Samsung is resurrecting the ghost of the Q1 and planning to jump into the now-hot slate PC market in the second half of 2010. According to Emmanuele Silanesu, National Product and Marketing Manager for Samsung Australia’s IT division, Samsung’s slate device will contain a faster, more robust processor than the iPad and will offer more connectivity options through a diversity of I/O ports. Consumer friendly in price, the Samsung slate will be a primary device designed to replace a netbook or a notebook in your personal arsenal of mobile computers. As Silanesu explained, this is a device that “you could take to university and do a PowerPoint presentation on it, for example, or a device that could be taken home or to the office and docked.” From Silanesu’s brief revelation, we can expect the Samsung slate to feature an Intel Atom processor, contain ports for multiple video sources, support a multitude of peripherals including a docking station, sport a sub-$500 price tag, and mostly likely run some flavor of Windows. Any interest in an Intel Atom-powered slate running Windows or have we already been there, done that as shown above?

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OQO UMPC owners, it’s official: You now own a collector’s item. After running into OQO SVP of sales and marketing Bob Rosin, GottaBeMobile is reporting that the company can no longer afford to support its products in any capacity, let alone build new units. From Rosin:

We are sad to report that due to financial constraints, OQO is not able to offer repair and service support at this time. We are deeply sorry that despite our best intentions, we are unable to provide continued support for our faithful customers. Please accept our sincerest apologies.

Rosin went on to say that OQO is currently working on a deal with a parts vendor that might keep its team and — perhaps more importantly for OQO fans — its technology alive to some extent. For the time being however, the only certainties are that OQO is done building and supporting UMPCs, and its stock is depleted so it’s done selling them as well.

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More bad news for OQO fans we’re afraid, as a recent conversation with Senior Vice President Bob Rosin basically confirms worries that had been circulating regarding the longevity of the UMPC maker. Long story short, the company is in dire need of a knight in shining dollars. Regarding a recent rumor that suggests OQO is canceling pre-orders from vendors, Rosin had this to say:

While we haven’t canceled the orders, it is unlikely that we will be able to produce additional model 2+ units, so it did not seem worth trying to police that story, as it is accurate in a long-term sense.

Ouch. You can’t bring home the bacon if you can’t keep building a product, but OQO’s woes are hardly all off in the distance. In fact, the company seemingly can’t even afford to support its products right now. Rosin confessed that support services were currently unavailable, leaving current OQO owners to fend for themselves, but stated “there will be a solution to that available soon.” The shame of it all is that OQO’s evolutionary model 2+ was shaping up to be quite an exciting UMPC, albeit pricey. If the company can’t find a way to turn things around soon, it looks like very few people will ever get the opportunity to find out just how exciting it really is. We’ve also independently confirmed the above with OQO, but what we’re still not clear about is if any or how many OQO 02+ models have been already manufactured.

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News from OQO has been a bit scarce since the company unveiled its model 2+ at CES earlier this year. In the UMPC market, however niche it may be at this point, the model 2+ was essentially positioned to be a game changer — the specs speak for themselves: 5-inch WVGA OLED touchscreen display, Intel Atom processor (up to 1.86 GHz), 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, global HSDA and EV-DO along with up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 60GB, 120GB hard drive or a 60GB SSD. So what’s the problem? We’re in the midst of a recession and the model 2+ — a luxury device that certainly wouldn’t be a necessity for anyone really — starts off at $999 and tops out around $3,100. Apparently, even those who indulge in the UMPC market are hesitant and interest is dwindling quickly. This, from an OQOTALK forum moderator:

I have been told by a few people in the know and also just from watching whats going on with OQO from reports on this forum. OQO is attempting to sell the company. It lacks the funds to keep going, cash is tight and work hours have been reduced. One has to wonder if it can still meet warranty claims as it starts to buy stock to build the 2+. I’m sorry to say this, but the 2+ might be the last OQO we see made. I don’t even think we will see it.

