January 9, 1998 (SEOUL) -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and
Holland-based Philips Electronics NV signed an agreement for
joint sales of their co-developed Pocket PC.
| Under the deal, Samsung will exclusively produce the product, and
both companies will market the computer on a global basis,
labeled with each company's logo.
The pocket-size computer, named "Info Gear," measures
8.4x13.4x2.0 cm and weighs 110 grams. Having neither a keyboard
nor a disk drive, the computer works by clicking icons and menus
on the 3.7-in. LCD screen.
The product adopts a 32-bit RISC (reduced instruction set
computer) chip to handle high-speed data and includes the Windows
CE 2.0 operating system to facilitate compatibility with ordinary
PCs.
Available programs on the Pocket PC will be Internet browsers, e-
mail, home banking and a paging service, company officials said.
Samsung will begin mass production in May, aiming at selling
270,000 units, or 10 percent of the world market, during 1998.
The global portable PC market, led by established handheld PC
makers Philips, NEC and Casio corporations, is expected to
register an annual average growth rate of 76 percent, with 2.7
million units sold in 1998 and 6.9 million units in 2000.
(Maeil Business Newspaper, Korea)
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