Rumors of OQO Model 2+ demise are true |
I was never a fan of the tiny UMPC machines that hit the market place at inflated prices before the massive netbook revolution. The thing I never liked about the little machines was that the keyboards tended to be sized for thumb use only and I just couldn’t see them being useful in the real world.
One of the cool looking UMPCs at CES 2009 was the OQO Model 2+. The little machine promised an Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, OLED touch screen and more. I was rather excited to see it at CES 2009 and while interesting, I didn’t think it stacked up at all against the mass of netbooks around.
Many felt differently though and pre-orders were placed by some gadget fans for the OQO Model 2+. Over the last few weeks, there have been rumors that OQO was in financial trouble and that pre-orders were being cancelled for the new machine. OQO has finally confirmed that the chances of the Model 2+ making it into production are very slim. Pre-orders were not cancelled by OQO, but online vendor Build Your UMPC cancelled pre-orders after OQO would not commit to a ship date. OQO has also suspended warranty and service work at this time, but promises a solution soon.
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It’s important to remember that hope is not gone for OQO just yet. OQO have an amazing staff working for them and I am sure that things will start to look up in the near future.
Happy OQO user
I agree with you completely that the “I just couldn’t see them being useful in the real world”. I still want a pocket laptop or netbook/UMPC but like you there are none to buy. For a full PC computer to be of any use in the real world it needs a touch type keyboard. It is possible to build one to me. Remember the days of the Psion 5mx? That would be the perfect size and shape that OQO should have duplicated but using full Windows!
I think OQO is dead but nobody had made it official yet. I have heard rumors at other OQO sites that the company is liquidating their furniture, not providing any service to existing buyers, and even their phones are not being answered anymore. Even if they got a buyer, they would likely fail unless they make it a longer pocket size touch type keyboard model instead of their thumb designe they have used forever.