Dennis has a good point about Origami vs. OQO and others

by on March 4, 2006

For the record, I loved the OQO I was sent. It’s sexy. Fast. Has a nice screen. Is a great executive computer. But, and it’s the only but I have about it, is that it’s $2,100. I’ll be honest. I couldn’t afford it on my current salary and lifestyle. And, if I could, it would be one of those six-months-of-thinking decisions for me. It would be at the expense of something else. Get a new TV, or get an OQO? Get a new car or get an OQO? Get a new full-size Tablet PC or get an OQO? I’ll be honest, I would pick something other than the OQO in all those matchups. Why? Sheer utility/ROI for my life.

Is the Origami going to be any different? We’ll see on Monday. Dennis Rice’s post is what caused me to write this post. He’s right. It’s not going to be a device for everyone. If I were an executive making $400,000 a year I’d buy the OQO or Motion in a heartbeat. At my salary level, though, I’ve gotta be far more discriminating about where I spend my own money.

  • larry
    Uh, Oh....

    Sound like people are

    * managing expectations

    And that means the product is:

    * D.O.A.
  • Larry: we'll talk again later this week after I get my Channel 9 video up.

    We can't win. When we let expectations go overboard, then people say the product is DOA. And when we try to keep expectations down, people say the product is DOA. And, even when one of our products, like, say, Office, has billions in revenue people say it's DOA.

    In other words, the defacto belief is Microsoft's products are DOA. Sounds like expectations are sufficiently low to me! :-)
  • Robert,

    Your point about how a tech geek would choose to spend $2,100 is valid -- any other toy but a computer that is a challenge to one's eyesight and finger dexterity.

    Origami would be another triumphant effort from MS if it could be priced closer to $500 (rather than $1,000), although let's hope it does not becomes another "buy-your-Xbox360-on-eBay" launch debacle.
  • This post sounds more like MS marketing than most.

    We already know MS is aiming for a low-cost device with the origami. As a guess I would hazard on the low end of 500-800$.
  • Hi Robert

    I am really struggling with the positioning/cost of both the Origami and the OGO. I live in the UK and have a T-mobile MDA Pro which is quad band, with both bluetooth, wifi and 3G (UMTS).

    I love this device as I use active sync 4.1 with my company Exchange Server so I already have push "blackberry like" technology for email.

    Equally I have my podcasts and music on my 1GB SD Card. So on many business journey's I can listen to music/podcasts while emailing and if I need to go online then the 3G access gives me reasonable speed to real websites not WAP. In addition I have my RSS feeds on my mobile which are sync'd to my laptop via Attensa.

    Finally I also have GPS navigation on this device via CoPilot. To top it all the cost of this device is sub $300!

    So why would I want an Origami or OGO and my decision time to purchase was about a day not 6 months ;-)


    http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher?nmid=busin...
  • Can you run Photoshop on your device?
  • larry
    Robert,

    Meet you back here next week to compare notes....

    Things that I suspect won't change for me no matter how good or bad the product turns out to be are:

    * my opinion that if the web site/campaign not had, what turned out to be a tease for 3/2/06, that you and others wouldn't have to be managing expectations.

    * that the model of liscencing operating system software doesn't work in consumer electronics as well as it did with computers.

    * That I think your company has serious marketing problems.

    On the other hand, I applaud you for putting yourself "out there" daily and for for "taking a licking, but keeps on ticking" attitude so often (or something like that).
  • met
    Ok, we heard what it might do,

