Some Thoughts on OQO and The Future of Mobile Computing

Posted by | 04/25/2009 | 18 Comments

News about OQO and their unlikely ability to bring the Model 02+ to market has got me thinking about what made OQO and their handheld computer so special and I’d like to share a few of those thoughts.

Without a doubt, OQO defined ultra-mobile computing with their Model 02 / 2+: a 5″ device, a thumbable keyboard, integrated WWAN, slider screen to reveal the keyboard, built-in extended battery support, and an active digitizer for inking notes. A person could throw it in their jacket pocket, go about their day, and not have any worries about suddenly having to get on to the internet or crank out a document, ftp a file, work in Word, fix something in Dreamweaver, or remote desktop to another computer. Having a built-in keyboard gave it a one-up over their cheaper cousins, the UMPC. Being pocketable and unobtrusive, gave it a one-up over the much cheaper netbooks. Those qualities, and much more, made it the consummate all-in-one device for getting work done on the fly.

I personally purchased a Model 02 and used it day-in and day-out for at least 6 – 9 months. It went with me to Yellowstone, went on service calls to customer sites, was my companion during Boy Scout camping trips, was dockable in my PT Cruiser, and was my key to being “available” when holed away in hospital rooms. We at GottaBeMobile lived on the Model 02 during CES 2008. While the Model 02 didn’t crunch video that superbly, it did allow us to easily post up news stories on the fly from the bus, convention floor, or taxi cab. We had a no-compromise full computer in our pocket. As much as I loved Motion Computing’s LS800 Tablet PC, the Model 02 provided me that extra bit of productivity with their thumbable keyboard.

Although the Model 02 was an excellent ultra-mobile computer, it did have areas to improve upon: price, video playback, touch, processor, limited RAM, and more portable integrated wireless. OQO addressed all those areas with their Model 2+, which we showed everyone during CES 2009. I was personally saving up money to purchase a Model 2+, and was looking forward to reintegrating the OQO into my personal life and business workflow again.

What I appreciate about OQO is that they raised the bar in terms of product excellence, innovation, mobility, and didn’t give up an inch when it came to engineering and design. In a day of me-too laptop and netbook computers, those traits are becoming harder and harder to find. They provided all of us with a glimpse of what was possible when it came to defining mobile computing. I’ve had the privlege of meeting and working with a number of the key people behind OQO. The excellence that we see in their products has also been evident in my day-to-day communications with them.

Unfortunately, businesses are having to make some hard decisions when it comes to purchasing mobile computers. When a company can buy two to three netbooks for the price of one Model 2+ and meet similar (although not equal) mobility needs, it doesn’t take long to figure out what will win out. The rise of the iPhone and cloud computing, in my opinion, also provided OQO with some real challenges. Although they may not provide everything an OQO Model 2+ could offer in terms of computer power and having a full computer in your pocket, devices like the iPhone and netbooks are “good enough” to meet the needs, and that is a major driving factor in today’s economy.

I believe we will see the Model 2+ live on through the MID platform and in various other small form factor devices. I’m still holding out hope that a company will see the longterm value that a device like the Model 2+ offers those who walk while they work while providing a no-compromise computing solution. Going forward, the key is in providing an infrastructure to lower the Model 2+ / 3+ cost of entry, and a company with the right infrastructure and capital could do that. OQO may be a little ahead of its’ time, but a company would be wise to scoop up their IP and continue to innovate while the economy slowly improves. The market will again see a need a for a Model 2+, and somebody needs to be ready to provide that solution when that time is ripe. Whether at OQO, an acquiring company, or through another venture, I have no doubt we will see the people behind OQO continue to innovate, design, engineer, and shape the mobile computing industry. It saddens me that we may not see an OQO Model 2+ come to market, but we will see the impact that OQO has made live itself out throughout the mobile industry as a whole.

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Category: Editorials, Hardware, Mobile

About the Author (Author Profile)

As the Founding Editor for GottaBeMobile.com, Rob oversaw the growth and overall direction for content, advertising, and management of the site. Keep up with Rob at RobBushway.com Send email to Rob
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  • Wogaut

    I’ve used my OQO for almost any computer task, and while I still have my trusted Kinesis Ergo keyboard in the office, on the road I used OQOs thumbkeyboard (the 02 is much more comfortable than the 01 kbd) for anything from email to programming Matlab code! And seriously, sometimes I do wish for a bigger screen when having several windows with toolbars open (that’s the price you pay for the formfactor), but the lack of touchtype kbd was just secondary. As Rob said, try running around with a notebook and keep typing. Guys, it’s an UMPC, not a netbook or notebook!

    I wonder how many of the people here that keep on yakking about the lack of a touchtype keyboard with the OQO have really owned an OQO02 and used it in their daily routine?!

  • http://www.eeeuser.com Genjinaro

    lol I find it funny to see some say the keboard was the problem. There is nothing wrong with any of the OQO models, the problem is price. Pure and simple.

    The Viliv S5 will sell very well because its not only good but it also launches at an reachable price and for those who are patient it will be that much more affordable.
    It follow the current trend of touch enabled devices & alot of supporting reviews, there is also the battery life which is very good given most UMPCs like it don’t last as long in usage at such a size.

    If OQO had sold the earlier models around $530-800 I think they’d be fairing alittle better, I’m not sure how much it costs to produce a single unit but I doubt its $,$$$ figures.

  • Al

    I have used an OOQ and the lack of a keyboard was too much for me to keep it. That lack of the normal prefered input method of how everyone in the world generally uses any full Windows PC is the reason for their weak sales. Everyone for decades has used a touch type keyboard and a thumb keyboard is NOT what people will buy; 8 years of OQO trying to sell it prove that.

    Genjinaro what most people really mean about price is that since the OQO is limited to thumb input you can not use it as your sole PC so in that respect it is a very expensive toy. People do want a pocket computer but they want to use it the same way they use a dekstop or laptop, that is with a touch type keyboard. The S5 and other UMPC’s still represent a tiny market as the entire UMPC market only sells 300-350K a year. OQO could cut the price in half and that would not generate enough sales for them to become profitable.

    None of the UMPC’s without a keyboard have generated much sales at all so even if OQO cut prices it would have zero affect on their fate. They had great technology in making the PC so small but they made a deathly mistake by using the old school design of a HP 200LX instead of a more popular HP Jornada 720 type design.

    Rob, for a full PC nobody wants to replace an easier to use and type many words per minute with a thumb key PC that types very slow. I am shocked that the fact that over 99% of all of the full PC computers use a touch type keyboard is not clear to UMPC designers and you. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier not harder. I can type about 55-65 words per minute so why would I want to use a computer that would be ten times at least slower to do something that would so easy with a keyboard? People will not want a thumb keyboard for a full PC. OQO has tried for 8years before netbooks and even when smart phones were not as popular yet they still failed to get sales.

    OQO if they had made it a simple touch type keyboard clamshell would not only be in business but would be profitable instead of going out of business.

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