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 + jo2k

GenM said: "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."

Unfortunately I think they already did. Vertical market is all they been pushing when they realised a $1,200 do-it-all OQO would never happen. Now before they can turn around to address the horizontal market, news flash - sorry it's just been taken. Ohh boy now we're stuck what are we gonna do?

03/14/06 + basslicks

So...In that case we won't be seeing any improvement in our OQO. Instead, it will compete towards pocket pc rather than a laptop. They should change their slogan from "It is the only computer you need" TO "It is the only pocket pc you need".

Recent Blog: My last handtop device aka...umpc

03/14/06 + marketwizard

the desktop, laptop AND pda will (mostly) die. all u need is ur umpc/qo. when you're home, all you need is a big monitor and a full sized wireless keyboard.

03/14/06 + emoore82

I'd have to disagree. Storage will always be cheaper and in larger quantities in a desktop. The media center PC will be the focal point.

edited: Mar 14 2006 + mensrea

5 1/4 inch floppys are cheap, that doesn't ensure survival. People are inherently mobile this was the logic and impetus behind the development of the cell phone. It is inevitable. Desktops are definitely dying. That paradigm does not work for anyone outside of you big control freak enterprise types.

When I can get an 8gb CF for under $200 bucks today, I think its pretty short-sighted to think that this trend won't continue. Media center pc stuff will converge and just be part of your TV. Beyond that, small is where its at. All inventors and the like have been doing since the 60's is trying to get technology out that meets Gene Roddenberry's vision.

Home computing will move toward fixtures that you talk to, personal computing will be palm sized. Deskstops, laptops and underpowered PDA's are absolutely NOT the future. Small slates and devices like the OQO most certainly are. That..... and implants. I am 6 of 36.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

03/14/06 + fil

pyramid6 said: "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."

On the processor performance vs power consumption topic, this is why Intel created Speedstep to solve this issue for their mobile processors. link

Mobile Intel® Pentium® III processors with Intel SpeedStep® technology let you customize high performance computing on your mobile PC. When the notebook computer is connected to the AC outlet, the new mobile PC runs the most complex business and Internet applications with speed virtually identical to a desktop system. When powered by a battery, the processor drops to a lower frequency (by changing the bus ratios) and voltage, conserving battery life while maintaining a high level of performance. Manual override lets you boost the frequency back to the high frequency when on battery, allowing you to customize performance.

On the Modular PC-side, OQO is so close (they don't know it) to building a modular PC. I've posted about it a bunch of times, but they can simply dock the OQO and only have the hdd be the extension of the OQO.

The desktop module would have a faster processor, more memory, more disk, and better connectivity options.

I think OQO is fighting many other fronts to waste cycles on the modular concept; although it's within their grasp (through the docking port feeding power to the hdd, power to the OQO, etc.) if they wanted to further differentiate themselves as a UMPC device.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

03/14/06 + fil

emoore82 said: "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. "

Check my FAQ: link (Search: U Synchronization Software)

I also saw a post recently from jk with a new software from Microsoft called FolderShare: link

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

03/14/06 + jo2k

mensrea said: "...
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"

Well said. the only thing I could think of to add is: Technological singularity will come, like it or not.

jk,

03/14/06 + anthonyb

I beleive that all of us that visit this forum and beleives in small devices is about to be disappointed by OQO.

I say this because when I think of products targeting "vertical markets" I see larger and more rugged tablet type devices. I cannot see hospital and manufacturing workers using something the size of the OQO. The OQO would break, get stolen, lost, and workers would complain that they are too small.

None of us here knows rather OQO has made a profit or is in the red. If they are in the red then we can expect things in the future that are quite different then what we have come to know and love.

The sky is falling.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO

03/14/06 + fil

emoore82 said: "I'd have to disagree. Storage will always be cheaper and in larger quantities in a desktop. The media center PC will be the focal point."

I think home networks with cheap network storage bricks (wired and wireless) will be the disk of choice for the home user. Some of the network-based file servers are starting to show up and companies like Motorola and Scientific Atlanta/Cisco/Linksys are beginning to sell these devices with their broadband devices. So have a settop box, it's wireless, share the TV experience from room-to-room, and then have a storage appliance somewhere in your house for the bigger disk.

At this point, I have 4 TB of disc in my house, so a less IT saavy consumer should have 1-2 TB easily (Lacie).
Check these out:
Firewire
1 TB: link
1.2 TB: link
2 TB: link
Ethernet
1TB Gigabit Ethernet Disk: link
2TB Gigabit Ethernet Disk: link
100/1000 MB Ethernet Disk NAS server (stuff your own disk in this): link

Disk is getting cheaper, so network-based storage prices will also continue to fall.

All of these appliances would simplify home networking and provide almost unlimited network storage capacity.

A handtop just simply connects and grabs the required data.
Since I bought my JVC Everio camcorder last year, I've been moving 4 GB files from my handtop to my desktop DVD creation system on a 100 MB switched network in under 13 minutes, which isn't bad. This Summer, I'm moving the house to GB switches so this should be nothing to move captured movies from system to system or stream to various TVs/computers around the house.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

03/14/06 + mensrea

Exactly. This is the way the market is moving. It's about connectivity and getting your information on demand. Its what Bill & Co. are desparately moving toward. So a small connected device doesn't need a TB as long as you have the ability to connect all the time to your data.

03/14/06 + cobalt

I didn't see the Infrant ReadyNAS NV on your list, so I thought I'd throw it out there. I just picked up one so I can't say I have much experience with it. But it's basically a low power, low maintenance NAS RAID in a small form factor, with gigE, USB ports, etc. And it has a few media streaming protocols built in to use, and you can run it as a slimserver if you are into that kind of thing. It has a feature where you can start off with as few a one drive and add drives on the fly as you need more space.

I'm running slimserver on my ReadyNAS with 4x400GB WD HDs, which gives me 1093GB of usable space. Set up was easy and so far slimserver seems to be running well. I'll have to do some more testing.

03/14/06 + anthonyb

Anybody want to buy this Hauppuage daul tuner PCI card plus Beyond TV 4 for only $100.00 ?

link

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO