There are a small but significant number of users that just don’t like palm-sized, pen-entry devices. They don’t want all the power and expense of a laptop PC, but they do prefer a clamshell design with a larger screen, a built-in keyboard large enough to touch type on, instant ON, long battery life, and software in ROM. This article briefly reviews two such devices, both of which run the latest version of the Windows CE operating system—Windows CE .NET 4.2.
NEC’s MobilePro 900c
The NEC MobilePro 900c is an update, based on the MobilePro 900 introduced last year. Measuring 9.69 x 5.05 x 1.19 inches (24.6 x 12.8 x 3.0 cm) and weighing 1.8 pounds (0.82 kg), the 900c is the size of a very small notebook computer. Unlike most notebooks, it has a 1/2 VGA color touch screen (8.1 inch diagonal, 640x240 pixels). Input is handled by the 92% full-size, 78-key QWERTY keyboard, with mouse functions replaced by tapping a stylus on the touch screen.
NEC’s MobilePro 900c
The MobilePro 900c sports a 400 MHz Intel PXA255 processor and is powered by a 4-8 hour, 2200 mAh lithium ion rechargeable/replaceable battery. The device has 64 MB of SDRAM and 64 MB of flash ROM—32 MB for the OS and applications, and the rest accessible to the user for program installation and data storage. It has two expansion card slots—one Type II CF Card and one Type II PC Card—that give it excellent expansion capabilities. It also has USB host and slave ports, serial port, VGA-out port, and a stereo headphone jack. The USB host capability lets you connect a full-size keyboard, mouse, and other USB appliances. Communications are handled by the built-in 56K data/fax modem or by optional wireless solutions that slip into the card slots.
As mentioned, the 900c comes with the Windows CE .NET 4.2 OS pre-installed. It also includes Handheld PC versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Media Player, a backup utility, a fax program from bSquare, and a viewer for Adobe PDF documents. NEC also includes a custom-developed viewer/editor for Excel spreadsheets, as well as calendar, contacts, and tasks managers. A number of other utilities are included, include an alternative synchronization solution from NEC.
Standard accessories include an AC power adapter, USB connectivity cable, standard battery, stylus, and an RJ-11 modem cable. Optional accessories include a 4400 mAh battery, automobile adapter kit, carrying case, serial cable, and VGA-out cable.
The MobilePro 900c is priced at $899 and is available directly from NEC and from selected resellers. For more information, visit NEC’s Web page (http://www.necsam.com/mobilesolutions/products/mobilepro/900/).
Psion Teklogix’s NetBook Pro
The Psion Teklogix NetBook Pro is based on, and physically similar to their popular NetBook, a handheld that runs the EPOC operating system. The Pro is a tiny bit larger than its predecessor, measuring 9.25 x 7.24 x 1.38 (23.5 x 18.4 x 3.5 cm) and weighing 2.95 pounds (1.34 kg). It’s about a pound heavier than the 900c, primarily because of its 8.4 inch diagonal, 800x600 pixel, SVGA color touch screen.
Psion Teklogix NetBook Pro
It uses the 400 MHz version of the Intel PXA 255 processor and has a whopping 128 MB of SDRAM to run programs and store data, but only 32 MB of flash ROM, all of which is occupied by the OS and built-in apps. The Pro’s keyboard has four rows of keys, lacking a row of application launch buttons on the top. This allowed the keys to be a little taller than those on other handhelds.
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