Mobile |
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by Chuck Horowitz |
If you want to find out more about the Pentium that's in your notebook, check out Intel's Mobile Computing Center on the Web at http://www.intel.com/procs.mobile . There is a difference between the low-power processors in your notebook and the processors in a desktop.
While you're on the Web, try Mobile Office Magazine's site at http://www.mobileoffice.com/ . They have links to more than 200 web sites with mobile computing information and they have the text of many of the articles from their magazine.
This is the year of advanced handheld communications. Cellular telephones will be equipped with paging, fax and data communications capabilities.
These devices (phones?) will have the ability to browse the Web, send and receive e-mail and make or receive phone calls. Now, if they could also write this column ......
Somewhat along these lines, Corel Corporation (Ottawa, ON) will produce their own PDA to be released in the second half of 1997. No name has been announced for this under $500.00 addition to the PDA market. The unit will have a RISC processor and either a monochrome or color LCD screen. Corel's PDA will include the sending and receiving of e-mail and faxes, a contact manager and scheduler, handwriting recognition, voice recognition and a Web browser.
The difference between Corel's PDA and all the others on the market is that it will be programmed in Sun Microsystems' Java language.
This will allow you to download Java applets from the Internet that will run without any problems on the PDA.
(Just when you thought that PDAs were on the way out). Corel can be reached at 613/728-8200.
Nikean Wireless Devices (San Diego, CA) is preparing two small wireless modems that snap into the U.S. Robotics Pilot.
They are developing e-mail and Web software called Minstrel that will allow the Pilot to send and receive e-mail messages over CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data) networks. They are also developing "The Page," a snap-on module that will allow one-way alp hanumeric messages, news and stock quotes.
S-MOS Systems, Inc. (San Jose, CA) makes the Cardio, a PCMCIA size 486DX4 computer (with a full-function 486 motherboard) that can fit in your wallet. It has a 100 MHz processor, 16 MB of memory and a graphics accelerator.
The card is only being used in industrial, custom devices at this time, but it should soon be available in devices that we can all buy. S-MOS can be contacted at 408/922-0200.
Computer Connections America (Bedford, MA) has a shuttle storage device with a carry handle that connects to either an SCSI or an enhanced parallel port. The device is a CD-R drive and comes in a 2X or a 4X model.
Axonix Corporation (Salt Lake City, UT) makes the ProMedia 8XR, an 8 speed, top-loading, portable CD-ROM drive with a transfer rate of 1.2 MB per second.
The drive supports Windows 95 (32-bit plug-and-play) allowing the unit to be attached when the power is on. It weighs 20 ounces and requires no AC adapter or battery.
A PC Card interface cable and a "phantom power cable" that transfers power from your notebook are included. Be prepared for a shorter duration for your notebook's battery, though.
SCM Microsystems (Los Gatos, CA) makes the SwapSmart PC Card Reader/Writer. The compact reader connects smart cards through a Type II PCMCIA slot. The unit is available for Windows 95, DOS and OS/2.
Techmedia Computer Systems Corporation (Garden Grove, CA) has the Technote S3000 notebook with a 133 MHz Pentium processor, a 12.1 inch SVGA TFT LCD screen, full-duplex sound, infrared communications and full PCI architecture.
The unit has Zoom Video ports, upgrade capability on the processors and hard drives and simultaneous access to CD-ROM and floppy drives. It comes with a 1.44 MB hard drive, 16 MB of EDO RAM and a 6X CD-ROM drive.
Chuck Horowitz is a HAL-PC member.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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