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To: Eric L who wrote (39840)	9/5/1999 6:01:00 PM
From: Kent Rattey	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

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.

To: Eric L who wrote (39840)	9/5/1999 7:40:00 PM
From: Keith Feral	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 152472

Australia & New Zealand have been recent converts. Last year, Brazil & Mexico both opted for CDMA over GSM networks. China Unicom decided to go with CDMA instead of GSM. I can't think of any significant contract wins that GSM has won in the past 2 years. On the contrary, I think the investments of TDMA are being flushed down the drain - witness Iridium. What was the last big new TDMA or GSM contract awarded. Oh yeah, AT&T decided to award most of it's TDMA equipment away from ERICY to LU and NT. That wasn't really a new contract for TDMA though. In the battle field, i. e. the free market economy, CDMA has been crushing GSM on every contract opportunity. How about DoCoMo converting from GSM to CDMA air interface? The competitive advantage of CDMA to GSM really is a non issue. The existing GSM players are struggling to figure out the most effective pathway to 3G, which by definition is CDMA. I really can't figure out your agenda. You seem to possess insight about the technical issues surrounding the deployment of 3G, yet you seem to question the validation of CDMA as the chosen air interface. Is it not a fact that CDMA has already been selected by the ITU as the air interface for 3G? Are you are troubled by the variations of CDMA and WCDMA air interfaces? Do you think the fact that WCDMA is not compatible with cdmaOne invalidates undermines the success of CDMA? I am certainly not troubled by the complexity of the different approaches to CDMA as QCOM will be paid equal royalties on whatever pathway is chosen. Today, QCOM is only being paid on cdmaOne equipment. Next year, they will be getting paid on cdmaOne and WCDMA as DoCoMo converts their GSM networks. Good luck on the DD. I think the conclusions are already in, but it never hurts to figure out how they derived their conclusions.