The OQO drama began to unfold a few weeks back, when a combination of leadership changes, message board rumors and canceled pre-orders through a large European retailer led people to surmise that the San Francisco-based UMPC maker was on its way out. They then admitted that they were courting potential buyers, but left it at that.

And now this: Chippy, he of UMPCPortal fame, has received word that all pre-orders for the lauded Model 2+ have been canceled, though he hasn't heard from the company itself. With a shipping date set at May 22nd and the company in distress, a delay might have been expected, and even excused. But a cancellation? That sounds an awful low like a death knell. [SlashGear]

The next OQO, the Model 2+, had us drooling when it was announced... four months ago. It's still yet to see a release, which means the years-old 02 is the most current model OQO has on the market.

OQO's best-connected messageboard has reported that OQO is facing serious financial difficulty and that we're unlikely to ever see the 2+ go into production. In addition, Dennis Moore, former CEO of OQO, resigned back in September 2008, so we've been hearing these warning bells for awhile.

Worse, European retail giant Expansys has cancelled pre-orders of the 2+, giving some vague excuse about "uncertainties" over the handheld PC as a response to customers.

It's looking more and more like OQO is having some serious issues, which is a bad thing for us: Even if we couldn't afford their toys, they always trod their own path, which sometimes feels like a rarity these days. [JK on the Run]

[OQO]

Referenced in an email by trade event organizers Pepcom, the Model 02+ will be announced at CES. Further details are pretty nonexistent, seeing as this was mentioned in passing, but it will apparently be twice as fast as the Model 02 and will be on display next week in Vegas. [OQO Talk]

Currently the video resolution is pinned at 800 x 480 and there're difficulties with wwan, but work is continuing to overcome this.

Is this the smallest Mac in the world? Very probably, and pretty amusing given that OQO was founded by some ex-Apple employees. [OQOTalk]

OQO's O2 model, previously released Stateside, is compatible with EV-DO 3G networks. If you are desperate for a speed boost up to 3.6Mbps, why not try hacking your $1,300+ machine? Bear in mind, importing the new e2 will not serve you well, as the HSDPA module is not compatible with US HSDPA bands. So, what did we make of the new(ish) UMPC?

Having had our grubby paws all over the e2, we can say it is as sexy as ever. It has the same solid weighty feel we love, and the screen is 5.6" of utter glory. The 1.6Ghz VIA processor and 1GB RAM seemed to hold up Vista well enough; the automatic network configuration, with Wi-Fi support for 802.11 a/b/g and backward compatibility for GPRS, is a welcomed feature. Bluetooth 2.0 also makes an appearance on the spec sheet, but is all this enough? With a battery life of less than 2.5 hours, a cramped keyboard and a price point above £1099 ($2,240), the viability of such a device is still questionable. Asus Eee, anyone? [Product Page]

OQO Updates Award-Winning model 02 Product Line New Products Deliver Increased Storage Capacity and Solid State Drive Option, Faster CPU Speeds and Wireless Connectivity, and Reduced Prices

SAN FRANCISCO - September 10, 2007 - OQO Inc., creator of the model 02, the world's smallest PC running Windows Vista® and the first ultra mobile PC (UMPC) with embedded 3G mobile broadband, today announced new model 02 products with high performance features that deliver increased Anytime/Anywhere Productivity™ and extend OQO's lead in the category. To accelerate consumer and enterprise adoption of the model 02, OQO is aggressively pricing its upgraded UMPCs starting at $1,299.

Better Storage: Bigger HDDs, New Flash Memory SSD

The improvements to the model 02 product line start with a choice of high-capacity storage options. In an industry first, OQO now offers an ultra-mobile PC with a 120GB hard disk ideal for video, audio, and data-intensive applications. At the same time, HDD capacities have increased across the board: to 40GB in the entry-level model, and to 80GB in the standard high-end configuration. For users requiring an even more advanced storage solution, OQO now offers the model 02 with a flash-based 32GB solid state drive. The SSD provides up to 50% faster boot and application launch times, as well as increased battery life and the ultimate in rugged physical data protection.