    now we hear what it can't do,

    When it comes out, we'll hear that it can do EVERYTHING,

    and people will say it can't do one thing well. :)
  • There's reasons that small computers (that I personally love) have failed to take the US by storm. Small keyboards, unerpowered specs, high prices don't make for success in the US market where we pay a premium as consumers for BIG not small. Japan is totally the opposite. UI is also an issue. Try using XP on an OQO, it simply wasn't built for that type of screen, IF indeed Origami is a small XP computer, it's going to have to solve a lot of these issues for it to succeed.
  • Goebbels
    Last week this was going to replace Patrick's crappy year old computer; now you are not even executive-level enough for it?
  • Did you folks read my post on gottabemobile.com? Not sure you did. Are we listening now? THERE IS NO ONE DEVICE THAT WILL MEET ALL THE NEEDS OR BUDGETS. There never will be. Know what? I do not own an Ipod. I think it is a great device, but I just do not need one in my life. I may not have the money to say that a $2,100 OQO 01+ is justified (but am on the edge of that one), but if I were making $400,000 a year, then it would be a no brainer. A Ferrari fits my backside like a glove, but I do not have the means to afford it, nor do I expect them to mke one that great for my price range.
    I want devices that fit my life within my needs and price range. That is called reality. Saying a device is DOA becuse it does not fit my lifestyle or pocket book says it is of no use to those whose needs and budget it does fit.
    I am a gadget guy. I am glad when I hear people get gadgets that they like, can afford, and make a difference in their lives. I also am jealous of Ferrari owners, but I do not fault them for paying the price.
  • Just another note to pass on correct URL for my "business" posts! I posted that last post logged into as my personal blog! Sorry for the extra post Robert!
  • Mihail Molin
    Hello,

    My name is Mihail Molin. I'd like to show my project in Mobile PC field.

    QWERTY Compact Keyboard

    http://www.freewebs.com/compact_keyboard

    The keyboard is fully compatible with U.S. layout and therefore provides the localization for all languages exactly the same way as a standard computer keyboard. Also, it has a convenient form factor (55x97 mm) and its system of typing has a minimal learning curve.


    Regards,

    Mihail Molin

    GenTrans Tech.
  • Mihail Molin
    (55x97 mm for a notebook prototype)
  • Quote "I found my OQO Fast" gees you must have got the uber fast for your eyes only one cause mine kinda wasnt. I recently blogged my own thoughts on what I want and personally in todays day and age I dont think its too much to ask

    - fast, especially boot times (Im so used to windows mobile)
    - small yet sexy (I want another gadget that has people swooning)
    - all the usual suspects when it comes to connections
    - in the correct price bracket (read sub $1000)
    - dockable.
    - good battery life

    Nige
  • Response to Dennis's comment no. 12: Someday, EVERYBODY is going to have a Buddy, that will meet almost ALL their needs and budgets. You can bet on it! In fact, I suggest that you do.

    Libran Lover
  • Response to Libran Lover's comment no. 17

    Hehe. Pinch-pinch. Wake up.

    Buddy will be a nice device for a lot of people, but it won't be able to access the GigaGigaHertz3D Hologram network without the additional TriFi embedded bio antenna introduced last fall. Production costs on the TriFi are still high, so it is a $1,200 option to the current Buddy models. Only Executive level salary people can afford it.

    Reality bites. There will always be elite devices for elite income earners.
  • Jason Hawryluk
    "Can you run Photoshop on your device?" Why ? Why would you want to run Photoshop on a screen not even small enough to wipe out an icon. Most designers use a 19” + screen with a max res. No keyboard, no mouse, just a pen, and you want to do design work?

    It seems to be a step up from a pocket pc and a step down from a tablet.
  • Lemi4
    to #20: to do something like what Hugh McLeod has been doing for the past few weeks with his Motion Computing Tablet PC. Which are pretty small for tablet PCs, by the way. Visually his cartoons are not Van Goghs, but the fact that he can do it practically anywhere he's able to carry the device to... And to think that Origami will (presumably) be even smaller...

    Of course he's using some other pen-tablet specific drawing software...
  • Dan Browne
    I would absolutely buy one of these devices if it were priced right. If they price it higher than around $800 it will be too much. In my opinion it is a stupid move to quote prices of between $600-$800 unless they plan to stick to it.
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