Compaq's Aero 8000 

Compaq's new color-screen Windows CE mini-notebook competes for its share of the corporate market.

BY RICH HALL

Sitting on my desk is a silver-and-black clamshell computer. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was looking at a somewhat small notebook computer. I open it up and my initial impression is reinforced. It has an almost full-sized keyboard; a large and easy-to-read color display; and a small pointing device known as a "touchpad" located below the spacebar. Finally, I press the power-on button and the illusion is shattered. The familiar Windows desktop appears, but in the middle of it are the words "Windows CE." I'm looking at the latest entry in the competition for the Windows CE enterprise solution ­ the Compaq Aero 8000 Handheld PC Pro.

The Aero 8000 is Compaq's first H/PC Pro, and a big departure from its pocket-sized "C-series" H/PCs. The Aero is one of the largest Windows CE devices I've seen, measuring 11 x 8.6 x 1 inches and weighing 2.9 pounds. It sports a 128 MHz processor and comes with 16 MB of RAM, expandable to 64 MB. The Aero has a large 10" 800x600 color display that is quite easy to see indoors. Like the IBM H/PC Pro, the Aero 8000 does not have a touchscreen. Instead, it uses a "touchpad" pointing device. I prefer a touchscreen but could (grudgingly) adapt to this type of pointing device. It's a tradeoff made for improved screen visibility and battery life.

The Aero 8000 comes with the hardware features necessary for corporate acceptance, including a built-in 56 Kbps modem, serial port, fast IrDA port, VGA-out and PS/2 mouse/keyboard ports, a PC Card (Type II) slot, 2 CompactFlash slots (one Type I, one Type II), a headphone jack and a Smart Card reader (more on this below). It is powered by either an AC adapter or an internal Lithium Ion rechargeable battery that gets up to 7 hours of use fully charged, under ideal conditions. Start knocking off battery time if you use the internal modem without connecting to the AC adapter. The same goes for backlighting and synchronizing with your desktop PC. You'll also get a serial cable, manuals, and CD ROM disks with Windows CE Services and additional third-party software. Hardware options include a classy stand-up docking cradle with external battery charger (see Screen 1) and an extended-life rechargeable battery (12 hours).

Smart Cards a smart idea

Smart Cards are the size of a standard credit card. Like a PC Card or CF Card, Smart Cards can store personal information, data, and more. As mentioned, the Aero 8000 comes with a Smart Card slot (similar to a PC Card slot). The Aero will initially use Smart Card technology for security. To access a particular Aero 8000 a user would need a Smart Card with the appropriate security codes. The Aero 8000 also comes with 256k of "SPI Flash Memory" built in. This can be used to store user password and other data. Smart Cards can also store software applications, and Compaq believes that corporations will adopt the Aero 8000 as a (relatively) low-cost platform for accessing proprietary enterprise applications.

Strong suite of built-in and add-on software

The Aero 8000 is one of the new Handheld PC Professional Edition computers and includes the Windows CE 2.11operating system and the H/PC Pro class of "Pocket" applications and utilities built in. (See the IBM NotePad z50 review, page 12, for a description of these programs.) The unit I tested included the following additional applications, built into the Aero's ROM.

* Audible Player (Audible Inc. www.audible.com) ­ download and listen to audio books, magazines, news and more from the Web. Available for free for other H/PC, H/PC Pro or Ps/PC.

* CoolCalc (Applian Technologies, www.applian.com) adds basic, scientific, computer math, business and currency conversion calculators to the Aero 8000. Available for H/PC, H/PC Pro, or Ps/PC).

* Citrix Mobile Thin Client (Citrix, www.citrix.com) ­ This lets the users access data and run full Windows 95/98/NT applications from the Aero 8000. The Citrix client software is available on other PC Companions.

* Fax Plus (CyberQuest Systems; www.cqsl.com) ­ cross between a fax and a drawing program lets you draw and fax handwritten notes, sketches, maps, diagrams and more (Screen 2). Available for other H/PCs.

* Compaq Utilities (Compaq, www. compaq.com) ­ a suite of six utilities that include the following: Asset Viewer (displays the hardware properties of the system); BackLight (adjusts backlighting); Backup to/Restore from PC Card; Database Backups (set up automatic and periodic backups for databases); Launch Keys (customize quick launch keys); Travel Safe (a program that allows the user to change the country settings for their modem).

The Reviewer's Guide Compaq sent me lists additional products and "software partnerships." It was unclear whether all of these will be made available on CD ROM. Included were the following:

Quick View Plus file viewer from Inso (www.inso.com); PowerPoint Editor from Westtek (www.westtek.com); Mail on the Run client software from River Run Software (www.riverrun.com); All In Sync remote synchronization software from River Run Software; Expense Force expense tracking software from Ruksun Software (www.ruksun.com); DCS terminal emulation software from FutureSoft (www.future soft.com); Siebel Sales Enterprise software from Siebel (www.siebel.com); Oracle Lite mobile client database from Oracle (www.oracle.com); Adaptive Server Anywhere mobile client database from Sybase, (www.oracle.com); Intertop CE Application Builder development tools from InterTop (www.intertop.com).

Not really a handheld

The Aero 8000 is called a "Handheld PC Pro," but like the IBM NotePad z50 reviewed on page 12, it's really a small notebook computer. You'll carry it around in a briefcase or shoulder bag, but you won't slip it into your pocket. Personally, I'd be careful walking around carrying either in my hands. They're smaller than most notebooks, but just a little too large and a little too easy to drop.

Like everyone else, Compaq is hoping that enterprises will buy their H/PC Pro in big numbers. I think they have as good, and perhaps a better chance than anyone else does. This is a loaded machine with hardware features and add-on software enhancements that make it well suited to the corporate environment. Compaq has made the competition for corporate dollars a lot stiffer.

Although Compaq is aiming at corporate sales, the Aero 8000 will also be sold through commercial retail channels. The suggested retail price is $949. You can buy it online at MobilePlanet (www.mobile planet.com). Additional locations are listed on the Compaq Web site (www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/). *

Screen 1: The Aero 8000's docking cradle lets you easily synchronize your H/PC and desktop PC data. The cradle includes an external battery charger.

Screen 2: Fax Plus is a cross between a fax program and drawing program. It lets you draw and fax handwritten notes, sketches, maps, diagrams and more.