To compound matters, major retailer Expansys has apparently made the decision to remove OQO products from its site and is currently canceling pre-orders. Not good. We’re big OQO fans here at BGR so we hope the company finds a way to pull through but we’re also realists… The market for luxury items like this wasn’t that big to begin with and now that people wake up each morning wondering if they still have a job, the market is basically non-existent.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

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Following a couple of blurrycam shots that surfaces last week, Lenovo has apparently decided to cut subsequent leaks off at the pass and issue official shots of its upcoming ultra-portable laptop, the Pocket Yoga. The design is most definitely unique and interesting, though usability may be sacrificed a bit by the incredibly short and wide display. Full specs are still a mystery but there is plenty to be gleaned from the images and descriptions posted by Lenovo. First and foremost, the display is indeed a stylus-operated touchscreen that can rotate around to the back of the device to be used as a tablet. Another fine example is the odd looking belt clip that can be removed from the outer case to be used as a wireless mouse. While we definitely wouldn’t recommend wearing this thing on your belt — please, for the love of God, don’t — the concept of a removable wireless mouse worked into the case itself is pretty intriguing. Hit the jump for a few more images and let us know what you think.

[Via Electricpig]

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Rumors of Apple’s entrance into the world of tablets were brought back into sight this morning as a recent Apple patent revealed the possible design for an upcoming tablet offering from Cupertino. You’ll likely recall rumors that flew around in late December, originating from three separate TechCrunch “sources close to Apple”, stating that Apple was working on a larger-scale iPod Touch-like device slated for a Fall 2009 release. While the patent illustrations don’t necessarily depict a bulked up iPod Touch as described by TechCrunch, they certainly do appear to feature a touchscreen computer with no physical keyboard in sight. A few of the illustrations in Apple’s patent application show a bottom plate on the device that appears to have lines very uncharacteristic of Apple’s current crop. As such, we’re lead to believe this device, if it ever sees the light of day, may possibly be branded entirely separately from Apple’s current offerings (as opposed to being dubbed, say, MacBook Touch). Well, it’s no ModBook Pro but it’ll certainly turn heads and have digital designers dying to break out their credit cards.

[Via Electronic Pulp]

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Yes, yes, y’all! Another BGR giveaway weekend extravaganza. Ok, that was a bit much, but we’ve just got a hold of Sony’s latest and greatest (and only, really) ultra-portable on Friday and we’re done reviewing it. What does that mean? Well, a full review is coming soon, but more importantly for you, we’re giving this bad boy away! Want to win this VAIO P loaded with a 64GB SSD? Sure you do! Here’s how you can win it:

• Send us a picture of your current laptop that needs replacing. (Maybe you’re constantly on the move but have to lug around a 17″ notebook with you, send a picture of that in!)
• You can send in as many photos as you like, but it won’t increase the chance of you winning
• Email the pictures to laptop at boygeniusreport dot com to enter
• Leave a comment that you entered so we can keep track of it. Make sure to comment from the same email address you sent in the photo/s from!
• We’ll run the giveaway until one Sunday from now, February 8th at 11:59PM ET
• The contest is only open to residents of the USA. Sorry!

Good luck everyone!

Who knew that dropping a “0″ and adding a “+” could have such an impact on a portable PC. Ok, ok – maybe there was a tiny bit more work that went into updating OQO’s latest handheld, but oh wow was it worth it. It wasn’t exactly a complete surprise thanks to prototype demos and a Digital Experience email, but OQO officially unwrapped its model 2+ this morning at CES and it really is a thing of beauty. Talk is cheap – let’s move right to the specs:

It looks like Asus is keen on using Android for more than just its mobile phones. Asus CEO Johnny Shih has begun openly discussing the possibility of selling an Eee PC that features Google’s open-source OS. Since its launch, hackers have been more than willing to put in the time and effort to port Android to a multitude of computers, netbooks and mobile phones. Seeing this, it’s only natural that a company like Asus would want to cash in on the demand for Android. Shih also mentioned Asus aspires to have a product that can be “put in the pocket, play MP3s, offer GPS services, works like a PDA and offers mobile TV.” Sounds good to us Asus – make it happen!

Thanks, Neerhaj!

