Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!sdd.hp.com!think.com!laird
From: laird@think.com (Laird Popkin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Portfolio info and rumors
Keywords: portfolio, wordperfect
Message-ID: <1991Mar15.223951.10519@Think.COM>
Date: 15 Mar 91 22:39:51 GMT
References: <27ddba5b:2406comp.sys.handhelds@hpcvbbs.UUCP> <1991Mar13.152828.27426@colorado.edu>
Sender: laird@think.com
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Lines: 26

There are a few interesting rumors regarding the Atari Portfolio that I
thought some people here might be interested in.  I don't own one, but I've
been following it's progress with much interest, as I think it's pretty
cool that you can get a DOS machine that runs on AA batteries for weeks and
is so small you can carry it everywhere _and_ sell it for under $400.

1) Atari has a 512K Portfolio in the works, with the same display,
keyboard, and so on.  This has been repeated by a number of sources, so I
expect that this is true.  The only remaining question is whether this will
replace the 128K Portfolio or extend the "family."

2) Reportedly WordPerfect Corp. is working on a PF port of WordPerfect (the
word processor).  The 128K PF could run even that huge word processor,
since the program can execute from ROM.  If this happens, I can see that
(1) the Portfolio will sell like crazy into the corporate market, since
people could use WP on the PF, then plug a RAM card into the RAM card drive
in their PC (it's cheap) and simply use their documents in WP on their
desktop machine.  And WP would sell lots of copies (if it's not terribly
expensive) since it would be cheaper to buy the ROM card than to buy a
large enough RAM card to store the program.  Everybody wins.

3) There may be a PF with a larger display and keyboard in the future.
This loses the PF's handheld status, but makes it a more generally useful
machine for people who don't place as much of a premium on portability.

- Laird Popkin