YEAREND-Hand-held computers wow in '97;
PC boosters in '98? 01:13 a.m. Dec 23, 1997 Eastern
By Neil Winton, Science and Technology Correspondent
LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Technology had to be hand-held
to be hot in 1997. In 1998 it will all be about speed and
performance.
No more teeth-grinding frustration from the World Wide Wait,
as Internet pages take ages to download. PCs will also be
able to handle expensive software additions without crashing.
This year small, hand-held communications devices, initially
known as Personal Digital Assitants, moved from being hot
gizmos for computer enthusiasts into the wider world of the
serious business tool.
These little products packed with technology include the
Palm Pilot made by 3Com Corp subsidiary U.S. Robotics,
Psion Plc's Series 5 and the Nokia Ab Oyj 9000.
1998 WILL SEE FIREWIRE, ATOM CHIPS, DVD
Next year will see the emergence of personal computer
boosters like FireWire technology, and Cambridge,
England-based ATM Ltd's ATOM range of chips. ATOM chips boost
phone line capacity and speed up consumer Internet connections.
Sunnyvale, California's Advanced Micro Devices Inc with its K6
chip will bring competitive pressure to bear on world number
one Intel Corp.
In entertainment, 3Dfx Interactive Inc's Voodoo computer
game enablers will be hot in the stores, according to
the experts.
Digital Versatile Discs, previously known as Digital Video
Discs, and hereinafter as DVD, will be able to offer stunning
CD products. This will set off cut-throat competition between
companies like Toshiba Corp, Pioneer Electronic Corp,
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd's Panasonic, Sony Corp,
and Philips Electronics NV.
PALM PILOT VS PSION 5 VS NOKIA 9000
Meanwhile, in 1997, personal digital assistants moved from
the arcane world of enthusiasts -- sometimes known as
anoraks, propellor heads or nerds -- into the mainstream.
The Palm Pilot is a pocket sized electronic diary and contacts
organiser which can send E mail. It offers a special shorthand
called "graffiti" which allows handwritten notes to appear in
the computer.
The larger and more expensive Psion 5 sports a keyboard for
word-processing and full Internet access. The Nokia 9000 has
all this and is a telephone too.
"The Psion 5 is worth a mention, but the Palm Pilot
Professional is the success of the year. It's the size
of a pack of cards, and it's swamped the world market for
PDAs (personal digital assistants)," said Guy Kewney,
columnist at ZDNet's PC Magazine.
Kewney said the Palm Pilot means that one of the personal
horrors of the computer world -- the loss of painstakingly
accrued data -- is a thing of the past.
"You never lose any data. It's a complete no-brainer to back
up your PC data. Using this little cradle, everything in the
Pilot goes to the PC, and everything in reverse. You never
have to say "If I lose that, I lose my life," Kewney said.
"The graffiti feature -- I never met anyone who couldn't
learn this in five minutes," Kewney said.
Alex Letts, chief executive of advertising agency Publicis
Technology, is also excited by these new little products.
"Palm Pilot really flew in '97, though it was launched in
1996, so I disallow it. Psion 5 was great but nothing truly
new. My favourite product was the Nokia 9000 combination of
(cellular) phone and PC. A glimpse of the future indeed with
us moving to a world of connected devices," Letts said.
1998 - CELLULLAR 'PHONE BREAKTHROUGH?
Bill Thompson, Internet guru and managing director of Mocha
Ltd, reckons that 1998 will be the year of the cellular phone.
"We'll see the first signs of serious convergence between
networks, computers and hand-held devices. Lots of people are
going to be accessing the network for news alerts, football
scores, stocks, and the Internet side of things," Thompson
said.
Thompson believes WebTV, which allows Internet access via
chip-enabled television sets, will also be a winner in 1998
PC Magazine's Kewney reckons ATM's ATOM chip will storm the
market in 1998. This chip allows very high speed Internet
access from the home -- up to 20 times current systems.
FIREWIRE EXPECTED TO BOOST PCS
FireWire technology will be available in personal computers
later next year.
FireWire proponents, including Microsoft Corp, COMPAQ
Computer Corp, Adaptec Inc, Sony, and Panasonic say this is
a low cost way to allow standard personal computers to
easily handle add-on devices like video cameras, CD-ROM
drives, storage devices, VCRs and set-top boxes.
Kewney reckons that AMD's K6 chip will make it possible for
the first time for PC makers not to have to buy from Intel.
But not everybody sees the same winners in 1998.
WEBTV, DVD HAVE THEIR DETRACTORS
"Web TV as it stands has been a disaster and won't take-off
for about two years. I don't expect mass penetration until
2001." said Publicis's Letts.
"DVD will continue to struggle. None of the content
distributors want it because it will open their content up
to home users," Letts said.
Some other developments in 1997 appealed to Letts. "I liked
the (AB) Electrolux ( ) robot vacuum cleaner. I also
loved the Sheep solar lawnmower that you leave on your lawn
and it just grazes continuously on the grass driven by
sunlight," Letts said.
o~~~ O |
