Hewlett-Packard introduces 660LX palmtop PC

 HP recently introduced the 660LX, a color-screen H/PC identical to its popular 620LX except that it ships with 32 MB or internal RAM memory and a 56- kbps fax/modem card. The 660LX, with its fast modem card and extra internal memory, is designed to give mobile professionals faster access to their email and Internet, and more space to store messages, documents, applications, images.

HP now offers two color-screen palmtop PCs. The 620LX with 16 MB of internal RAM memory has been reduced to $799 (U.S.). For more information, see the Hewlett-Packard listing in the "At A Glance" section.

Novatel Wireless ships CONTACT: H/PC with built-in wireless modem

Novatel Wireless announced the shipping of CONTACT, its Windows CE 2.0 Handheld PC with a built-in, fully integrated wireless modem. The user must have a Wireless IP service plan and an Internet Service Provider to utilize CONTACT's wireless capabilities. Carriers offering Wireless IP service for CONTACT include: Ameritech, AT&T Wireless, Bell Atlantic Mobile, GoAmerica Communications, GTE Wireless, and Vanguard. For more information, please see the Novatel Wireless listing in the "At A Glance" section, page 47 of this issue.

Novatel Wireless also announced the availability of Result Information Group's RANDI CE, a network administration tool that allows wireless access of corporate networks using CONTACT's integrated wireless modem. According to the announcement, using RANDI CE with CONTACT will simplify the management and administration of NT systems, saving companies time and money by providing remote 24-hour network support and allowing a rapid response to all network complications. Result Information Group's web site: http://www.results-info.com.

Sharp Mobilon HC-4600

Sharp has released a new version of its Windows CE 2.0 color-screen H/PC. The original HC-4500 Mobilon could not be expanded beyond its 16 MB of internal RAM.

• The 4600 comes with 16 MB of RAM, and is expandable to 32 MB. In addition to the 4500's features, which include a digital camera option, voice record feature, and seven one-touch application keys, the new HC-4600 has a number of new hardware and software features, including:

• PC File Viewer -- which lets users view desktop PC files on the Mobilon, enabling users to open e-mail attachments including a variety of Microsoft, Corel and Lotus file formats.
• Citrix ICA Client -- the thin-client which enables users to dial into a corporate network and use the Mobilon as a terminal to run off-the-shelf or corporate desktop applications residing on a Citrix WinFrame Server. (Citrix ICA Client will work with Microsoft Terminal Server using Citrix MetaFrame add on.)
• bFax Pro -- fax software which now has send and receive capability. The new architecture allows users to fax from any program that supports printing.
• PhotoLink -- seamlessly integrates still images with contact information. Images can be imported from the optional digital camera or clipboard.
• Image Editor -- optimizes the images for best viewing with auto image correction. The Image Editor can also be used to produce MPEG videos using the digital camera.
• MPEG Player -- play short video clips or movies you make using Image Editor or download video from the Internet.
• Optional 16MB system memory upgrade to boost the unit to 32MB of RAM which enhances storage capacity and multi-tasking capabilities.

Sharp will make a software upgrade package, including this new software, available to registered users of the HC-4500 for a nominal fee. Details will be forthcoming on Sharp's web-site, http://www.sharpusa.com.

The Sharp Mobilon HC-4600 will be priced around ^$999. See "At A Glance" section, page 47, for more details about Sharp's H/PCs.

Desktop To Go for Windows CE discontinued

DataViz discontinued the development and marketing their Windows CE synchronization program. According to their Web page, the decision was made "...due to an increased need for our technology and resources in other areas..." The Web page further states that technical support via phone will be available through the rest of this year and that that will maintain their Windows CE technical support Web page "well into 1999." Web site: http://www.dataviz.com/Tech/DTG/DTGCE/TS_DTGCE_Home.html.

MultiMedia Card Association formed

Fourteen leading industry companies, including the world's largest telecommunications companies, have established the MultiMediaCard (MMC) Association, an international organization that will promote the adoption of the ultra-small memory card as a new storage standard for telecommunications and handheld computer products.

