Fujitsu Introduces Stylistic RF with Fully Integrated Wireless Local Area Network; High-Performance Wireless LAN Capability Expands Fujitsu’s Family of Untethered Mobile Computing and Communications Offerings

February 27, 1995 — Continuing its commitment to provide industry-leading mobile computing solutions, Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc. today announced that it has integrated a high-speed wireless local area network (LAN) into its popular, super portable Stylistic 500 tablet computer.

The new Stylistic RF features a fully integrated wireless LAN adapter utilizing the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) bandwidth recognized around the world as the standard for wireless data communications. The wireless LAN enables Fujitsu’s Stylistic RF to seamlessly send and receive data for distances up to 1,000 feet at rates up to 1.6 megabits per second (Mbps) across 15 independent channels.

Fujitsu has incorporated Proxim Inc.’s RangeLAN2 wireless LAN adapter into the enclosed housing of the Stylistic 500 RF. This second-generation wireless LAN features frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to provide interference-free, transparent client/server and peer-to-peer communications. The Fujitsu design eliminates the clutter of external cables, antenna housings or mounted hardware. The only evidence of the internal radio is a small antenna in the upper corner of the system.

The wireless capability is expected to expand the compute-intensive data collection and decision support capabilities of the Stylistic 500 to include remote data collection, database updates and file synchronization capabilities in markets such as insurance, transportation, utilities and health care. Users will also benefit from the faster data transfer capabilities in forms-based applications in markets such as retail and food service.

“At Fujitsu, our goal is to empower mobile computer users by providing them with the communications infrastructure to access all kinds of data from any number of sources,” said Lou Panetta, executive vice president of Fujitsu Personal Systems. “Wireless networking capabilities play a key role here. It is fundamental to our overall strategy to continually expand the communications capabilities of our systems, and the industry-leading throughput, coverage and mobility of our second-generation wireless LAN design gives our systems a definite edge over competitive products.”

Stylistic RF

Measuring 7.2″ x 10.7″ x 1.5″, the Stylistic RF is a 2.8-pound tablet PC powered by an Intel 486DX2-50 CPU. The base computer features parallel, serial, keyboard and floppy disk drive ports; four MB of RAM expandable to 20 MB; a Type I/II/III PCMCIA version 2.0 expansion slot; an 8-inch transmissive backlit, 64-level VGA screen; and support for an external VGA monitor. The tablet supports MS-DOS 6.2, Windows for Pen Computing, PenDOS and PenRight operating systems. It is the only tablet computer to operate on standard Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, which can be purchased in most consumer retail outlets.

Proxim’s RangeLAN2 is based on frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology in the 2.4 – 2.483 GHz band. RangeLAN2 delivers an uncompressed data rate of 1.6 Mbps per channel across 15 channels, enabling operation of multiple wireless LANs in the same space. RangeLAN2 operates at a distance of up to 500 feet in normal office locations and up to 1000 feet in open spaces. RangeLAN2 supports transparent access to most standard LAN operating systems, including NetWare, NetWare Lite, LAN Manager and Windows for Workgroups.

The Stylistic RF tablet computer will be available in the first quarter 1995 and will include a 105MB PCMCIA hard drive, MS-DOS 6.2 and Windows for Pen Computing.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, is a leader in providing solutions for data collection and decision support applications through the development of super portable palmtop, pen-based and communicating computers. Its solutions are designed to meet the needs of applications where light weight, small form factor and long battery life are essential. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. Fujitsu Personal Systems has North American offices in Santa Clara, Irvine, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Toronto and international offices in England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc. corporate headquarters can be reached at 408/982-9500; product information at 800/831-3183.

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CONTACT:
Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc.
Jeff Tingley, 408/982-9500
Walt & Sommerhauser Communications
Stephanie Edwards or Cynthia Lempert, 408/496-0900