UMPC maker OQO appears to be back in business, as a yet-unknown Chinese division has resurfaced with a website previewing a new device. The high-end Model 2+ project, unveiled early in 2009, never came to fruition after the US company closed its doors. The Chinese site now boasts of a 'Model03,' which appears to be an updated version of the Model 2+.
Raon Digital, the hardware manufacturer behind the Everun, 7-inch Everun Note and Vega UMPCs, has quietly closed its doors for business and shut down its website, according to a Tuesday UMPCportal report. There was no official reason cited for the closure, and Raon did not respond to e-mail queries, though no further products from the company are expected.
Sales of mobile Internet devices (MIDs) have fallen well short of Intel's expectations for the category it invented, those at companies making the devices claimed on Friday. The American company reportedly estimated that between 150,000 and 200,000 of the handheld devices would sell since the Atom Z500 was launched in March but, according to DigiTimes' sources, has only managed 30,000 actual sales. Economic conditions have rendered the devices too expensive for many, while others have been reluctant to use the 3G data features inherent to MIDs.
UMPC developer OQO may be close to shuttering if it can't find a buyer, investigations show. A post at fan forum OQOTALK cites multiple sources who say that the company is trying to sell itself and that cutbacks have been put into place to keep OQO running, including reduced hours. Doubts exist that the company's Model 02+ handheld will successfully ship.
OQO in a late-night announcement revealed the model 02+, a significant revamp of its veteran UMPC. The new version is said to be the first ever PC to have an OLED display and, as a result, has a much more colorful, 1,000,000:1 contrast touchscreen that is also more visible outdoors. Without the need for a backlight, it also improves battery life. OQO claims that, in tandem with changes underneath, the 02+ lasts about 20 percent longer with 3.5 hours of use on a normal battery and 7 hours from an extended pack. It also accepts both finger and stylus input.
UMPC maker OQO will soon release the successor to its Model 02 portable PC, which is expected to be as much as twice as fast. The Model 2+ is reported to sport an uncommon 1.86GHz Intel Atom CPU along with 2GB of RAM. In comparison, the fastest chip offered in the current device is a 1.6GHz CPU from VIA, and the model is restricted to just 1GB of RAM. Further differentiating the new model from the older one is the new embedded OLED touchscreen which replaces the older active digitizer.
A hacker claims to have installed Mac OS X Leopard on OQO's signature UMPC, the model 02. The software is arranged in a dual-boot configuration with the default OS, Windows Vista, and is said to run virtually everything a Mac would also be capable of, including Cover Flow, Time Machine and the Dashboard. Speed is the major concern at present, as some applications run comparatively slowly, and Leopard requires two and a half minutes to load. Features such as sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are all supported.
OQO's presence at CES is being used to release new options for the model 02, its Windows-based UMPC. Buyers can now choose a new SSD drive, doubled in size from 32 to 64GB; the option is significant in that few full-sized notebooks offer a 64GB SSD, let alone a device as small as a UMPC. The model 02 has also been given the option of a "sunlight-optimized" display, making it more practical for people working outdoors. The previous screen continues to be the default.
