MobileSoft Ships MobileCalc, The Newton Spreadsheet
CAMPBELL, Calif. — December 13, 1993 — MobileSoft Corp. Monday announced that it will begin shipping MobileCalc, The Newton Spreadsheet, this week.
MobileCalc is the company's first productivity software product for Newton Intelligence-based Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). MobileCalc is the world's first mobile spreadsheet designed specifically to take advantage of the small screen and handwritten input capability of Newton-based PDAs.
It lets users jot down numbers and carry out many functions that can be performed with a traditional spreadsheet — from data entries for inventory control to complex numerical analysis — with the ease of handwriting.
MobileCalc enables Newton users to take full advantage of the productivity benefits of their device by offering anytime, anywhere access to an application traditionally associated with the desktop — the spreadsheet. At the same time, the product leverages the communications capabilities of Newton devices, allowing the user to transmit MobileCalc spreadsheets via E-mail, fax or infrared "beaming."
"Apple has pioneered the PDA market, and now MobileSoft is pioneering the PDA applications market," said Pete Snell, vice president of sales and marketing, and co-founder of MobileSoft.
"MobileCalc is the first application for Newton-based PDAs that makes these devices invaluable productivity tools. It's here today, it works on current and upcoming versions of Newton, and its not dependent on still-evolving technologies such as wireless to have an immediate impact on an end-user's productivity."
To date, over 50,000 Newton-based devices have been sold. Industry analysts predict that by 1996, the number of units sold will exceed 6 million, creating a big opportunity for software developers.
Although there are only a handful of applications available for the Newton today, as many as 1,500 companies are currently developing communications and productivity software for this new category of products.
"Third party software developers such as MobileSoft, and products like MobileCalc, are extremely important to the success of the Newton," said Gerry Purdy, partner at The Pacific Group, a research and consulting firm specializing on the mobile computing and communications market.
"What's significant about MobileCalc is that it isn't just a desktop spreadsheet crammed into a PDA — it's a mobile spreadsheet that has been customized for the Newton platform, taking full advantage of the operating system's features and interface. It's a true PDA-centric application, yet with full data migration to the desktop."
MobileCalc is available immediately wherever Newton-based PDAs are sold. Specific outlets carrying MobileCalc include superstores such as J & R ComputerWorld, and catalogue companies such as MacZone, TigerDirect and MacWarehouse. The diskette version of MobileCalc is priced at $109, and requires the Newton Connection Kit for installation and an additional PCMCIA memory card.
MobileSoft Corp., headquartered in Campbell, develops, publishes, markets and distributes useful add-in software products exclusively for Newton technology devices. MobileSoft is financially backed by leading venture capital firms, including Merrill, Pickard, Anderson & Eyre; Draper Associates and InterWest Partners.
Note to Editors: MobileSoft, the MobileSoft logo and MobileCalc are trademarks of MobileSoft Corp. Newton and the Newton Connection Kit are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.
CONTACT:
Edelman Technology Communications
Lisa Croel, 415/968-4033