OQO Reversal On Intel Atom UMPC? New Atom Product Hinted

OQO, makers of high-end UMPCs, may have lost their CEO but they could be gaining a new Intel Atom based version of their touchscreen device.  CEO Dennis Moore left the company this week, with company co-founder Andy Popell taking over the reigns; that seems to have loosened spokesperson Bob Rosin's tongue.  He appears to be suggesting that the prototype OQO Model 02 running an Intel Atom CPU spotted at the IDF conference back in August will, in fact, become a production product.

After speculation started over the prototype 02, Dennis Moore had quickly stepped in to describe it as a "technology showcase" and not something that would reach production lines.  His explanation was that it was a demonstration of two mobile-focused companies working together to target professionals.

"OQO is very excited about their upcoming roadmap. Rosin mentioned the Intel IDF conference where they demoed a prototype Model 02 running an Intel Atom 1.6 ghz processor, but wouldn't elaborate much more on pricing, timelines, etc. Don't expect a product release this fall, though" GottaBeMobile

At the time, we speculated that OQO was nipping rumors in the bud to preserve sales of the existing models, which could dive if would-be customers believed a new, Atom-powered version was just around the corner.  We also suggested that OQO could be waiting until the dual-core Atom 330 CPU was available.  Rosin's apparent confirmation that an Intel-based OQO is a work-in-progress would seemingly back both of those theories up.