also mentioned numerous times in CES coverage.
Sine then OQO haven’t actually released the device or made any announcements that were positive, so what extra coverage could be given? And before the O2 announcement it had been a long time since OQO had released/announced anything new to get into the news.
Think you missed the words “comparison reviews”
And if you havn’t noticed/followed this website, a lot of the article are about the “Direction” of UMPC’s and what the best “roundup” of UMPC devices exist. And none of those articles seem to include OQO. And how many freaking articles are there of the UMID or Viliv. Oh my, get over it with these 2 devices. yeah, they’re new, and not expensive, but 5 articles a month.
Anyways, this is one of my most read websites, since it’s the best source of UMPC’s stuff out there.
ya kelaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaab
To tell the truth, all the small toy that named as UMPC in fact can only be compare with MP4 or devices for limited usage, so, don’t deceive ourself, the way that UMPC is working now has no difference from hand pc or even cell phone, it’s still not well formed for business purpose. Small, cute, but just that, so don’t sell it for more than 500$ anymore. The next generation of hand computer must have some new features to survive.
You are right! For business purposes UMPC’s need to be small enough to carry in your sport coat but still provide a keyboard to have value. For me the price is not the issue but more the impractical way UMPC companies have designed them with only pen or thumb keys.
A real shame.
The 02 provides me the ultimate in mobile PC, running most Windows softare I use in work and at play, plus stay connected via WiFi or wireless broadband.
Form factor perfect on the road, at an airport, around the house, plus the USB, BT, CD/DVD-R docking stand, & various ports allow me to use full size display, keyboard, & mouse.