CeBIT: Fujitsu Siemens unveils PDA

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By Joris Evers

HANOVER, Germany (IDG) -- Fujitsu Siemens Computers BV introduced its Pocket Loox, the world's first PDA (personal digital assistant) based on Intel Corp.'s XScale processor, here on Wednesday and said it acquired a company to expand its pen-based computing business.

The Pocket Loox, priced at 699 euros (US$617) and available throughout Europe starting next month, sports an Intel PXA250 processor running at 400MHz, making it much faster than PDAs available in stores today. However, other vendors are expected to announce devices with the speedy XScale processor soon.

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Fujitsu Ltd., one of Fujitsu Siemens' parents, earlier this week announced the Pocket Loox will be sold worldwide, but specifications might vary. For example, available in Europe in August this year will be an optional module with support battery that will turn the PDA into a mobile phone for use on GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) mobile-phone networks. The Japanese price, about ¥60,000 (US$467), is much lower than the European.

The Pocket Loox, running Microsoft Corp.'s Pocket PC 2002 software, offers support for Bluetooth, and comes with 32M bytes of ROM, 64M bytes of RAM and a touch screen with a resolution of 240 by 320 pixels that is capable of displaying 65,536 colors. Expansion capability is offered through SD (Secure Digital) and CF (Compact Flash) card slots. The standard battery will power it for up to 300 hours in standby mode, or 12 hours in work mode. The device weighs about 175 grams and measures 132 millimeters by 82 millimeters by 17 millimeters, Fujitsu Siemens said.

To expand its pen-based computing business, which includes PDAs, notebooks and the Tablet PC promoted by Microsoft, Fujitsu Siemens, of Maarssen, Netherlands, said it acquired Fujitsu Personal Systems, the European subsidiary of U.S.-based Fujitsu PC Corp.

The intercompany acquisition will allow Fujitsu Siemens to setup a new business unit that will offer its European customers a broader mobile-computing range, the company said in a statement released here at the CeBIT trade fair. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Fujitsu Personal Systems, established in 1992, sells pen-based tablet PCs to customers in niche markets such as health care, insurance and market research, and is also active in cross-industry automation, such as sales-force automation, Fujitsu Siemens said.