MS Windows for Pens Show Stopper at Comdex

Comdex/Windows World wrapup

It seems that Microsoft’s booth was THE pen-place to be at this spring’s Comdex/Windows World in Chicago. With the actual shipping of Windows 3.1 and its Windows for Pen operating environment, Microsoft gathered together a group of third-party hardware and software vendors to strut its pen stuff. Windows for Pens builds on Windows 3.1 via more than 70 pen functions that support features such as ink, gestures, and recognition of handprinting, shapes, and special symbols.

Hardware Has Usual Suspects

Joining Microsoft in the booth (the first exhibit you ran smack into upon entering the Windows World hall) were a variety of system vendors, all showing 386-based devices: the Sanyo Electric; NEC’s UltraLite SL/20; the Momenta Computer; the GridPad SL; Samsung’s PenMaster; TriGem’s Pen386SX; and NCR’s 3125. All of the systems shown by these vendors have been described in previous issues of this newsletter. Additionally, pen/digitizer vendors showing their wares included Wacom, SuperScript, CalComp, Kurta, Summagraphics, and Logitech.

Lots of Software

Needless to say, Windows software developers are flocking to support Windows for Pens. But, as we’ve mentioned elsewhere in this issue, it doesn’t take a whole lot for Windows developers to support Windows for Pens. Some of the apps shown support handwriting recognition, which means the application has incorporated the Windows for Pens extensions. Others are basically vanilla Windows applications. We have found, so far, that most true pencentric Windows applications, such as Hinsch Time Planner or Slate’s applications, are still in beta testing and will be shipping within the next few months.

Among those at the Windows for Pens exhibit: Approach Software (Redwood City, CA) was showing Approach, a relational database with built-in forms package; Compare Data (San Pedro, CA) was demoing Smart Chart, a medical patient-bedside application that replaces paper charts located at the bedsides of hospital patients; H.M. Hinsch (Brooklyn, NY) was showing the Hinsch Time Planner personal information management systems; PenMetrics (Corvallis, OR) was demonstrating FieldNotes, a geographic information system; PenWare (San Jose, CA) was showing the Windows version of its PenCell spreadsheet; Lexicus (Palo Alto, CA) was exhibiting an impressive cursive handwriting recognition system; Slate (Scottsdale, AZ) had a variety of its software, including PenApps, PenBook, and Day-Timer Pen Scheduler; Stylos Development (Corte Madera, CA) showed Stylos/Markup, markup and annotation software for graphic documents.

Communications-related companies participating in the exhibit included: Photonics (Campbell, CA) with its infrared wireless connectivity system; ARDIS (Lincolnshire, IL), a wireless, radio-based communication network; RAM Mobile Data (New York, NY), another nationwide, wireless network; Ericsson GE (Paramus, NJ), who makes wireless modems; B&M Systems.

All in all, Microsoft has done a good job at garnering announced support for Windows for Pens. The company now claims that, in one way or another, more than 220 companies are engaged in PenWindows development; this includes 34 OEMs and ISVs who expect to ship more than 80 applications this year.

Microsoft is aggressively marketing Windows for Pens by sponsoring more than 250 corporate seminars over the next 6 months; launching the Microsoft Pen Lab and Preferred Developer Program that provides ISVs access to Microsoft’s pen specialists, development tools, and pen hardware; and the Windows for Pen Corporate Partnership Program which offers support to corporate adopters. Contact Microsoft at 206-882-8080.