I had a conversation with OQO a couple of weeks ago and they outlined their plans under embargo to refresh the entire Model 02 line. The embargo has been lifted and here’s what I was told about the new line. The Model 02 Better and Best with integrated EV-DO will be updated to Rev A with either Sprint or Verizon service. This is the latest and highest speed version of EV-DO available. The Good model will still ship with Rev 0, allowing a lower cost alternative for those on a budget. The lowest model also sees the price reduced $200 to $1,299, making the OQO competitive with other UMPCs on the market today.
The most exciting news, at least to me, is the addition of a 32 GB solid state disk (SSD) instead of a conventional hard drive. This option will add $500 to the configuration if chosen. All hard drive options have higher capacities with this refresh, from 40 GB all the way to 120 GB which will be a $100 option. The processor options have been beefed up too with both the Best and Better models shipping with a 1.6 GHz Via processor, replacing the slower 1.5 GHz used previously.
This is a good overall refresh for the OQO line and seeing price drops is a good thing which should help them remain competitive. In other company news Dennis Moore has been named as the new CEO of OQO. Mr. Moore is a former executive with SAP and Oracle.
The full press release is on the OQO web site. Update: the official press release is now available.
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