Windows of Opportunity

PC Magazine

January 21, 1997

With the first Windows CE systems out and on store shelves for the holiday season, several others are on deck, awaiting release this spring and summer. In contrast to the initial pocket rockets, the next three systems may actually gain from waiting for some of the first generation kinks to be worked out of Windows CE. And rather than being generic PDAs, these will each have an individual focus.

• Hewlett Packard's as-yet-unnamed system will take graphics and display a step further with what will likely be the largest display for a Windows CE system. Its 640-by-420 screen is 1.3 inches wider than the others. And it can show 28 percent more information than the more prevalent 480-by-240 screen. Look for an intriguing GSM-based hybrid cellular phone/PDA that will be a Europe-only device.
• Hitachi is emphasizing computing power with an HPC system that will be powered by the company's own 32-bit SuperH RISC processor.
• The last to arrive at the Windows CE party will probably be Compaq. Its system will be an update of Casio's Cassiopeia and will focus on wireless connectivity and remote e-mail coverage.

With a new hand-held operating system and at least seven new ultra-portable systems to choose from, the universe of PDAs is expanding rapidly. The question is whether this market will continue to expand, level off, or be followed by an implosion. -- Brian Nadel

Copyright 1997