Sept/Oct 2003

Companies debating whether to equip their mobile workforces with PDAs or notebook computers now have a third format to consider: a clamshell-style lightweight notebook from Psion Teklogix which is said to combine the portability of small-format PDAs with the ease of use and power of large-format notebooks.

"With the predicted expansion of workforce mobilisation, whole-life costs of the devices workers use will become critical," says Guy-Franck Nakach, managing director of Psion Teklogix Europe. Nakach acknowledges the appeal of notebooks for flexibility and screen size, but points out that servicing and IT support costs can be high.

"Gartner quotes a figure of $15,000 to $25,000 whole-life costs for a notebook when repairs and IT support are included, compared with $1,500 for a PDA-style device," he points out. "But PDAs are not the solution for more complex data-entry applications, because the screen is too small, the keyboard is fiddly and the embedded operating system and applications limit upgrade possibilities."

Psion Teklogix' new Netbook Pro is about half the size of a typical notebook and weighs 1,100g (under 3lbs). It has an 800x600 (8.5in) TFT VGA touch-screen and full QWERTY keyboard (a typical PDA screen is 320x240). Like PDAs, it has instant-on functionality and advanced power management, allowing it to operate for over eight hours between recharges. Psion Teklogix says the larger screen improves productivity by minimising scrolling and screen-swapping, while the keyboard will speed up data input for operations where touch-screen data entry is not applicable.

 

There is an Intel XScale PXA 255 32-bit ARM 400MHz processor, and Windows CE.Net 4.2 is the standard operating system. This includes IP V6, Bluetooth and GPRS managers. Optional applications include Stellent File Viewer, which supports non-Microsoft files, a Pocket On-Schedule PIM, JEM-CE Java and Certicom VPN client.

The Netbook Pro comes with 32MB flash and 128MB SDRAM memory, but apart from this core provision, Psion Teklogix development engineers have deliberately designed Netbook Pro with the minimum of embedded technology so that it is easily adaptable to suit the needs of various market sectors, and can be updated to take advantage of future developments.

Instead, it has a host of ports to maximise its flexibility. There are CompactFlash, SDIO and PCMCIA slots for data storage and connectivity, a USB master port to connect printers, cameras and memory sticks, an RS232 serial port for desktop synchronisation and an IrDA infra-red port for wireless data transfer. There is even a headset jack.

If the form factor seems vaguely reminiscent of something, it was of course Psion who pioneered the clamshell organiser when the company was selling into the consumer market, and it has kept the basic concept alive during its more recent B2B guise. However, apart from the basic shape, the Netbook Pro has little in common with these antecedents, and is more like a Netbook with greatly enhanced user interactivity (hence the name). It looks a compelling package.