Hitachi Unveils New Handheld PC Line, Including World's First Color Unit With Oversize Screen And Desktop
Addresses Mobile Professionals' Demand for Functionality, Portability and Ease of Use
ATLANTA, GA
Mar 11, 1998 00:00 AM
Expanding its line of versatile digital mobile products, Hitachi America, Ltd. and Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc. announced today two new Handheld PCs optimized for Microsoft Windows CE 2.0, including the world' first color unit with an oversized screen and near full-sized desktop keyboard. Designed specifically for mobile users who demand functional and feature-rich applications, Hitachi' newest Handheld PCs strike the perfect balance between desktop power and portable convenience.
Marking the debut of its first color-enabled Handheld PC, Hitachi' HPW-200EC Handheld PC is a wide-bodied model equipped with the superfast Hitachi SuperHTM SH3 (100 MHz) 32-bit RISC chip allowing rapid access to applications and information. This unit also comes equipped with 16MB of RAM (expandable to 48MB), 12MB of ROM, a 33.6 kbps software modem, VGA-out port and IrDA interface for presentations and smooth file transfers and printing, and a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
The model weighs less than 2 pounds with the battery pack and boasts an oversized 8.1" diagonal easy-to-read touch panel 640 x 240 color LCD display with .30mm dot pitch, maximizing productivity with crisp, clear, color renditions of charts and graphics. A key feature of this model is the added convenience of a larger, user-friendly 74-key keyboard that looks and feels more like a desktop keyboard.
Other features include a Type II PCMCIA slot, Compact Flash card slot, Quick Launch keys, built-in microphone, speaker, and voice recorder. This wide-bodied color Handheld PC will be shown at this year' FOSE show in Washington, D.C. on March 24-26. Units are expected to be available in April for $999.
These new products offer affordable solutions for all types of mobile users. Whether a user needs a large, user friendly keyboard for frequent data entry, a super bright and oversized screen with 256 colors for compelling presentations or built-in connectivity for instant access to information from remote locations, Hitachi' Handheld PCs offer the solutions.
Hitachi' newest monochrome Handheld PC, HPW-20E8M, also includes a host of advanced features and functions designed for demanding mobile users. The HPW-20E8M has a Hitachi SuperH SH3 (80MHz) 32-bit RISC chip, 8MB of RAM, 16MB of ROM, a 21.6 kbps software modem, VGA-out port, IrDA interface, and an intelligent rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack.
Designed for ultra portability, this unit weighs in at about 1 pound, including its very large and bright 7.1" diagonal 640 x 240 touch panel LCD screen with .26mm dot pitch and 16 gray scale. The ergonomically designed 69-key keypad makes data entry and access seamless. Other features include a Type II PCMCIA slot, Compact Flash card slot, Quick Launch keys, built-in microphone, speaker, and a voice recorder. The HPW-20E8M Handheld PC is priced at $599 and units will be available soon.
With Microsoft Windows CE 2.0 for the Handheld PC, users have access to similar software found on their desktop PCs, including Microsoft' Pocket Outlook(TM), Pocket Word(TM), Pocket Excel(TM), Pocket PowerPoint(TM) and Pocket Internet Explorer(TM). Mobile professionals now have a suite of compatible communication and essential applications for web browsing, development tools and a host of personal productivity applications.
Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc., a subsidiary of Hitachi America, Ltd., develops and markets a variety of consumer electronics and commercial multimedia products, including handheld computers and products for image capture and information access/multimedia.
Hitachi America, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., Japan, markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and semiconductors, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America.
Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world' leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1996 consolidated sales (ending March 31, 1997) of $68.7 billion. The company markets and manufactures a wide range of products,