Nice high end updates, but some maybe interested in low end models as starting price is dropped to $1,299.

oqo.com

I'm not seeing the updates on the website or any press release on these updates.

You can almost feel the desperation of OQO as they make it sound like you, the consumer, are fortunate to be given this rare opportunity at consumer nirvana with the "huge" savings on the "substantial" upgrades on their little flagship PCs.

Since they nearly exhausted all early adopters and niche buyers, it is now up to the rest of us to make the leap and get out our credit cards.

Hurry before you miss out.

Jerry.

That's a nice price drop but I still think any UMPC device needs to be sub $1000 to be a solid purchase.

I hope they fixed the fan noise and poor speakers. Apart from that the existing model is good.

1.6 and ssd could be quite fast.

The reason the site is blocked is due to a copyright problem over the name from O2 mobile. They dont like "OQO 02"

It seems to me that OQO targets itself at the enterprise, not the end user. I mean, if you need a pocketable device which lets you surf the web, deal with e-mail, and read documents, a smartphone or internet tablet would serve about as well for much less money.

Where I would expect them to sell to are organizations with a need for a pocketable device to run their own specialized apps, or, at least, apps which are not in the typical mix, as well as the typical mix. The OQO website aims itself exclusively at business and government type needs. (e.g., one of their solution case studies is field data collection.) Given that, before this speed bump, their press releases have been about getting distribution into commercial and government channels, I think this is exactly what they're doing.

This isn't to say, one way or the other, whether their plan is actually working or whether this is a good idea. This is just to say that given the product that OQO has created, aiming it at the enterprise is probably their best shot at profitability. Most end users don't need a pocketable device which can run arbitrary Windows apps. And that is the only reason to buy an OQO Model 02. For most people, a pocketable device which runs only the typical mix, or a larger device which runs arbitrary Windows apps will do.

As for its price, I suppose $200 is a start. (It is, after all, a 10% discount.) However, I don't see them doing any real price cuts without competition. Right now, it's the only computer in its form factor. (The Sony UX, and Vulcan Flipstart both take up more area and are noticably thicker. The Raon Everun is longer. I guess the Raon Digital Vega is about the same size and much cheaper. But it is not even remotely aimed at the same markets the OQO Model 02 is aimed at.)

The only ones who are going to buy an OQO Model 02 are those who place a dollar value both its small size and ability to run arbitrary Windows apps. That's not most people. But it may be some businesses with specialized applications in mind.

(In other words, everyone who says that they can't imagine ever buying this machine is right. It's not designed with you in mind. But that's not the same thing as saying it has no market. The market is just not you.)

With this in mind, I think they've made a decent set of changes for their mid-model speed bump. It doesn't really entice me any further, but they're not aiming these changes at me.

That press release is under embargo until Monday morning.

maybe they should have told about embargo to people sending it... and not block people from verifying it... ( oqo site can only be accessed from usa )

JCC:

It seems to me that OQO targets itself at the enterprise, not the end user. I mean, if you need a pocketable device which lets you surf the web, deal with e-mail, and read documents, a smartphone or internet tablet would serve about as well for much less money.

Where I would expect them to sell to are organizations with a need for a pocketable device to run their own specialized apps, or, at least, apps which are not in the typical mix, as well as the typical mix. The OQO website aims itself exclusively at business and government type needs. (e.g., one of their solution case studies is field data collection.) Given that, before this speed bump, their press releases have been about getting distribution into commercial and government channels, I think this is exactly what they're doing.

This isn't to say, one way or the other, whether their plan is actually working or whether this is a good idea. This is just to say that given the product that OQO has created, aiming it at the enterprise is probably their best shot at profitability. Most end users don't need a pocketable device which can run arbitrary Windows apps. And that is the only reason to buy an OQO Model 02. For most people, a pocketable device which runs only the typical mix, or a larger device which runs arbitrary Windows apps will do.

As for its price, I suppose $200 is a start. (It is, after all, a 10% discount.) However, I don't see them doing any real price cuts without competition. Right now, it's the only computer in its form factor. (The Sony UX, and Vulcan Flipstart both take up more area and are noticably thicker. The Raon Everun is longer. I guess the Raon Digital Vega is about the same size and much cheaper. But it is not even remotely aimed at the same markets the OQO Model 02 is aimed at.)

The only ones who are going to buy an OQO Model 02 are those who place a dollar value both its small size and ability to run arbitrary Windows apps. That's not most people. But it may be some businesses with specialized applications in mind.

(In other words, everyone who says that they can't imagine ever buying this machine is right. It's not designed with you in mind. But that's not the same thing as saying it has no market. The market is just not you.)

With this in mind, I think they've made a decent set of changes for their mid-model speed bump. It doesn't really entice me any further, but they're not aiming these changes at me.

Why does your slick post smell of a carefully disguised marketing tactic to me? Why do I believe you are working for OQO(not a bad thing mind you), or an affiliate, even with the "impartiality" of your above extended presentation that emphasizes the true focused market of the 02 toward the savvy businessman over the average UMPC buyer and the gracious 10% discount offer?

Either way, welcome to the board. If you do work for them though, tell them that the device is gorgeous and I would buy one if it is less than a thousand. Thanks.

