OQO Model 02 and Netbooks

Couple of interesting articles on the OQO Model 02 and the impact that the “netbooks” and other smaller laptops/subnotebooks such as the Asus Eee PC could have on it.

The OQO Model is a unique ultraportable - it’s more of a tablet with a slide-out keyboard than a traditional laptop (whereas most of the netbooks/subnotebooks resemble miniature versions of the 10 - 12″ small laptops we are used to seeing). It is what I would consider to be a nearly full-featured ultraportable with a 5″ display while most of the netbooks/subnotebooks start at 7″ displays.

Ironically enough, it’s using a CPU, from the same VIA/C7 line that some of the netbooks such as the HP 2133 Mini-Note are using, however the price for the OQO is quite a bit higher (two, nearly three times as high in some cases) than netbooks that are currently available or will soon be available (although you can find it for $999 in the OQO Outlet Store).

In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, OQO’s co-founder, Joe Betts-LaCroix admits that interesting (and crucial) times are ahead for OQO:

“We had the ability to step back from the six-month-at-a-time trend of the computer industry and create a new category…..Now the market is starting to catch up.”

Articles:
- San Francisco Chronicle
- CNET News.com
- GottaBeMobile