Vendors Surround HP with CE Announcements

HP’s announcement of its innovative new LX HPCs has done more than offer a glimpse at an upcoming device—it has conveniently served as a vehicle for several vendors to co-announce compatible new product offerings ranging from connectivity software and services, to hardware-based storage solutions. Here is a run-down of the most recent developments.

WyndMail for Windows CE

Wireless email and Internet access is quickly becoming de rigueur on most palmtops and handheld PCs, and the new HPLX won’t be left behind thanks to an attractive bundle from Wynd Communications. This should make the 300LX series a complete mobile solution for email, fax, and paging capabilities.

“Wireless email and Internet access is quickly becoming de rigueur on most palmtops and handheld PCs.”

One of the major advantages of WyndMail over a standard wired connection is that WyndMail doesn’t require you to wait for the modem to initialize and dial in—you are in essence always connected. This allows you to send and receive email and faxes quickly in virtually any situation, from an office meeting to the back porch.

The service does not, however, include a wireless modem as part of the standard package, an obvious necessity. US Robotics and Motorola offer the most popular wireless modems, either of which you can either rent from Wynd Communications for $39.95 a month. Alternatively, you can purchase the modems from the manufacturer for approximately $500.

An impressive feature of WyndMail is the message header preview tool which enables users to browse through message headers retrieving only the most urgent ones via wireless. This feature can add up to be a real cost-saver.

WyndMail uses the RAM Mobile Data network, making it accessible from most metropolitan areas within the United States. The basic service is priced at $29.95 a month, allowing you to send or receive 200 messages with additional messages priced at five cents. Assuming that you rent the modem as part of the package, your total service cost is $69.90 per month.

SanDisk’s CompactFlash

As mentioned on the previous page, the new 320LX HPC features a built-in CompactFlash card slot. Among those filling this slot will be SanDisk Corp., who announced that it will be suppling CompactFlash storage cards to HP for use with the new HPC.

CompactFlash, which is available in storage sizes ranging from 2 to 20MB, should add considerably to HP’s WinCE lineup by providing users with an efficient and convenient way of storing and transferring information. Additionally, CompactFlash is fast becoming the standard for use in digital cameras, with seven new products using the format.

This means that digital image information should be easier to transfer from a digital camera to an HPC. CompactFlash cards can also be used in a standard PC Card slot with the help of a low cost adapter.

Size, storage capacity, and new design wins are transforming CompactFlash into an up-and-coming solution for palmtops users that need extend the standard 2 to 4MB built into many of the new devices today.

Even more appealing is the fact that CompactFlash employs the industry standard ATA interface making it compatible with not only Windows CE, but also any DOS-based or DOS-evolved operating system.

By being the first handheld computer to incorporate a CompactFlash card slot, the HP 320LX allows users to enhance the storage capabilities of their device while leaving the PC Card slot available for use with other devices such as modems or network connection peripherals.

ARDIS Supports Win CE

It appears that users of Hewlett Packard’s upcoming handheld PC will have a number of choices for wireless services, and you can add ARDIS to that list. Coinciding with the release of the 300 and 320LX in late spring, the nationwide wireless data service provider will release a suite of products including all the necessary hardware and software required to form a complete mobile wireless solution.

The all-in-one service from ARDIS will provide access to Windows desktop PCs, along with connectivity to the Internet and corporate intranets. Included in the bundle is a Motorola PersonalMessenger 100 Wireless Modem card providing the reliable access to the network.

Also included is a selection of software consisting of IKON MobileChoice, RadioMail, and Mail on the Run by the River Run Software Group (see below). These three applications provide different core features, allowing you to choose the one that best matches your needs.

For example, IKON MobileChoice offers two-way paging, Internet email, and fax services. Mail on the Run!, on the other hand, works with corporate standard mail systems providing advanced functions including data encryption, filtering, and selective message retrieval. Finally, RadioMail offers Internet access as well as faxing and two-way paging.

As you may recall, ARDIS’ wireless data network covers the top 425 metropolitan areas in the United States.

Symantec’s pcANYWHERE

The Windows CE platform may have became an even more connected handheld platform with Symantec’s announcement of pcANYWHERE CE at the recent DEMO 97 conference. pcANYWHERE is software which enables you to remotely access and control Windows95 or NT based PCs also running pcANYWHERE.

pcANYWHERE has long been one of the most popular applications of its kind for the PC, making this announcement welcome news for current users thinking of migrating mobile workers to Windows CE. The WinCE version, in fact, may offer an entirely new degree of connectivity—you can now access your home or work PC from your pocket.

“Perhaps one of the most useful features is the ability to initiate TC/IP connections via pcANYWHERE CE.”

pcANYWHERE CE has a number of features which make it function well on an HPC device including ezZOOM and ezSCROLL, providing users with an intuitive means of viewing a host PC which typically employs larger displays. You can also resize the screen of the host PC to create the best viewing conditions possible.

Perhaps one of the most useful features is the ability to initiate TC/IP connections via pcANYWHERE CE. While this feature only works if the host PC is running Windows NT, it allows network users to access the Internet at full speed, just as if you were sitting at your PC at work.

There are a wide range of applications of this feature from system maintenance to accessing important time-critical information as quickly as possible. pcANYWHERE CE should run on any of the Windows CE handhelds with base requirements being 200KB storage memory and 600KB program memory. While the software will run on a 2MB HPC, a 4MB device is recommended.

The host version of pcANYWHERE CE requires Windows 95 or NT running on a 486SX/25MHz or higher with 10MB hard drive space and 4MB RAM. Symantec recommends 8MB for best performance. pcANYWHERE CE is expected to retail for $79.95 which includes both the host and remote versions of the software.

The remote version alone will be available separately for $39.95.

River Run’s Mail on the Run!

Mail on the Run! from the River Run Software Group is an email software package available on a range of PDA platforms. The newly announced version for Windows CE HPCs offers support for both LAN-based email systems along with standard Internet email. The most obvious advantage of running Mail on the Run! on an HP 300LX or 320LX, compared to other WinCE handheld PCs, is the ability to take advantage of the larger, full width screen. This permits users to view and respond to email without having to scroll from side to side.

Also included with the package is agent software intended to be installed on Windows 95 or Windows NT based PCs with Remote Access Service (RAS). Mobile users interact with the email system through the Windows CE Inbox providing complete control over various email functions include filtering and selective message retrieval. A trial version of Mail on the Run! will be included on the demo CD included with the 300LX and 320LX.

The full version of Mail on the Run,! including both the client and agent software, retails for $89.00 with site and multi-user licenses available.