Fujitsu Personal Systems Delivers First Industrial-Strength Windows CE-Based H/PC Pro Pen Computer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — September 20, 1999 — Fujitsu Personal Systems, Inc. (FPSI), the undisputed leader in the Windows-based pen tablet market, today announced the availability of the PenCentra 130, the company's first Windows CE Handheld PC (H/PC) Pro pen computer.
Weighing only two pounds, the PenCentra 130 offers up to 10 hours of battery life, rugged ergonomic design and low cost of ownership. The PenCentra 130 specifically targets the needs of mobile workers in occupations such as field services, route sales, home healthcare and merchandising.
"With its lightweight, unique and expandable design, the PenCentra 130 offers enhanced productivity to mobile workforces," said Rogers Weed, director, Personal Appliance Division, Microsoft Corp. "Fujitsu has extended the vision of what a Windows CE H/PC Pro device can do for mobile computing in the enterprise."
"Leveraging over seven years of experience in pen tablets, FPSI developed the PenCentra line to extend the benefits of Working Mobility(TM) to an entirely new set of users," added Chris Claudatos, FPSI senior vice president. "Only Fujitsu has the vision and capabilities to deliver a wide range of powerful mobile computing system solutions that span all Windows operating systems — from CE to NT."
"Fujitsu's PenCentra 130 represents a new class of pen tablet ideally suited for the rigorous demands of the field workforce. Together with our field survey software and services, it will enable us to provide superior merchandising and data gathering solutions," stated Jim Willis, vice president of sales and marketing at CASIO Soft, Inc.
Rugged Ergonomic Design: The PenCentra 130 features rubber handgrips, convenient port layout, high-usage docking contacts, and a three-year warranty — the longest in its class. Designed to be held like a clipboard, the PenCentra's full-sized pen and perfectly distributed weight make it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods of time. The familiar pen interface makes the PenCentra natural to use and fosters excellent face-to-face interaction. Weighing in at only two pounds, the PenCentra with advanced power management can operate up to 10 hours on a single charge of its lithium ion battery.
Windows CE-based H/PC Pro: The PenCentra 130 takes advantage of the low cost of ownership of Windows CE. Optimized for vertical markets, the PenCentra costs less, is less complex to manage and is data-compatible with Windows 95/98/NT applications, plus the operating system is upgradeable. It's also tested and ready to use with Citrix MetaFrame thin client.
Software/Storage: The unit comes standard with 16 MB RAM and 8 MB non-volatile Flash memory, which are both upgradeable to handle more demanding user storage requirements. The 24 MB ROM stores the operating system and bundled software that includes productivity applications, 32-bit pen support with inking, two handwriting recognizers, thin client support, and a software development kit from FPSI.
Extensive Connectivity: Packed with outstanding connectivity features, the PenCentra 130 has a built-in 56K V.90 modem; two PC Card slots; PS/2, USB and serial ports; built-in speaker and microphone; and high-usage docking contacts. The PenCentra 130 also supports a variety of wireless LAN and WAN radios and is "radio-ready" to maximize range and minimize interference.
Performance: The unit comes with a 131 MHz NEC RISC processor, 16-bit video accelerator with 2 MB SGRAM, and 16 MB SDRAM main memory. System RAM can be upgraded to 48 MB.
Displays: The PenCentra 130 offers 8" VGA color displays for various lighting conditions: a reflective display designed for outdoor use and a transmissive display for indoor use.
Peripherals: Among the peripherals and accessories now available for the PenCentra 130 are a docking station, harsh environment case (HEC), holsters, mobile keyboard, portfolio case, slip case and a third-party vehicle mount cradle.
Pricing and Availability: The single unit list price for the PenCentra 130 is $ 1495. The price that a corporation typically pays in volume is considerably less. It is available now through FPSI's worldwide network of certified VARs and system integrators.
About Fujitsu Personal Systems
Fujitsu Personal Systems, Inc. (FPSI) is the undisputed leader in the Windows pen tablet market. The Company's mission is to extend the benefits of Working Mobility to the broadest possible base of workers. FPSI focuses on mobile decision support applications for large organizations and government institutions, and is supported by a worldwide network of certified VARs and system integrators.
FPSI's state-of-the-art pen tablet PCs feature advanced CPU performance, extensive connectivity options and long battery life in compact, lightweight form-factors.
Fujitsu Personal Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited (TSE 6702), a leading provider of comprehensive information technology and network solutions for the global marketplace with consolidated revenues of $ 43.3 billion. FPSI (408/982-9500) has headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., and offices throughout North America and Europe.
For more information please call 800/831-3183 or visit www.fpsi.fujitsu.com.
Note to Editors: Fujitsu is a registered trademark of Fujitsu Ltd. Other company or product names have been used for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT:
Fujitsu Personal Systems
Tom Bayens, 408/982-9500
thomas_bayens@fpsi.fujitsu.com
Wendy Olver, 408/982-9500
wendy_olver@fpsi.fujitsu.com