HP Reveals More About Win CE Plans

Palmtop Will Carry Forward LX Brand

As perhaps one of the most anticipated WinCE palmtops, Hewlett Packard’s entry into this competitive market is set for a late spring release. Taking a cue from Hewlett Packard’s earlier DOS based models, the two new HPCs will be named the 300LX and 320LX for the 2MB and 4MB versions respectively.

The WinCE market to date has been something less than explosive as some corporate decision makers have taken a wait-and-see approach. In particular, many are eager to more closely examine Philips’ Velo 1 and HP’s new units.

Based on the early buzz, both are positioned to become significant players in the WinCE market. The HP models, in particular, offer essentially a super set of HPC features with a very notable enhancement: an improved screen.

Larger Window to Your Information

The 300LX’s display is a full width 640×240 FSTN grayscale LCD. Contrasted to the WinCE standard of 320×240 pixels, the extra-wide screen permits word processing documents and Web pages to be viewed at the standard horizontal VGA resolution of 640 pixels, the way most pages are meant to be seen.

This reduces the likelihood of horizontal scrolling when reading information, a time-consuming and bothersome operation. As all other WinCE palmtops, the 300LX relies on a touch screen interface.

Besides the amount of RAM, there are a number of other differences between the 300LX and 320LX, the most noticeable of which is the backlit screen on the 320LX. The 320LX also includes a built in CompactFlash card slot.

This enables users to employ a CompactFlash card without occupying the standard Type II PC Card slot. CompactFlash cards are fast becoming a popular format for flash storage devices, available in sizes ranging from 2 to 20MB.

The 300 and 320LX are comparatively large units (due to the larger display) measuring 7.2″ x 3.67″ x 1.1″ and weighing 15.6oz. The implication is that you probably won’t be carrying one around in your shirt pocket, however, it should fit unobtrusively in a jacket pocket or purse. But this can generally be said about every current WinCE device.

“Vendors are already lining up to provide a range of Internet services for the 300LX.”

For power, the unit relies on two AA and a CR2032 coin cell backup battery. An optional AC adapter is also available.

The most obvious limitation of the 300LX series is the lack of a built-in modem, a feature offered by the Philips Velo 1 through its Soft Modem technology. This leaves PC Card modems as the only option for those needing to use the 300LX for communication purposes.

The drawback is that PC Card modems tend to be an expensive solution while also being notoriously hard on the power consumption characteristics of the device.

Wireless Communication Options

Despite this, a number of vendors are already lining up to provide a range of Internet services for the 300LX. Units purchased via a reseller will include an optional communications bundle offering wireless network services from ARDIS, along with a Motorola wireless modem and software from RadioMail.

HP 300LXs purchased via the retail channel will offer optional wireless network services from RAM Mobile Data, together with a US Robotics MegaHertz wireless modem and software from Wynd Communications (see next page for more details).

Both the 300LX and 320LX include a serial interface and an infrared transmitter/receiver for other communication options. The system will ship with version 1.1 of Windows CE which includes support for the wider display while continuing to bundle pocket versions of Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer, among other productivity applications.

The new devices will include a desktop application called Information Explorer, useful for connecting the WinCE LXs to a PC. The software also includes a utility to convert appointment and phone book data currently residing on a 100LX, 200LX, or OmniGo 100/120, making it suitable for use with the 300LXs.

A Corporate-Oriented Pen-Based Palmtop

While the corporate world appears to have welcomed Windows CE into the handheld market, many firms remain ambivalent toward the first generation. While applauding the desktop connectivity features and pocket versions of the core productivity applications, small screens and the lack of a built-in modem have forced many to wait for additional offerings.

The HP 300 and 320LX address the important issue of information display and could become one of the most attractive of the early WinCE solutions. It would be even more appealing if it featured a built-in fax modem implemented in software.