Press Releases

OQO Selects 40 Major Corporate Customer Pilots for Ultra Personal Computer, Adds Key Executives, Braces for Demand

NEW YORK, CeBIT America and SAN DIEGO, Future in Review, May 25, 2004 -- OQO today announced that it has selected 40 major corporate customers to evaluate the model 01 ultra personal computer (uPC), the smallest, high performance Windows XP computer with complete PC functionality. The company has already had product in the hands of numerous customers via informal trials; the additional formal evaluations will commence in July. OQO remains on plan for general availability of the model 01 this fall.

"With the model 01, OQO is leading the next wave of truly mobile PC hardware," said CEO Jory Bell, OQO. "Demand for the OQO has been overwhelming and it was difficult to choose just 40 pilot customers from the literally thousands of major corporations that have contacted us since our product announcement at CES earlier this year."

President and Technology Analyst Tim Bajarin, Creative Strategies, is bullish on this market. "I've seen heavy interest from medical, power/utility, transportation and government sectors," he said. "I predict OQO will sell every unit it can make during the first year or two, as there is enough pent up demand for this great product."

"Though the OQO is a product for practically anyone who currently uses a PC, all indications are that enterprise clients will drive the volume purchases in year one," said Bell.

After signing a manufacturing agreement with a leading EMS provider, closely held OQO inked a deal late last year for additional venture funding (in a round led by Azure Capital Partners with AsiaTech Management, Wasserstein Ventures, and Western Technology Investment) bringing the total raised to over $23M.

The company has also been adding key executives. In the last month, OQO signed Hans Hartmann as its Vice President of Operations and Kirk Minami as its Vice President of Finance and Administration. Hartmann, previously with HP, ConvergeNet (now part of Dell), JetFax, and Wave7Optics, is charged with building an effective operational infrastructure to meet pent up customer demand for manufacturing and distribution of the OQO ultra personal computer. Minami, hailing from Indian Motorcycles, VA Linux (now VA Systems), and Solectron, is on board to help guide the company through its impending fast growth phase. Mike Gallucci, previously Interim VP of Manufacturing Operations, will continue his involvement with the company as a member of the company's Board of Advisors.

The OQO model 01 will be available in the fall direct from OQO and via the web site www.oqo.com.

About the OQO model 01 ultra personal computer (uPC)

The OQO model 01 ultra personal computer weighs approximately 14 ounces, making it the smallest, high performance Windows XP computer with complete PC functionality. Measuring a mere 4.9 inches x 3.4 inches x 0.9 inches, the OQO computer is the size of a PDA with the power and features of a laptop. High resolution photos are available at: http://www.oqo.com/press/

Product specifications include:

  • 1GHz processor
  • 20GB hard drive
  • 256MB RAM
  • Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP
  • 800x480 Wide-VGA 5-inch transflective screen
  • Thumb keyboard with mouse buttons and TrackStik(R)
  • Thumbwheel
  • 802.11b wireless
  • Bluetooth(R)
  • FireWire (1394)
  • USB 1.1
  • 3.5mm stereo headphone jack (supports stereo headphone or mono headset plus optional multimedia controller)
  • Microphone
  • Digital pen
  • Removable lithium polymer battery
  • OQO docking cable includes:
    • 3D accelerated 1280 x 1024 VGA video output
    • Additional USB
    • Additional FireWire (1394)
    • Ethernet
    • DC power
    • Audio out

About OQO

OQO, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, has developed the OQO ultra personal computer (uPC), a full-powered, full-featured personal computer running Microsoft Windows XP in a pocketable form factor.

Jory Bell and Jonathan Betts-LaCroix founded the company in 2000, along with other members of the team that developed the Apple Titanium Powerbook. Their vision was to transform personal computing in the way cell phones revolutionized telecommunications.

The company's initial proof of concept was unveiled at WinHEC 2002, signaling the next era of personal computing. The OQO ultra personal computer will be widely available in the fall of 2004.