PEN PAL Announces Reduced Prices and Volume Discounts with Shipment of Power PEN PAL Release 4.0
LOS ALTOS, Calif. — April 19, 1993 — PEN PAL Associates Monday announced a 30 percent price reduction and volume discounts on Release 4.0 of the Power PEN PAL application development environment that began shipping today.
Under the new pricing prgram, Power PEN PAL will be offered at $695. PEN PAL is also offering a special upgrade price of $95 to users of other versions of Power PEN PAL, and is reducing the list and volume pricing on the PEN PAL runtime control program. The PEN PAL control program now has a suggested list price of $65, reduced from $125.
"The goal of our new pricing is to encourage the design and implementation of more pen-computing applications. Power PEN PAL is the fastest, easiest way to develop pen-based applications, as the developers who take advantage of this offer will soon see," said Samuel J. Wiegand, president, PEN PAL Associates.
"We are reducing runtime control prices, particularly for quantity orders, to enable OEM hardware vendors, value-added-resellers (VARs), and end-users to roll-out larger implementations of pen systems more cost effectively."
Power PEN PAL Release 4.0 will support all of the major pen computer hardware platforms running the DOS operating system, including both the PenDOS pen operating environment from Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC), Redwood Shores, Calif., and the PenRight! pen operating environment from the PenRight! unit of GRiD Systems, Fremont, Calif. Release 4.0 also includes many new features that enhance its power and ease of use.
"Release 4.0 of Power PEN PAL is designed to be the most powerful and flexible application development environment for creating pen-based applications independent of both platforms and operating environments," said Samuel J. Wiegand, president. "Applications developed using Power Pen Pal Release 4.0 will run on any PenRight! or PenDOS based system, which is 90 percent of platforms today."
Pen-based computer platforms supported by Release 4.0 include all of the pen-based computers running DOS or Windows from IBM, NCR, GRiD, Fujitsu, Norand, Telxon, Samsung, Toshiba, Dauphin, NEC, Microslate and Superscript, as well as pen-adapted computers using pen-digitizers from Wacom, Arthur Dent Associates, Calcomp or Scriptel.
Release 4.0's support of the PenDOS environment brings key advantages, including broader handwritten character recognition, with fuller character sets and extensive localized international character sets; compatibility with standard off-the shelf DOS programs; and the ability to incorporate CIC's Dynamic Signature Verification system into applications.
Enhanced Release 4.0 features include the ability to develop larger programs; easier data import facility; file sharing; and increased font support. Larger program development is facilitated through the use of extended memory, which enables developers to build more extensive applications.
"Pen computing applications are dependent on the availability of development tools. Power Pen Pal Release 4.0 is a significant contribution to the rapid growing mobile computing market," said Lou Panetta, executive vice president of marketing and North American sales, Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.
The new improved data import facility allows developers to program the import of data from a database much more easily. Power PEN PAL Release 4.0 automatically creates the data structures of existing database files for use in the pen application.
The new file sharing feature is particularly important where direct wireless communications is used to send transactions to a serve. The file sharing feature also increases the number of open files that can be managed in an application.
Release 4.0's new increased font selection gives the developer greater latitude in customizing the look and feel of an application to meet the exact requirements of the end-user. Release 4.0 now offers the selection of any of the Adobe Type 1 fonts as well as the fonts supplied with Power PEN PAL.
Users of the early beta releases of Power Pen Pal Release 4.0 have been enthusiastic about the new features. Pete McCoy, technical specialist for the Alabama State Auditor's office said, "I love Release 4.0. It has more features, particularly the ability to import existing DBF files. Power PEN PAL is a very good product, and ease of use is its best characteristic."
Debra Ann Champ, engineer, distribution, at Monongahela Power, said, "The Power PEN PAL 4.0 development environment with its comment templates and menus is easy to use by those without programming experience, but also allows advanced programmers to use their programming knowledge to produce sophisticated applications in a short period of time."
Both PenRight! and PenDOS environments run under the DOS operating system, and are used by the principal hardware and software developers providing pen-based computer solutions for vertical applications such as data collection, route accounting, medical reporting, survey taking, field engineering, field sales and claims adjusting, by organizations in such industries as food and beverage, medical, automotive, transportation, mining, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, distribution, government and education.
Upgrades to Release 4.0 are available from PEN PAL Associates, by calling 415/903-3850.
Quantity discount schedules for Power PEN PAL and for the PEN PAL runtime control program are available to both resellers and end-users.
Power PEN PAL Release 4.0 is targeted at vertical application developers, and is marketed through OEM, ISV and VAR channels. Based in Los Altos, PEN PAL Associates Inc. is focused on making pen computers an important and easy-to-use tool for business productivity. PEN PAL has developed two products for pen-based application development: Personal PEN PAL and Power PEN PAL. The suggested list price for Personal PEN PAL is $395.
Note to Editors: Company and product names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT:
PEN PAL Associates
Samuel J. Wiegand, 415/903-3850
New Futures World Marketing
Kenneth J. Roberts, 415/324-9296