[Via modmyGphone]

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Well lookie here – apparently there are a few companies other than TV manufacturers planning to unleash some sexy new gear on us at CES. One such company, from the looks of things, is OQO. It has been quite a while since the UMPC manufacturer made waves with its Model 02 but according to an email for Digital Experience, a preview event held the day before CES opens its doors, OQO has a fresh new model set to be unveiled:

OQO, Inc. announces the new model 2+ with the Intel® Atom™ processor, the world’s first PC OLED display, and worldwide 3G capability. Based on the 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor and 2GB RAM, the OQO model 2+ offers performance up to twice as fast as its predecessor and includes an embedded touchscreen for easier input.

Wow. It’s hard to pick something to focus on there, isn’t it? 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, touchscreen OLED display, global 3G, “up to twice as fast”… Awesome. News of an Atom-powered OQO prototype came back in August when the company showcased a teaser but we never thought it would amount to this. Good show OQO, we’re definitely looking forward to getting our hands on this one.

[Via Engadget]

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Sony’s Japanese website has a new teaser up hinting not-so-subtly that a “VAIO New Mobile” will be coming soon. An evening gown-clad woman pulls a thick envelope out of her purse that resembles the WWAN enabled netbook you may recall as having recently passed through the FCC. The envelope then flattens to reveal a teaser that links to a sign up page for additional information on this new VAIO. With Sony’s New Zealand website proclaiming earlier this week that “the wait is over” and a revolutionary new VAIO is coming on January 9th, we may only have to wait a mere few weeks to see what Sony has up its sleeve. What’s with putting computers into envelopes these days, by the way?

[Via Akihabara News]

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Fujitsu’s U2010, the ultra-portable convertible tablet PC, can now add integrated 3.5G to its long list of features – having just made its debut by way of Fujitsu Singapore, Fujitsu Hong Kong and Fujitsu Philippines. According to the specs, the integrated 3.5G will support tri-band UMTS (HSDPA): 850, 1900, and 2100 MHz and Quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz. The UMPC itself boasts the following specs:

• Intel Centrino Atom processor Z530 (1.6GHz, 512 L2 Cache, 533Mhz)
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium or  Windows Vista® Business
• 5.6-inch SuperFine WXGA TFT10, 1280 x 800 pixels, Passive Touch Panel
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
• 1GB DDR2 533MHz
• 60GB HDD/ 64GB SSD
• Bluetooth    v2.1 + EDR
• Atheros XSPAN 802.11n 3 with dual antenna
• 1.3 Mega Pixel camera
• 2-cell Li-Ion 2900mAh battery (Up to 3.5hrs on SSD)
• Approx 171mm (W) x 135mm (D) x 26.5 – 33.0mm (H)

No pricing or release dates for this Asian Pacific model but a similarly equipped US version, the U820, is expected in Q1 2009. Sweet!

[Via Pocketables]

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If netbooks weren’t getting small enough for you, or you were disappointed you couldn’t put a computer into your pocket, IMOVIO has the solution for your woes. Judging by those photos, it looks more like a novelty item that will hold your bubble gum, but the IMOVIO actually has some pretty decent features. First, you can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi or tether your phone as a modem via Bluetooth. It has a built-in webcam and it does all your typical browsing, email, and IM with the convenience of a QWERTY keyboard. Why someone would pick this up instead of a netbook or Internet tablet, we have no clue… oh yeah, it only costs $175 and is based off Linux. Even then, is it really worth it?

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It’s a bundle of 3G joy for you mini notebook owners. Starting in November in Taiwan, the Acer Aspire One netbook is expected to ship with integrated 3G for $95 (NT$3,000) more than the standard non-3G model. Add in some bundled 3G service through Taiwan Mobile and you can save yourself $155 (NT$5,000) instead. Woohoo! Not to be outdone, it appears as if HP and Dell may be offering similar bundles in Japan. A post at jkOnTheRun has the newspaper flier above that appears to offer the recently announced Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and the HP 2133 mini notebook with a respectable $370 subsidy. The subsidy requires a two year commitment to a 3G data plan with Emobile. Wow! Not too shabby considering Dell just announced the Inspiron Mini 9 last week. Cant wait to see a similar bundle coming stateside. Sooner rather than later, please.

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