Charting Some of Marco’s Territory

The arguments are going to go back and forth—is Marco the machine that Apple should have introduced some while back, perhaps even originally? There certainly is a case for the affirmative. With proper communication capabilities built-in and, perhaps more importantly, an obvious use for the device, the message from Apple would have be much clearer.

The other side could argue that we as consumers had to mature along with the products themselves. In other words, in a completely new market, we had to see what we didn’t want in order to understand what we did. Anyway…

Taking a Peek

Unlike the Sharp ExpertPad, which made only slight cosmetic modifications to the basic MessagePad, the Marco adopts its own style. The case flips open like a paperback book to reveal a recessed screen with the familiar icons on the bottom.

The top of the casing features a built-in, flip-up antenna measuring a few inches (several centimeters) long. A larger battery, designed to support the wireless transceiver, makes the unit feel noticeably heavier than a MessagePad.

However, if you elect not to use the radio communication, the extra juice should give you longer time with the device itself. In fact, Motorola claims that you can get up to 8 hours of battery life with the device.

The screen of the Marco appears to be of the same quality as the MessagePad 110, however the built-in communication features enable you to save the sole PCMCIA slot for other valuable options. The software in the Marco has been updated to include better support for electronic messaging, and includes important feedback about the status of the radio communication.

Getting a Marco

With a price point between $900 and $1400, Motorola is clearly targeting Marco at the vertical and high-end mobile professional market. However, these users will also likely be able to quickly justify this type of investment, especially given the built-in wireless support.

In line with this market, Motorola is limiting the number of retailers and resellers that will be able to initially offer the product. The stated objective is to sell through a new channel designed particularly for this emerging market while, at the same time, working closely with VARs and system integrators.

Motorola’s objective is to guide the early adopters through the wireless maze, ensuring that their first experiences are positive. Based on the experiences thus far, this sounds like good thinking.

Some of the initial dealers carrying the Marco include:

• J&R ComputerWorld, New York
• Newton Source, New York
• Totally Wireless, San Jose, California.

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Motorola Marco