Faster CPU Speeds and Improved Wireless Connectivity

The new model 02 delivers faster CPU speeds of up to 1.6GHz, another industry first in a UMPC. WWAN configurations of the model 02 are now available with higher-speed wireless connectivity provided by EV-DO Rev. A with mobile broadband service from Verizon Wireless or Sprint. EV-DO Rev. A offers data rates of up to 1.4Mbps, improved upstream speed, and lower latency. Users will find Rev. A particularly useful for online video, interactive web content, and bandwidth-intensive enterprise applications.
Reduced Prices

Due to increased volumes and new technologies, OQO is delivering the new model 02 with a lower price point or improved functionality at every level of the product line. The entry-level price for an OQO model 02 has been reduced by $200 (to just $1299) while increasing disk drive capacity by 33%. Additional pricing is available at OQO's online store at www.oqo.com/store.

"With today's announcement, OQO further extends its lead in the fast-growing UMPC category," according to Bob Rosin, senior vice president of marketing & alliances. "OQO created the UMPC and our new products offer performance, wireless and storage options that further advance our vision of anytime/anywhere access to information, applications, corporate networks and the full PC internet."

The updated OQO model 02 can be ordered today at www.oqo.com/store, by calling OQO sales at 877.676.6688, and through a range of distribution partners with a base price starting at $1,299. Retail locations where the model 02 can be purchased are listed at www.oqo.com/about/retail_locations.html. The OQO enterprise sales team can be reached at www.oqo.com/about/oqo_corporate_sales.html.
About OQO

Based in San Francisco, California, OQO, Inc. has redefined mobile computing with its groundbreaking products, including the new ultra-small, powerful, ergonomic, and connected model 02 released in 2007. The OQO model 02 is a full-featured computer running standard Windows® XP or Vista with embedded EV-DO wireless broadband capability and award-winning design, in a pocketable, dockable form factor that gives the mobile individual or workforce true Anytime/Anywhere Productivity.

OQO, the OQO logo, and Anytime/Anywhere Productivity are trademarks of OQO, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2007 OQO, Inc. All rights reserved.

Press Release

But woe is the poor bastard that drops such a sweet piece of gear. Check the Gallery below for a tour of the hardware.

Essentially, I have to say the OQO2 is brilliant, based off design, specs, price, and the details that come to a product in its second revision. The Flipstart is also nice as hell, with a higher-res screen, the clamshell which makes for easier viewing/typing on a table top, trackpad, VGA cam, and dedicated Ctrl-Alt-Del button. But because of aesthetics and details alone, I prefer the OQO2. I've put shots of all angles, rooter to the tooter, nave to chop, in the gallery below. And after the jump more impressions of the two that go more than just skin deep.

The OQO2 boasts a smaller, magnesium case, better processors, and double the Storage and RAM at 60GB/1GB. The Flipstart loads its little-big body up with an external lid LCD, a higher res screen at 1024 x 768 (vs 800 by 480 of the OQO2). Basically, the OQO2 looks better in person, and on paper. It has yet to be determined which one is easier to type on, but my impressions for both are that you won't be touch typing on either one of these very quickly without an external Bluetooth keyboard.

OQO Minutia:
The OQO2's backlit keyboard and screen are brighter, and the OQO2 has a light sensor that auto adjusts those features.

The OQO has a zoom that goes in and interestingly, out, so that the max res can be up to 1200 by 720. Good for moving files around a desktop. Using the dock, which contains an DVD burner ($399) and every other port you'd expect in a dock, it has both VGA and HDMI ports capable of doing 1920 by 1080 simultaneously! That hits 128 - 256MB of your system RAM, but at least its doable.
What's also cool is that the OQO has a dedicated HDMI port on its bottom. Easy enough to use it for DVI or VGA with the right adapters.

The keyboard itself has FN buttons for bringing up a wireless control panel, rotating the screen orientation, locking shift, fn, ctl and alt keys, and the typical volume controls. And a numeric pad.

The OQO2's thumbstick is an evolved version of the Thinkpad's and its much nicer. (They have the original IBM team that did the first, and they evolved it without pissing off any IBM laywers.)

