OQO responds to IDF product placement.

Posted on 20 August 2008, Last updated on 20 August 2008 by

IMG_6975Apparently the OQO that appeared on stage at the mobility keynote yesterday was "a technology showcase, not an impending product announcement." Someone’s head is going to roll for that one and VIA will be extremely upset with both Intel and OQO!

Here’s the statement from Dennis Moore, the CEO.

Yes, indeed, that is an OQO prototype shown with an Intel(r) Atom(r) processor.  Intel is showcasing the OQO prototype in a couple of their keynotes and elsewhere at IDF because we have achieved by far the best performance with their processor in our technology demonstration.
Note that this is not a product launch or announcement, but is a demonstration of what we think an Intel Atom processor should do in a product targeting users who need the ultimate in mobile productivity, and demonstrates all the areas where OQO has led the market for years — performance, battery life, thermals, usability, design, and form factor.  While there are other small and light devices using Intel’s Atom processor, none of them comes close to the performance and productivity we are showing with this technology demonstration.
Intel selected OQO to collaborate on developing technologies that will further enhance the productivity of enterprise mobile workers and individual mobile professionals, and did so due to OQO’s longstanding leadership in ultra-mobile computing.  OQO is participating in this technology demonstration to showcase leading-edge advances in ultra-mobile computing and to reinforce OQO’s leadership position in this growing market.
I hope this helps explain today’s news — a technology showcase, not an impending product announcement.
Thanks for being our customers!

I guess the product announcement comes at some point in the future, just not today!

This statement was released to OQOTalk and comes via JKOntheRun.

6 Comments For This Post

  1. Dukeswharf says:

    So why did they not showcase the OQO with the VIA Nano? Why showcase the OQO with Atom technoly, which you have no intention of using!?!

    All very ‘Self Sabotagey’ if you ask me!

  2. Will says:

    Obviously they wouldn’t have showcased the OQO with the Nano at an Intel event would they? :)

    However, the Atom is the CPU for OQO. While the Nano can in theory be quickly adapted to run on the existing Model 02, it isn’t anywhere near as efficient or optimised for low power operation like the Atom.

    OQO choose Transmeta in the Model 01 and realised that it was a mistake and decided not to use the Efficeon in the 02.

    I think they’ve also realised that Via CPUs are not as good as the marketing drivel claims it to be and will most likely jump on the Intel bandwagon. The Model 02s sound like a hair dryer and still run quite hot.

  3. Dukeswharf says:

    “Obviously they wouldn’t have showcased the OQO with the Nano at an Intel event would they?”

    Exactly what I meant! Why showcase technology by a competing chip manufacturer to the one you use, and at the same time have no interest in releasing that product onto the general market!!

    In regards to power consumption and noise polution, yes the Atom is a better proposition :-)

  4. Dave P says:

    I find it hard to believe that a company as small as OQO would invest that much time and intellectual capital in a prototype without planning to introduce it at a later date. What I would read from OQO’s response is that the OQO3 will use the Intel Atom but that it’s chassis will be redesigned (and submitted to the FCC) before a product is announced.

  5. tmarks11 says:

    If the CEO said “we will sell off our remaining inventory of pre-atom OQOs before we formally announce our new product line”, he would have guarenteed his company would loose a bunch of money or go bankrupt.

    What do you expect him to say?

  6. Dukeswharf says:

    With that logic in mind why ever would you have shown an Atom based OQO if you were worried about your existing VIA inventory, whilst having no intention of selling the Atom based product? :-)

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