Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : COMS & the Ghost of USRX w/ other STUFF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeffery E. Forrest who wrote (13646)	3/11/1998 12:11:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Qualcomm Plans Cellular Palmtop Newsbytes - March 11, 1998 11:59 HONG KONG, CHINA, 1998 MAR 11 (NB) -- IT Daily. Mobile vendor Qualcomm [NASDAQ:QCOM] plans to enter the palmtop market with a revolutionary new smartphone, which is likely to be based on 3Com's [NASDAQ:COMS] successful PalmPilot model. The new cellular phone, built around CDMA (code division multiple access) technology, should be unveiled later this year. CDMA supports a range of high-bandwidth data applications and protocols, including TCP/IP (transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) and PPP (Point to Point Protocol). This means mobile computer users can access fax, network, or Internet data directly through a CDMA device with an RS232 cable, rather than needing to use a modem. The standard supports transfer speeds of up to 14.4 kilobits-per-second (Kbps), although proponents say the lack of physical restrictions common to most public telephone systems means that CDMA should eventually be able to offer broadband speeds of as much as two megabits-per-second (Mbps). 3Com, developer of the Palm series, licensed its Palm operating system to Qualcomm last month. However, Jeffrey Belk, vice president for Qualcomm's marketing subscriber products division said that a final decision has not been made over which operating system would be used. "We haven't announced a specific product, but I think you can see where that can lead, having a Palm-like operating system (OS) in a phone, suddenly you have a larger LCD (liquid crystal display), a larger screen, and the ability to get more types of content," he said. "I think you can safely say that we'll be seeing something in this category before the end of this year." The company already offers limited Internet access through the large display on its Q-Phone. The Q Phone integrates Unwired Planet's Up.Browser and can negotiate any Web sites that support handheld device markup language (HDML). Belk said that future Qualcomm products could also feature versions of the company's successful e-mail client. Whatever software is bundled in the next generation device, Belk said consumer demand for small, versatile communications devices will prove to be a deciding factor in the success of CDMA over more widely accepted standards such as GSM (global system for mobile communications). "We believe that data is just going to be the key differentiator, because CDMA will have the ability to offer Internet-type services, data services and higher speed data services," he said. This will not be Qualcomm's first foray into data communications devices. The company also produces the OmniTracs communications system -- a keyboard-based unit that drivers can use to communicate with their offices via satellite. Reported by Newsbytes News Network newsbytes.com . o~~~ O