Jerry.

 

Jerry1:

Why does your slick post smell of a carefully disguised marketing tactic to me?

Thank you for thinking that my post is slick. I try to write as well as possible. However, I'm not astroturf. I have no absolutely no connections to OQO whatsoever. (I'm not even a customer. They're out of my price range.)

I think you need to ask yourself why you think a post which says something unharsh about the OQO must be a marketing tactic? Also, what sort of marketing tactic goes out of its way to tell people it's ok not to buy the product because it isn't aimed at them? What sort of market tactic tells people that they don't need the product? What sort of marketing tactic encourages other companies to introduce products in the form factor so that OQO would be forced to lower its price?

Why do I believe you are working for OQO(not a bad thing mind you), or an affiliate,

I have no idea why. You can only answer that for yourself.

I don't work for an OQO affiliate either, nor do I work for any company with components in the OQO. (e.g., I do not work for VIA.) I have absolutely no financial interest in the success of OQO in any way. 

I think you might want to think about why your immediate reaction to someone saying something  not directly critical about the OQO Model 02 is to baselessly accuse them of being astroturf. You might learn something about yourself. Or you might not. I don't know you.

the gracious 10% discount offer?

I have no idea why you consider the discount "gracious." What I wrote was that I thought it was a good start. Also, I didn't say that they aimed themselves at the "savvy businessman." I said I suspect that they aimed themselves at the enterprise. e.g., buyers for corporations that buy multiple units, then issue them to their employees.

Looking at their website, I think that their primary aim is to sell to businesses, not individuals.

If you do work for them though, tell them that the device is gorgeous and I would buy one if it is less than a thousand.

I'm afraid you'll have to tell them yourself. However, as I said, my suspicion is that neither you nor I are their target market, and that until other companies make products in the same form factor, their prices will not drop. Note that not only has their speed-bumped Best model stayed the same price, they've introduced a more expensive configuration. (Personally, I wouldn't mind a product which didn't have a right hand bias.)

I do think their mid-model speed bump is a step in the right direction for them (if not necessarily for me). I'm still not buying one. However, I follow them closely because I'm one of those consumers who actually has some specialized software that I'd like to run on a pocketable device. We can quibble about whether I actually need to or not.

My main point, which seems to have gotten lost here, is that just because it's not aimed at the end user doesn't mean it doesn't have a market. Whether it really is a viable market is a whole other discussion that I'm really not qualified to have.

JCC, it was the length of the post that raised my eyebrow, and then, the content in reference to your wordiness of the positives(as my eyes read and assumed) pertaining to the discount, market focus, slighting of other UMPC's available, of the OQO 02. You seemed too passionate and defensive(again in my eyes originally) of the device even if you started with the universal agreement of "smartphones will do the same thing for cheaper" analogy.

But it really doesn't matter, as I see you are neutral to the OQO because of cost, which is an opinion we both share. I just can't see why this is as expensive as it is given the cheap Via chipset inside. I do understand that they can charge whatever they want for it though as the makers of the Flybook do(another gadget I would like to buy).

I also do not think you are astroturf, a welcome sign, or a brawny quicker picker upper paper towel.

Jerry.

The OQO 02 is a great design, one of the best UMPC's. At $1.300 it's not that expensive, but it's only for the basic version (1.2GHz/512MB/XP no TE). An better equiped 1.5-1.6GHz/1GB/Vista Business OQO 02 costs around $1.800.

I did not think there were very many here that thought much of the OQO 02. It is an amazing PC not only for it's size but innovations that in some cases help raised the bar for others such as the built in WWAN.  I have mine for personal use and plan to take it with me in both my persoanl & professional travels around the USA. Like any of the other UMPC's out there, I would recommend the best CPU & RAM option because we don't know what the future demands of the next OS & some software are, unless you really plan on "lite" use and not playing media.

I agree that the 02 is not for everyone with the small screen and high end price. The size is in a class of it's own with the Sony UX series and Vulcan FlipStart being a tad too big for the way I carry my 02 most of the time. I think almost all UMPC's could stand a lower price but they are still a niche product until brick & mortar stores stock them and manufacturers promote & distribute them like their desktop & notebook/laptops. OQO has always gone after corporate volumes sales because it's a quick way to build volume sales & product recognition, but they are just as interested in the general public.

I'm hoping OQO will provide affordable uprade services for existing purchases so I can bump up my Sprint EV-DO Rev 0 to A although it is still not activated, quieter fan & better speaker, 64 gb SSD when they are affordable, higher native resolution screen, and hopefully they will offer a cpu/gpu & ram transplant that will support the higher end advanced & Vista Premium graphics. Rumor has it a dual digitizer screen might be in the works for active & touchscreen.

Anyway I've been happy with my 02 for over 4 months and have no regrets with the recent announcements. With a few upgrades I would be very close to being in a perfect state of nirvana.

Anyone has additional technical details about the OQO model 2 EVDO WWAN module? The power consumption compared to the Wi-Fi radio, how possible is to unlock, if it has 1X RTT compatibility for areas without EVDO, if it supports both CDMA frequencies, etc.