GRiD Introduces PenRight!; Announces Intention to License Software Platform
FREMONT, Calif. — October 11, 1991 — GRiD Systems Corp. Friday introduced PenRight!, a pen computer software platform with a ''forms'' paradigm that recognizes upper and lower case letters.
PenRight! is specifically designed to support data collection applications. GRiD also announced that it will license PenRight! to other pen computer hardware vendors.
PenRight!, available immediately, is an MS-DOS-based graphical application development platform for the company's GRiDPAD line of pen computers, including future 386-based pen computers, as well as systems from other vendors.
PenRight! contains an Application Program Interface (API) with more than 230 functions and a handwriting engine designed to support the execution of ''mission-specific'' applications including data collection.
GRiD's decision to license the PenRight! platform means pen computer vendors will be able to immediately take advantage of existing pen computing applications while leveraging the base of more than 300 developers already trained and experienced in writing applications under PenRight!.
''We've decided to license PenRight! to other pen computer vendors in order to provide added applications development opportunities for our growing list of software developers,'' said Kirk Cruikshank, GRiD's vice president of marketing.
''We believe our decision will help grow the overall pen computer market by giving developers more hardware options while giving end users the flexibility to pick from many hardware platforms to run their mission-specific applications.''
PenRight!, which utilizes a windowing environment, contains a number of key user features for pen computer applications including upper and lower case character recognition and gestures. These features make data entry easier, faster and more intuitive.
GRiD engineers created PenRight! as a platform for easily developing mission specific applications that are primarily forms based such as data collection. This vertical market focus complements Microsoft and GO who are developing general purpose software environments for the horizontal markets.
''With PenRight!, we've built an excellent software environment for vertical applications. The user is provided with simple forms, check boxes and buttons that make training simple,'' Cruikshank said. ''The PenRight! software platform and its powerful handwriting recognition engine are tightly integrated to eliminate unnecessary computing 'overhead' and provide sophisticated users features.''
Concentric Software, based in San Diego, is the first company to develop an off-the-shelf, end-user software package designed for the GRiDPAD, taking advantage of the flexibility and power of PenRight!. Concentric's product, dataNOW!, allows users to create electronic data-collection forms directly on the GRiDPAD.
''What sets PenRight! apart from other platforms is that it is designed to let developers spend more time thinking of many different applications to solve their customers data-collection problems rather than how to program a single application,'' said Tim White, president of Concentric Software.
''The PenRight! environment provides us with all the tools we need to create applications that run on many different pen computers. This means we can bring pen computing to many more customers.''
The C-based software development kit (SDK) for PenRight! now includes a number of primary development tools including PenResource, which streamlines the management of elements that make up a developer's project; GRiDForm, for creating and editing forms used in a project and CodeStart, which structures the flow of control between forms in the application by generating the C source code shell for an application, simplifying the time-consuming task of creating C source code.
Using these tools for prototyping, developers can quickly and easily see if an application is effective and meets a customer's needs without investing a great deal of time in development.
''With PenRight! we avoided the cryptic and memory-intensive commands that stifle the fast development of useful pen computer applications,'' Cruikshank said. ''Unlike many software platforms which require developers to start from scratch with source code, PenRight! supports a variety of development tools which enable developers to quickly and efficiently deliver a cost-effective application.''
In addition to the PenRight Software Development Kit, GRiD offers additional tools for developers using in different languages. These tools are: GRiDPenPal, an applications development environment for those who understand only programming fundamentals, and PadBase+, a development environment for Clipper programmers.
''Software, and its user acceptance, is the key to making a successful pen computing application,'' said Ken Dulaney, director of marketing for GRiD's portable computers. ''There are more than 300 software developers such as Hansen Software, FASTECH, and Sales Technologies who are building and selling effective pen computer applications based on PenRight!.
''We are making PenRight! available to pen computer hardware vendors who want to create powerful pen computing solutions for vertical market applications.''
PenRight! software requires a pen computer with the following minimum configuration: 640 by 400 or VGA display resolution; 80C86 microprocessor; 128KB system memory; 128KB storage; pen, mouse or MS-compatible mouse digitizer input device; and MS-DOS 3.3.
GRiD designs, manufactures, markets and services laptop, pen-based desktop and multimedia computers, pen-based software development tools, electronic mail and networking systems. GRiD, with an extensive direct sales and support organization, demonstrates products at 45 GRid Systems Centers and sells products through value-added resellers (VARs) and federal systems integrators.
GRiD is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. GRiD also has offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Belgium and Denmark.
GRiD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tandy Corp., Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and computers. A New York Stock Exchange company, Tandy has sales in excess of $4.5 billlion annually.
Note to Editors: GRiDPAD and GRiDPen are registered trademarks of GRiD Systems Corp. PenRight is a trademark of GRiD Systems Corp.
CONTACT:
GRiD Systems, Fremont
Bob Goligoski, or Mike McGuire, 510/656-4700