Power PEN PAL Enables Quick Vertical Application Design for NEC VersaPad
LOS ALTOS, Calif. — July 19, 1993 — PEN PAL Associates announced Monday that applications designed with the Power PEN PAL application development tools will run immediately on the new NEC VersaPad pen tablet computer without modification.
Power PEN PAL is designed to be the fastest, easiest way to create new pen computer applications for vertical market use.
"The introduction of the NEC VersaPad provides users with high-quality, state of the art pen computing platforms," said Samuel J. Wiegand, president, PEN PAL Associates. "And Power PEN PAL will enable those users to design and test their applications in a matter of days. The applications can be performing critical roles for the enterprise within a week."
Power PEN PAL is designed for creating 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. Power PEN PAL applications are also optimized for communications to other applications and databases, including via wireless carriers, such as infra-red, cellular or spread spectrum channels.
There currently are scores of applications that already have been created by value-added-resellers (VARs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) using Power PEN PAL. These applications will run on the NEC VersaPad computers with no modification required.
PEN PAL Associates applauded the introduction of the VersaPad pen tablet computer as an important advance in the field of pen computing. "The availability of the VersaPad will encourage the design and implementation of more pen computing applications, and stimulate the roll-out of larger implementations of pen systems in a greater profusion of organizations," said Wiegand.
The newest version of Power PEN PAL is Release 4.0, which began shipping in April 1993. Release 4.0 includes many new features that enhance its power and ease of use.
Applications designed in Power Pen Pal Release 4.0 offer broad platform independence, since Release 4.0 supports all of the major pen computer hardware platforms running the DOS operating system, includinpen operatnvironment from Communication Intelligence Corp. (CIC), Redwood Shores, Calif., and the PenRight! pen operating environment from the PenRight! unit of AST Research, Fremont, Calif.
"ReleasPAL is designed to b the most owerful and flexible application development environment for creating pen-based applications independent of both platforms and operating environments," said Wiegand. "Applications developed using Power Pen Pal Release 4.0 will run on any PenRight! or PenDOS based system, which includes the NEC VersaPad pen tablet computers."
Release 4.0's support of the CIC 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.
Users 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 command 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 short period of time."
Power PEN PAL is available for $695. PEN PAL offers a special upgrade price of $95 to users of other version of Power PEN PAL. The PEN PAL runtime control program has a suggested list price of $65. Quantity discount schedules for Power PEN PAL and for the PEN PAL runtime control program are available to both resellers and end-users directly from PEN PAL Associates, by calling 415/903-3850.
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:
New Futures World Marketing, Menlo Park
Kenneth J. Roberts, 415/324-9296
or
PEN PAL Associates, Los Altos
Samuel J. Wiegand, 415/903-3850