Re: Palm/Sharp/GeoWorks agreement...
Lonnie Smith <starnet!apple!grace.rt.cs.boeing.com!smithh>
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 93 10:31:07 PDT
From: Lonnie Smith <starnet!apple!grace.rt.cs.boeing.com!smithh>
Message-id: <9309091731.AA25222@grace.rt.cs.boeing.com>
To: zoomer-list-1993@grot.starconn.com
Subject: Re: Palm/Sharp/GeoWorks agreement...
Status: OR
>> Ain McKendrick (ain@palm.com, for those with REAL mailers) writes:
>>
>> PALM COMPUTING AND SHARP ELECTRONICS SIGN OEM AGREEMENT
>> Sharp Electronics has adopted the GEOS operating system, from
>> Berkeley, Calif.-based Geoworks, for the PT-9000. ...
> To which Shag adds:
>
> Now the obvious questions... is the PT-9000 going to be a rebadged Zoomer,
> or Something Completely Different? (I can't see Sharp and Casio
> collaborating on something)... when will it be out, or is it already?
> Pricing?
>
> -Shag
I think the PT-9000 must be Intel-compatable and Zoomer-compatable. The
following quote from that release tells the tale.
"Designed to incorporate the best of a PDA and notebook computer,
the Sharp PT-9000 personal information assistant allows users to
run all of the latest PDA-based personal information management
applications as well as the GEOS personal computer applications.
The Intel version of PenGEOS (sp?) is the only pen version of GEOS available
soon as far as I know. The Sharp/Palm press release stressed time-to-market
issues and it seems unlikely the time and effort required to port to another
processor (previous Sharp organizers or Newton) will be expended.
Given that, and, given that they want to incorporate the best of notebook
computers too, then one has to ask in what direction might that point the
Sharp product developers.
The dominant notebook computer architecture is Intel-based with DOS as the
root OS of course (as is Zoomer). Also, if you look back at the news releases
I think you will find that "Zoomer" is being sold as a "technology family or
assemblage" similar to the Newton "family" of devices. Given Sharp's goals,
it seems sensible for Sharp to buy into the Zoomer "family" as it has done
with the Newton "family". Maybe Sharp is just making sure it is on the
winning side -- no matter who wins!
--
H. Lonnie Smith Research & Technology
smithh@atc.boeing.com Boeing Computer Services
Bellevue Campus M/S 7L-40
P.O. Box 24346
1.206.865.3338 :voice Seattle, Washington, USA
1.206.865.2965 :FAX 98124-0346
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