ISVs Line Up to Support OmniGo and GEOS

Conveniently timed with the introduction of HP’s innovative OmniGo 100 organizer, several leading mobile software vendors stepped forward to declare their support for the new device with a slew of useful applications and services. Among the early announcements were the telltale signs that communication-centric applications will form an important building block for the new device.

Included too were the loud support of the GEOS environment, including Geoworks, developers of the operating system. Here’s a quick summary of the announced products.

Intuit

Intuit contributes its flagship personal and small business finance software, Pocket Quicken, which is bundled with the new platform. Pocket Quicken for the HP OmniGo 100 was designed specifically for the GEOS operating system, and features the same basic features as its other Quicken software offerings.

Pocket Quicken works with Quicken Connect, a separately sold package that links the mobile application to its desktop sibling and Quicken ExpensABLE. The program employs the now familiar wallet metaphor and will be available at no expense to OmniGo 100 owners in December.

Notable Technologies

The developer of wireless applications announced that its Septor Financial Information Service will be available for the OmniGo 100 in December. Septor is a customizable system that delivers stock quotes, news alerts, and real-time or delayed price data through various networks.

Subscribers to the service, which is priced $29.95 per month plus airtime, can create customized personal profiles containing their portfolio of ticker symbols and exact times during the day at which they would like to receive the wireless information.

Palm Computing

The newly acquired subsidiary of U.S. Robotics revealed that HP has selected its Connectivity Pack software, which it intends to sell as a separate enhancement for the OmniGo. The Connectivity Pack features Palm’s HotSync technology which provides a backup and synchronization solution between the organizer and a Windows-based PC.

The Connectivity Pack also offers a way for existing users of HP’s popular LX series palmtop computers to import data into their new organizer. In addition, the software is capable of supporting several OmniGo users through a single PC, enabling centralized scheduling, updating, and backup operations to be performed, if required. The Connectivity Pack enables users to print their appointments, phone book entries, and other notes on a desktop or network printer.

Palm also announced that HP has licensed its Graffiti recognition technology. As you’ll recall, Graffiti is a simplified alphabet made up of single strokes to speed recognition while reducing errors.

SkyTel

Two-way paging is shaping up to be the hot topic of the season, and will likely remain so in 1996. SkyTel, the first provider of this service in the US, is making this wireless messaging service available to OmniGo 100 users. Co-developed by Geoworks and SkyTel, people will be able to use the SkyTel Messenger Kit to create and send wireless messages.

The SkyTel system is integrated with GEOS’ inbox and outbox, together with the OmniGo’s phone book. The SkyTel Messenger Kit will be co-marketed by HP and SkyTel, and will be available directly from SkyTel in the first quarter of 1996.

Wynd Communications

Adding to the OmniGo’s wireless communication options, the San Luis Obispo-based company announced the November 1st availability of WyndMAIL, enabling people to transmit and receive wireless messages on a nationwide basis in the United States.

People activate the WyndMAIL software by simply tapping an icon and communicate using a specially developed Type II PCMCIA card which is sold separately. OmniGo users can subscribe to WyndMAIL for an initial fee of US $49, along with monthly service charges.

Geoworks

The developer of GEOS announced two products that will be co-branded between Geoworks and Hewlett-Packard: HP OmniGo 100 Clip & Go and HP OmniGo 100 Strategy Games. Clip & Go is a handy application that enables people to transfer information between the OmniGo and Windows-based PCs.

By using a serial port connection, people can cut, copy, and paste text, spreadsheet, and ink data in both directions between the organizer and the PC. Clip & Go supports the most popular desktop applications including Microsoft Excel and Word, Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and others. The program is priced at $69.95.

The OmniGo 100 Strategy Games is a set of six games including Tiles, Black Box, Decode, Uki, Hi Ho, and Four in a Row. The package is priced that $49.95.

Geoworks
960 Atlantic Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 814-1660
(510) 814-4250 (fax)
http://www.geoworks.com

Intuit
64 Willow Place
P.O. Box 3014
Menlo Park, CA 94026-3014
(415) 833-6538

Notable Technologies
411 108th Avenue N.E.
Suite 1000
Bellevue, WA 98004
(206) 455-4040
(206) 455-4440 (fax)

Palm Computing
4410 El Camino Real, Suite 108
Los Altos, CA 94022
(415) 949-9560
(415) 949-0147 (fax)
[email protected]

SkyTel
2055 Gateway Place
Suite 400
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 451-3990
(408) 451-39911 (fax)

Wynd Communications
4251 South Higuera
Building 800
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 545-5174
(800) 549-6001 (fax)
[email protected]