Microsoft starts your engines
The A/PC and P/PC provide a glimpse of Microsoft's long-term plans to extend computing in traditional applications, such as personal information management, and in arenas where consumers haven't yet accepted computing, such as cars. A raft of third-party software and peripheral vendors were on hand during the announcement to show support for Microsoft's reference designs and to tout their own applications of the technologies.
Windows in Your Palm. . .
The Palm PC--code-named Gryphon--gives Microsoft a shot at the market for hand-held computers without keyboards, currently dominated by the PalmPilot. This Windows CE reference design adds voice recording, infrared communications, natural handwriting recognition, ink as a data type, support for CompactFlash cards, and a backup battery that keeps you from losing data while changing main batteries.
Standard applications include Pocket Outlook, voice, text, and ink notes, [[ref?]] a clock, a calculator, and solitaire. Manufacturers that have announced Palm PC models (expected to cost from $300 to $500) include Casio, FIC (Everex), LG Electronics, Philips, Samsung, and Uniden.
. . .In Your Car
The Auto PC--code-named Apollo--fits in a standard dashboard radio slot, making it easy to retrofit existing cars. With safety being everyone's top concern, Microsoft has announced Active Talk technology, which lets drivers control Auto PCs while keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.
The reference design includes an AM/FM radio, a CD player, a digital equalizer, access to personal information, driving directions, and wireless communications such as paging, e-mail, and traffic alerts; you activate all of them by voice. The A/PC will have a USB port, infrared communication, and the ability to share data with notebooks, hand-held PCs, and P/PCs.
A number of audio manufacturers have announced plans to develop Auto PCs, including Alpine, Harmon Kardon, and Visteon, a Ford division. Clarion will have the first after-market [[?]] units for sale; they are expected in April, with prices to range from $1,200 to $2,500, depending on options (such as integrated cellular telephony, GPS, and CD changer). In the third quarter, Ford and Infiniti buyers will be able to buy Auto PCs as dealer-installed options.
. . . And in Your Clothes?
Microsoft isn't finished yet with new Windows CE platforms. The Palm PC and Auto PC join the hand-held PC as hardware reference designs, giving hardware manufacturers a starting point for further enhancements. But other applications of the scalable 32-bit Windows CE are anticipated during the next two years. There are rumors that Windows CE will run in TV set-top boxes, pens, and watches, and even that it will be woven into clothing.
The P/PC is a logical platform for Microsoft and its partners, and the A/PC is a potentially exciting new application. But look for Windows CE to appear in a wide range of other devices during the next few years.--Bruce Brown