We mentioned earlier that the refreshed OQO model 02 had a faster CPU, but we didn't point out exactly which CPU it is. It is Via Technologies' own freshly-upgraded 1.6GHz C7, getting its first lease of life in the tiniest UMPC. Via's been on a technical (if not financial) roll lately, releasing the world's first decent 1-watt x86 CPU and the awesomely minuscule Pico-ITX "deck of cards" motherboard.
The acid test will be how the new 1.6GHz C7 stacks up to the portable Core Solo stashed in OQO's main rival, the Sony Vaio UX. The two machines have traditionally offered a great contrast to one another, right down to dueling cellular networks (Sony's is bigger and mightier, OQO smaller and longer-running; Sony's has a proper camera and EDGE, while OQO has a better keyboard and EVDO) so it'll be interesting to see if the new brain (as well as SSD storage, another previously Vaio UX-only option) closes the performance gap.
Press Release [Via]
