Win CE Rival Launches Business
netBook
(09/05/99, 5:40 a.m. ET)
By Guy Middleton, TechWeb
U.K. handheld computer maker Psion has
announced it will release the netBook
sub-notebook later this month, with its eye
on the enterprise market.
The Psion netBook uses EPOC, the operating system
widely seen as the key rival to Microsoft's Windows
CE in the mobile computing market. The product is to
be available both earlier and cheaper than previous
announcements had suggested.
Psion said the sub-notebook would have a full VGA
color screen, Intel SA-1100 StrongARM 190MHz
processor, 32/64MB Internal DRAM, compact flash
and PC Card slots. Psion said the inclusion of a Java
Virtual Machine (version 1.1.4) meant a wide range of
applications would be available for the device, and
applications could easily be developed without the risks
associated with developing for a specialist operating
system.
Psion said the UK price would be £799, with the US
release price estimated to be under $1,200.
The company said the device weighed in at just over a
kilo (2.5lb), measured 235x182x37mm (9 and a
quarter inches x 7 inches x 1 and a half inches) and had
a battery life of 8.5 hours.
The leather-bound computer would be aimed at
enterprise mobile workers, the company said --
particularly those in field sales and support, healthcare,
financial services and transport and logistics.
EPOC has garnered widespread interest since Psion set
up Symbian, a joint venture with the world's leading
mobile phone vendors to develop the operating system
for use in mobile computers and smart phones.
Currently EPOC is used in Psion's palmtop and
industrial computer ranges, the netBook is Psion's first
foray into the sub-notebook market, one dominated by
Windows CE devices.
Microsoft chief Bill Gates reportedly described
Symbian as the number one threat to the company in a
memo leaked last year.
"[It will be] hugely interesting to see what happens.
They are pitching at the same market as CE, it's in
between a palm device and a full laptop -- but that
market hasn't yielded much for Microsoft," said Bloor
Research analyst Martin Brampton. "There's lots of
good technology in there and the OS is strong -- you'll
get better value out of the processor because it's not
using the PC architecture. Java gives you a lot more
application development choices, that cuts both ways --
it's a great leveller, as it doesn't tie you to a device.
People have been nervous about the Microsoft
implementations of Java."
Psion plans to offer a consumer version of the netBook
in the U.K., dubbed the Series 7. Also due out this
month, this will retail at £699 ($1,113) and sport a
100Mhz processor and 16Mb of RAM.
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