Matsushita launches rugged PDA

From...

By Kuriko Miyake

(IDG) -- Matsushita Electric Industrial has unveiled a rugged personal digital assistant that is water resistant and can withstand drops of up to 4 feet, the company says. The ProNote FG Handy, to be sold in North America as the Toughbook 01, is the company's first PDA device.

The PDA's capability to withstand falls and to resist water drops from every direction makes it suitable for those working at industrial sites, the company said.

IDG.net INFOCENTER IDG.net's main page Free daily newsletters PC World.com Product Finder Computerworld Communities Related IDG.net Stories Panasonic's PC Display Goes Wireless NEC Debuts Its First Pocket PC PDAs for any budget Features Cool gifts for cool nerds! Your complete guide to broadband DSL bloodbath continues Visit an IDG site Choose a site: IDG.net CIO Computerworld Darwin Dummies.com GamePro.com The Industry Standard ITWorld.com InfoWorld.com JavaWorld LinuxWorld Macworld Online Network World Fusion PC World Publish.com UnixInsider IDG.net search

The device runs Windows CE 3.0, has a touch-screen color thin film transistor LCD with front light, a keyboard with back light, and a Secure Digital card slot, according to a Matsushita statement. It measures just under 7 by 4 by 1.75 inches and weighs just less than 17 ounces. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours if the front light is not used. Optional features include internal mobile packet data or wireless LAN systems, a Global Positioning System unit, and a bar code reader.

The company has already started taking orders in North America and Europe, and will be ready to ship the products at the end of November, said Ikue Sakai, a spokesperson for Matsushita.

The device will be priced at about $999 in the U.S., according to the company.

Growing ProNote Line

Matsushita unveiled (see "Panasonic's PC Display Goes Wireless," link below) a rugged mobile PC, the ProNote Air FG in June, but users wanted something smaller and lighter. The ProNote FG Handy meets that demand, Sakai, said.

Matsushita is just the latest in a line of Japanese companies to enter the PDA market, following on the heels of NEC and Fujitsu. NEC introduced (see "NEC Debuts Its First Pocket PC," link below) its first Pocket PC earlier in November.

By making its device rugged and aiming it at corporate users, the company is trying to distinguish itself from the others, Sakai said. Matsushita has no plans to enter the consumer market with the device at this point, she said.

The company expects to manufacture 50,000 units a year. It will start taking orders in Japan from Thursday, and expects to ship it in early 2002 priced at $1,167.