HP dials in Pocket PC for new handheld
Published: 19 Feb 2002 10:43 GMT
Hewlett-Packard is expected to unveil a new version of its Jornada handheld in Europe that can make cell phone calls and send and receive email wirelessly.
The Jornada 928 Wireless Digital Assistant is powered by Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, in tandem with the software company's latest application, Phone Edition. The application, expected to be unveiled at the 3GSM World Congress conference in Cannes, France, allows handhelds running Pocket PC to send and receive data, such as email, as well as to make voice calls.
HP is also expected to unveil the new Jornada at the Cannes conference later on Tuesday.
The company is one of many handheld makers looking to push wireless services, but it is the first to use the Pocket PC 2002 operating system. Alternative handhelds using the Palm operating system already have products on the market.
Palm's second-generation wireless handheld, the i705, provides "always-on" wireless email access through the company's Palm.net service. Competitor Handspring on 10 February began selling its Treo communicator, a Palm OS-based handheld that doubles as a cell phone.
As the battle for market share in the handheld industry heats up, manufacturers continue to look for ways to add new capabilities to their products as a way to explore new sources of revenue and grab new customers. Business applications, such as wireless email, have been at the forefront of many companies' strategies, taking a cue from the popularity of Research In Motion's BlackBerry email pagers.
The Jornada will allow voice calls over GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) networks. In addition, the Jornada incorporates voice-activated dialing and wireless Web surfing.
A device similar to the one launched initially in Europe and Asia this summer will be available in the United States by the end of 2002. Pricing for the Jornada device and the required wireless service has not been set.
The Jornada uses a 133MHz Texas Instruments OMAP 710 processor and contains 64MB of memory and a lithium-polymer rechargeable battery. Like its predecessors, the Jornada comes with a CompactFlash Type I slot for expansion cards. The device is 1.8cm thick, 7.9cm wide and 13.7cm long, and weighs 193g.
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