The 14 member companies are Altec Computer Systems, Ericsson, Hitachi, ITT Cannon, LinkUp Systems, Motorola, Multisonic Interactive, Pontis GmbH, NEC, Nokia, QUALCOMM, SanDisk, SCM Microsystems and Siemens AG. In November, 1997, SanDisk and SiemensAG introduced the MMC, the world's smallest solid state storage device (approximately the size of a postage stamp). It provides portable data and audio storage to the many small-size, advanced mobile phones, pagers, handheld computers and audio recorders currently being developed.

For more information visit the MultiMedia Card Association's Web site is at http://www.mmca.org or SanDisk's Web site at http://www.sandisk.com.

Phone makers pick Psion's operating system

Digital cell-phone makers Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola chose Psion's EPOC as the operating system for their smart cell phones and digital communicators. Psion will release control of its EPOC application programming interface (API) to Symbian, a new company jointly owned by Psion, Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola.

Microsoft continues to update Windows CE to make it better suited to the development of embedded systems applications, including the type used by smart phones and digital communicators. This deal is seen by many as a setback for Microsoft's plans to have Windows CE be the operating system of choice for mobile communications devices.

Sega chooses Windows CE for Dreamcast game system

Microsoft has been collaborating with Sega Enterprises on the development of Dreamcase, Sega's new home video game system to be available towards the end of this year or the beginning of 1999. Microsoft will provide an optimized version of the Microsoft Windows CE with integrated DirectX services as the operating system for use with Dreamcast.

Dreamcast will include advanced technology in 3-D graphics, sound and input devices, as well as an on-board modem to support Internet access and network gaming. According to Microsoft, the use of the Windows CE operating system will make the development of games for the new system easier and faster, making possible cross-platform title compatibility with Windows-based PCs.

A Windows CE Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Dreamcast system will be built around the Microsoft Visual Studio development system version 5.0 and will include Visual C++ development system-based tools. Video game developers will be able to develop Dreamcast games on Windows-based PCs. The initial SDKs are expected to be available to Sega-licensed developers by the end of May 1998.

For more information, contact Sega at http://www.sega.com or Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dailynews/060398.htm.

SanDisk introduces higher-capacity PC memory cards, cuts prices

SanDisk has significantly increased the storage capacity of its removable flash memory cards and embedded flash devices with the introduction of a product line based on its new 80 megabit (Mbit) double density technology. The introduction gives SanDisk the industry's highest capacity products in the Type II and CompactFlash Card categories.

SanDisk's double density technology increases the capacity of flash storage products by storing two bits of information in each flash cell instead of the traditional one bit of data. SanDisk's flash memory prices are being reduced by approximately 20 percent per megabyte with double density flash. SanDisk will go into full production in the third quarter of this year. SanDisk's highest-capacity Type II PC card will increase from 220 MB to 280 MB. Its highest-capacity CompactFlash card rises from 48MB to 60MB. End user prices have not been set yet.

For more information, contact SanDisk at http://www.sandisk.com.

A note on "discontinued" and "recalled" products

[This tip is based on a notice David Mills, from Sharp Electronics, sent me. It was in response to some misunderstandings about the availability of their Mobilon H/PC, but it applies to any product. ­ Rich Hall]

You're at a computer store looking for a particular H/PC, Palm-size PC, or any computer product. You can't find it so you ask the sales person to look it up on the store's inventory system. He or she comes back and tells you, "Sorry, but the item has been "discontinued" (or "recalled"). You're out of luck, those S.O.B.s dumped you, right? Not necessarily!

To a store clerk, the word "discontinued" means: a) they can not get the product from the manufacturer for any number of reasons, or b) they have decided to stop carrying the product in question. It does not mean that the manufacturer has decided to abandon you without notice.

The word "recalled" conjures up images of automobiles being called back to correct safety-related problems. It's possible for a computer product to be "recalled" for defects. But in the case of Sharp, they did so well selling their Mobilon to corporations, they had to "recall" some of the ones they sent to computer resellers to fulfill their corporate accounts.

Although Sharp has recently introduced its HC4600, it stills sells and supports the HC-4100 and HC-4500. They have not "discontinued" them.

The general point here is to check with the manufacturer about "discontinued" or "recalled" items. If you have problems, email them to me at rich@thaddeus.com and I'll check for you.