So Long OQO, It’s Been Nice Knowin’ Ya
We first broke the story about serious trouble at OQO and we heard from some of their customers who were having difficulty as a result of those problems. Word comes straight from OQO that they have indeed shut their doors and are no longer in business. What is not clear is what happens to all those defective OQOs that they had been sent for repairs. I hope the owners at least get them back.
(via GottaBeMobile)
To me it seems so obvious as it does not have a touch type keyboard. They copied the old HP 200lx design and should have changed it to be more like the HP Jornada 720 series shapes when it had such weak sales. They had cool technolog to make a full PC the smallest size but while we want computer ultra mobile they still have to be functional. Most would agree trying to type a report and do other full Windows work with your thumbs IS NOT very functional. They had weak sales from day one and never addressed this key flaw.
I see that the 3 reasons I never went for an OQO (and I have gone for almost all mobile devices
as follows: PRICE, PRICE and PRICE.
The OQO is a fantastic product (450 g and pocketable). But it failed due to its high price (3,000 UDS). Plain simple! Give us that for 300 to 600 USD and you will sell milions worldwide.
I knew OQO wouldn’t last. A company can only do so much to reduce the cost of products.
I won’t say it was price because there were still MANY willing to plunk down the $2k+ for the 02 and with the lower price on the 2+ many pre-ordered as well (we don’t have numbers so we don’t know how many is many). Those that keep blaming the keyboard, there are still those that want a small device with such a keyboard. I hope someone else picks up the idea to create a new UMPC with such a fantastic keyboard. (is anyone listening???)
I agree that OQO did not fail due to their price. It was cool being so small but I just hated the thumb keys they provided. I would have paid another $250 more if they provide a touch type keyboard. I hope a UMPC manufacturer finally realizes that sure we want it small to carry in a pocket but it still needs to have a real keyboard. I would like to see a UMPC that was just a simple clamshell design.
+ 1
It was never the price at all, it was the lack of a keyboard, keyboard, keyboard. A full Windows PC with thumb input is a toy and only people whom want a novelty toy would change their mind if it was dirt cheap but most would not buy one regardless of the price.
I just want a pokcet laptop. I wished someone would finally just build a modern Psion 5mx as that provided great touch type keyboard input in a pocket size of 6.9″ x 3.6″ x .90. If someone copied that but made it 7″ to 7.5″ by 4″ to 4.25″ it would be incredible.