The OQO2 has a cool whip antenna for WWAN, and actually, the WiFi can use one of two antennas, whichever is better, and the WWAN uses both to make a mega-signal. OQO2 is available with Verizon or Sprint EVDO, and soon, HSDPA.

Flipstart Minutia:
The Flipstart's keyboard doesn't have a numeric pad, but it does have a nub and a trackpad, as well as a cross pad for arrow keys. dedicated media controls...annoyingly right below the spacebar. It also has a zoom button, and a desktop button, and a window switching button (like a dedicated Alt-Tab). By the way, the best thing about the keyboard is the dedicated Ctrl-Alt-Del button. Wouldn't need that if Windows didn't crash so damn often, but this is the harsh cold reality of the situation, and a solution just one click away.

The Flipstart also has a sideshow like Screen up on the lid, but since its not sideshow-powered, plugins for email checking, iTunes playback, and other stuff needs to come from Vulcan directly. There is a random USB port on top, too, which uses the pins, but not the exact plug. It's for expansion, not for your typical devices.

The VGA camera is pretty useful for conferencing. I'm glad its in there.

The Flipstart has a side toggle wheel, like an old blackberry, that can be used to quickly navigate through a quick menu the device has. Smart, as its unlikely you'd enjoy mousing around such a tiny screen for very long.

More later...–Brian Lam

Oqo [Gizmodo]
Flipstart [Gizmodo]

Flipstart vs. OQO Gen 2: The Second-Generation UMPCs [Digital Trends via i4U]

OQO Model 02 [Gizmodo]
Innowell UREN V1 [Gizmodo]

Geared Toward With its come hither looks, the Oqo Model 02 is geared toward the tech elite, those that must have the greatest gadgets the minute they're announced and require Net access 24/7/.

The Spin Fujitsu wowed us last night with their UMPC concept, but then they broke our heart when they told us there was no way in hell it was coming out. Well, looks like we found ourselves a new crush.

Counterspin At $1,499, the new Model 02 will take a big bite from your savings account. You could get more power and a bigger screen if you just buy a notebook.

Buy It If... Your ultraportable is starting to feel a little heavy. – Louis Ramirez

Oqo Model 02 [Gizmodo]

All we can tell you is that it passed on the 5GHz band (which would imply 802.11a), as well as on two frequencies in 2.4GHz, implying 802.11b/g and Bluetooth — unfortunately, nothing there listed for cellular frequencies (which mean that might be left to a Model 02+ or some such thing).

OQO Model 02 Passes Through FCC [Engadget]

RCS Experience in NYC will be carrying the OQO 01+. It carries a hefty price tag of $1,700 $1,300. No matter what the reviewers say about the 01+, I will always love it. OQO 01+, will you marry me? – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via CrunchGear]

OQO Model 01 Plus Now $200 Less [MobileTechReview]

OQO model 01+ Tablet Edition [Trusted Reviews]

Nothing much to say here, except that I managed to get my hands on both the Nokia 770 and the OQO 01+. Didn't spend more than a few seconds on each, so this isn't a real review. Few thoughts: Nokia 770 interface has a bit of a learning curve (took me awhile to find the web connection), fantastic 800x480 display, speedy WiFi connectivity. I'll admit that I was more impressed with the OQO 01+, which is probably unfair seeing as the OQO is a full-fledged computer compared to the Nokia. The OQO processing time was nice and speedy, and the graphics were to die for. I kinda thought the 30GB HDD was a tad chintzy, especially for friggin' $2,000.

Didn't really see too many new products here yet unfortunately, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. Also, sorry for the quality of the pics — low light is not my camera's best friend. - N. Lee

This is easily the smallest and most portable machine capable of running Windows XP out today. It features a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, a 30GB hard drive, 3D graphics featuring 8MB video RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, FireWire, microphone and a 800 x 480 screen. This device weighs in at 14 ounces and is 4.9" x 2.4" x .9". Also integrated is a full QWERTY keyboard hidden underneath a slide-out screen. Unfortunately this PC will cost you around $2,000 and the battery life only lasts around three hours.

OQO model 01+ [Handtops]
OQO Model 01+ Pocketable Windows XP Computer [BreakingNewsBlog]