GO Corporation PenPointers May 1993 (Newsletter)
PenPointers was the official software developers newsletter published by GO Corporation. Issues contained corporate updates, descriptions of new operating system features, hardware compatibility notes, and tips and techniques, among other information.
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Artifact Details
GO Corporation
United States
English
May 1993
Four page, black & white, saddle-stitched, paper.
8.5" x 11" (4 pages)
PenPointers May 1993
1993
Direct from publisher
2020-07-02
Organizations
History
The May 1993 issue of PenPointers, GO Corporation's newsletter for PenPoint developers, led with the announcement that the PenPoint Software Developer's Kit was now available for the AT&T Hobbit architecture.1 Developers who already owned the PenPoint SDK 1.01 could order a Hobbit supplement kit for $548, which bundled software, documentation, and the AT&T 3DX Hobbit Architecture High C/C++ Compiler.1 The issue was built around a single theme — how to develop PenPoint applications for both the Hobbit and Intel architectures from a common code base.1
The Hobbit supplement existed because of a development relationship AT&T Microelectronics and GO Corporation had made public on July 13, 1992, under which the two companies optimized GO's PenPoint mobile operating system for AT&T's new line of low-power RISC microprocessors, the Hobbit.2 The first hardware to combine the Hobbit processor with PenPoint reached the market that November, when EO Inc. unveiled the EO Personal Communicator 440 and 880 on November 4, 1992.3 By the time the newsletter went out, that hardware was shipping: EO announced on April 21, 1993 that it was delivering the EO Personal Communicator 440 in volume, already in the hands of more than sixty corporations.4
The issue laid out a recommended strategy for targeting both architectures. GO advised developers to begin development on the PenPoint SDK 1.01 for Intel, compile their applications for both architectures to confirm source compatibility, do as much initial testing as possible with the Intel SDK on a desktop PC, and then test thoroughly on a Hobbit-based EO Personal Communicator using the EO Developer's Kit.1 A side-by-side comparison of the Intel and Hobbit SDKs ran through their software, documentation, compiler and linker, and hardware requirements — the Intel kit using the WATCOM C/386 compiler and the Hobbit kit the AT&T 3DX High C/C++ compiler.1
The newsletter also reported that PenPoint had been named the Best Pen Operating System for the second consecutive year by readers of PEN Magazine and attendees of PenExpo.1 It announced that Sharptend Software had shipped In Order, a personal information organizer for PenPoint that stored and retrieved ink, recognized text, and drawings, and that a PenApps Workbook — a self-training guide for PenApps developers written by Cathy Young of Young Ideas — was now available.1
AI generated using primary sources referenced in the footnotes
Footnotes
- GO Corporation, GO Corporation PenPointers May 1993 (Newsletter) (image scan), May 1993
- AT&T Microelectronics and GO Corporation, AT&T Microelectronics and GO Corporation Announce Development Relationship, July 13, 1992
- EO Inc., EO Unveils World's First Personal Communicators, November 4, 1992
- EO Inc., EO First to Ship Personal Communicators in Volume, April 21, 1993
Oral History
Media
GO Corporation – Introducing PenPoint (1991)
GO Corporation used this video to promote the developer release of the PenPoint OS in 1991. PenPoint was one of the first operating systems designed specifically to run on mobile devices. Featuring: Dr. Norm Vincent (State Farm), Terry Conner (EDS), Phillipe Kahn (Borland), Jack Blount (Novell), David Reed (Lotus), Alan Lefkof (Grid), Vern Raburn (Slate), Dan Bricklin (Slate), and Jim Cannavino (IBM).
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