GeoWorks Software Development Toolkit in Beta; First Developers Training Seminar Held
BERKELEY, Calif. — April 13, 1993 — GeoWorks, developer of the acclaimed GEOS graphical operating environment, Tuesday announced that it will distribute beta versions of the GEOS PC-based software development kit (SDK) at its first Software Developers Training seminar to be held in San Francisco, April 19-24.
Independent software vendors (ISVs) participating in these monthly seminars are committed to building applications based on GEOS system software for many types of devices targeted at a variety of markets including the desktop, education and the emerging consumer computing device (CCD) market.
The first GEOS-based CCD to come to market will be the Casio/Tandy hand-held, pen-based "personal information processor" (PIP), code-named "Project Zoomer." It is scheduled to ship from the factory this year.
Participants in the April seminar include representatives from PacTel Teletrac, a leading provider of location, information and communications services for consumers and business, Brilliance Electronic Publishing, creators of Talking Type audio electronic books, and MetaPacific, a company developing pen-based applications that would support a variety of customers potentially including NASA Space Shuttle missions.
Seminar attendees will go through a detailed review of GEOS system software as well as intensive hands-on work with the PC/SDK.
These new companies join a group of ISVs already developing applications for the GEOS platform: Palm Computing, of Los Altos, Calif., Intuit, Menlo Park, Calif., developers of Quicken, and America Online, Vienna, Va., developer of America Online information service.
Brian Dougherty, chairman and chief executive officer of GeoWorks, said, "Devices such as Zoomer and system software like GEOS are playing major roles in the development of the consumer computing market, but it'll be compelling applications that drive consumer purchases of CCDs."
"And I think that ISVs such as those in this first group will be the real leaders in CCD software because they've committed early on to a market that is reminiscent of what the PC market was like in 1982 — wide open."
"For GeoWorks, this first seminar and the limited distribution of our PC/SDK are significant steps toward our goal of making GEOS the leading edge system software platform for consumer computing and for other PC market segments."
GEOS is realtime, multithreaded, multitasking graphical operating environment based on object-oriented programming technology that allows for scalability and ease of use. More important for developers, GEOS offers a flexible user interface that adopts the appropriate "look and feel" of different devices while providing hardware and I/O independence.
ISVs who are committed to the GEOS platform are targeting a number of different markets with their products.
PacTel Teletrac is working in a number of areas to build applications upon its very successful wireless location and data network which currently provides vehicle recovery and security services for consumers and a comprehensive fleet-management and communications system for business. PacTel is learning how to develop with GEOS in order to maximize their efforts with outside developers creating applications marketed by PacTel.
"We work with developers to create network-based consumer applications, and GEOS is a premiere operating system that does not sacrifice size and efficiency for high performance," said Doron Ben-Yehezkel, vice president of Advanced Technology at PacTel Teletrac.
Information publishing, or content applications, will be a very important and large application category for the CCD market. Brilliance Electronic Publishing, developers of the Talking Type audio electronic books used on the Sony DD-10EXB Data Discman, will be looking at GEOS to build similar applications for use on CCDs.
"Hand-held devices that utilize a pen stylus for navigation are a natural fit for our Electronic Book products," said Michael Snodgrass, president and publisher of Brilliance Electronic Publishing. "GEOS incorporates a Postscript-like imaging model that delivers the high-quality text and graphics that are needed to drive consumer acceptance of content applications on devices such as the Zoomer."
CCDs will also find their way into specialized markets where lightweight, long battery life and an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) are very important.
MetaPacific, a developer of pen-based computer applications for such customers as the New York Transit Authority and the San Francisco Giants, is currently developing systems for a variety of pen-based applications that are being considered by the above and the likes of NASA in space shuttle flights.
Tim White, president of MetaPacific, and an earlier adopter of the GEOS technology, said, "The hardware independence that is built into GEOS is extremely valuable to us because many of our customers use a variety of commercial and specialized hand-held devices that we have to support."
GeoWorks also announced that it will hold a major developers conference in San Francisco at the end of July. There are a few slots still open for the monthly training seminars held in the Bay Area. For more information about the Developers Conference, monthly training seminars, or to obtain copies of the PC/SDK documentation that is available, contact GeoWorks' Developer Support Group at 510/644-9362.
GeoWorks, located in Berkeley, is the developer and publisher of the acclaimed GEOS graphical operating system and of GeoWorks Pro applications software. The company provides sophisticated, leading-edge operating system software designed to enable the new consumer computing market. GeoWorks products are available worldwide through OEM and dealer channels.
Note To Editors: GEOS is a registered trademark and GeoWorks Pro is a trademark of GeoWorks in the United States and foreign countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT:
GeoWorks
Mike McGuire, 510/204-8508
or
PacTel Teletrac
Nancy Harrison, 714/540-7387
or
Brilliance Electronic Publishing
Eileen Hutton, 616/846-5256
or
MetaPacific Systems Inc.
Tim White, 619/576-9444
or
Palm Computing
Kate Purmal, 415/949-9560
or
Intuit
Mario Chaves, 415/329-3666
or
America Online
Lynn Chitow, 703/448-8700