Handtops, UMPC

03/14/06 + 3vw

Origami Buzz Makes OQO Try To Remind People Of Its Existence

link

Recent Blog: Podcast with the Man himself Jory Bell 7-24-06

03/14/06 + 3vw

Origami Buzz Makes OQO Try To Remind People Of Its Existence

link

Recent Blog: Here's the Big News about the Next OQO

03/14/06 + fil

He missed:
Sales force
Real Estate Agents
Photographers
ANY moblie worker (away from an office, road warriors, etc.)
Military
Any vertical that requires wearable computing

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

03/14/06 + mensrea

When the Origami project manager tips his hat and acknowledges that he's not trying to compete with your product, during his FIRST interview concerning his product launch, I'd say that the notion that you'd been forgotten is something of a stretch.

03/14/06 + emoore82

Any sort of IT tech especially in telecom would jump over this thing. My laptop weighs 8 lbs. It be nice to have something to troubleshoot a voicemail as small as an OQO. My only problems with it are the high price and durability (which is also linked to high price).

03/14/06 + Smek

Maybe I'm the only one, but I had a tablet pc and switched to the OQO because it is great for research.

LAB RESEARCH - Why not market biotech companies. I keep my lab notebook through the oqo. It's great I can pull excel spreadsheets for dna melting point calculations, write in onenote as my lab notebook (automatic time date stamps). It's perfect.

03/14/06 + pyramid6

I think OQO is making a huge mistake. Instead of trying to replace the laptop, they need to make the OQO an extension of it.

I love the OQO, but it will never replace a real computer.

Has anyone who owns one, ditched there desktop or laptop?

P6

03/14/06 + fil

I posted this on that techdirt site: link
My spelling/typing sucks sometimes.

Missing the point by fil on Mar 14th, 2006 @ 1:02pm
Microsoft and Intel are bringing credibility to this market by entering it.

They are stating that there is a huge population that wants an ultramobile PC.

Definitions vary, but it's a full functioning PC that can be brought everywhere with you. Even the toilet...hehe

OQO may be over priced for now, but they are trying to make changes to lower their cost and make it more affordable for the enterprise.

I believe that most UMPCs and OQO will become the main PC device for people in the future.

It's incredibly powerful to be able to have a full PC with you.

P6,
No, but that's only because the processor is not current.
Once OQO goes Via or Intel, I will be good to leave the laptop behind.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

edited: Mar 14 2006 + jo2k

This Shiveley dude makes me worry. So what does he say?

OQO is shifting to vertical focus now? Isn't that OQO always been focused on? Increase sales volume to drive the price down... okay now that sounds like a plan.

"Business applications need a laptop-style environment, with a keyboard, and that's a fact." -- HELLO?! didn't you just said Microsoft is going after the consumer market? Origami might be a slight disappointment in terms of specs, but it's a overall well thought design for a platform - client target (consumers), how much they can afford? supply appopriate hardware AND software package that meets the requirement.
On the countary, OQO is the confused one that didn't know Who, what, where, why and had a fruaded marketing plan - originally it's supposed to be this $1,200 handtop thats powerful enough to be you ONLY computer - an impossible goal to start with. When eventually the production begined, it already slipped the initial lauch date by over a year; hardware spec is sub-par and not even CLOSE to be your sole computer: 256MB ram, USB 1.1, 20GHD, etc...; and PRICE is almost doubled. With all these, the consumer target vanished, they had no choice but going after vertical segments. model 01+ tablet pc is a nice followed-up and almost what 01 should be - and you still got no wifi-g.

How is Microsoft's efforts to develop the Origami UltraMobile PC gonna help OQO while 1, you're positioned is a different category with differ hardward/software solutions targeting different clients 2, u're not associated with Origami/UMPC platform since you're in fact, in a different category?

OQO is in a market niche and has been benefited by the fact that there is NO competition - but not for long. It's superior miniaturization edge, high price, top-down apporach will inevitably meet & compete with origami/UMPC's moderate spec, price friendly, bottom-up stragety 2~3 years down the road. And top-down apporach is not easy to survive, also microsoft/intel and other big vendor's deep pocket makes it alot easier for them to sustain a quicker turn-around. OQO does need a clear plan - and need it quick.

03/14/06 + fil

Well, if you watch the Channel9 Otto Berkes interview, he clearly states that the Origami platform was made for the consumer, but if you read the Samsung annoucements, they are going for the enterprise space.

I think Microsoft did it...they opened panadora's [device] box and it's going to be fun to see if anyone can execute.

I'll reiterate anthonyb, "even the mighty Sony couldn't shrink the Sony U down to the size of an OQO."
We'll see.

We'll also see where the market pans out for both products--UMPC and OQO.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

03/14/06 + jo2k

What puzzles me is that Shiveley's logic seems quite messed-up: origami/UMPC is good - coz its gonna help OQO, but hey they are in a different sector, and ohh by the way that's a wrong sector to be in, we're in the right one - and we're shifting too... err...into the same RIGHT one that we were in?!

edited: Mar 14 2006 + pyramid6

fil said: "
No, but that's only because the processor is not current.
Once OQO goes Via or Intel, I will be good to leave the laptop behind."

I know I'm beating my own dead horse, but the processor never will be current because of the battery issue. Sure you could get an Intel or Via chip, but it will be slow, or if it is not slow, it will drain the battery. Faster processors consume more power, that is an unfortunate fact.
To me they need to work on the ultra portables as a desktop extension, and not as a desktop replacement.

P6

Edit: I know they are not in the same market, but Intel/MS are going to be marketing the UMPC to people who already own a computer. OQO is getting dangerously close to the Modular PC idea.

03/14/06 + mensrea

Jo2k - I'm withyou, this guy isn't making sense.

P6 - I'm with fil. If they were to change nothing other than giving me a real 1.5g processor and a real docking station, I would dump both my laptop and desktop. Even at the expense of battery life.

03/14/06 + emoore82

pyramid6

Right on. These devices shouldn't be marketed as stand alone. It seems like some major money should be spent to figure out the best way to sync a portable (laptop, umpc, oqo, etc) to a home desktop. 5-10 years ago they were predicting that the desktop would be replaced by the laptop. I'm not so sure. I think we'll see more home based servers and devices like oqo and the umpc concept as mobile extensions of our computers.

I think the devices that will die are PDAs and laptops. I see this UMPC as the future.

03/14/06 + GenM

Why do any of them have to die? They all have viable market niches. Even the unconnected PDA. I have not used a desktop in over 10 years. I regularly use a laptop, a PocktPC Phone (for email and phone), and a disconnected PocketPC PDA(for calendar and e-books). I would love to have an OQO to replace much (but not all) of my laptop use. I may have to settle for a UMPC for cost reasons.

As long as OQO does not let itself be pigeonholed as a vertical market device (as a market image), I think developing vertical market marketshare could be a good strategy. The Vertical vs Horizontal market strategy is a constant push me/pull you kind of struggle.

Recent Blog: OQO holds Patent on Laptop Enclosure