Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!laird From: laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) Subject: Re: HP-32S II Curiosity Message-ID: <1991May2.190426.20539@Think.COM> Sender: news@Think.COM Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA References: <51123@apple.Apple.COM> <7360104@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> Date: Thu, 2 May 91 19:04:26 GMT In article <7360104@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> rrd@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Ray Depew) writes: >>And as far as "they don't duplicate other company's work" you must be >>kidding. HP makes some pretty good IBM _clones_ (unless you consider an >>almost unused IR "touchscreen" on some models fundamental innovation). > >True. Some people can even afford them. (Not me...) > >May I offer a slight correction to the following statement (most of which >I agree with, and official HP probably would, too) ? > >>And the 95LX is pretty obviously HP's attempt to catch up in a market > ^^^^^^^^ >>created by Poquet and Atari. > >Try "leapfrog". Yes, the market already exists; however, this is the first >"real" Palmtop PC -- it doesn't use "compatible" or "lookalike" software or >OS -- it uses *real* MSDOS 3.22, *real* Lotus 1-2-3 2.2, *real* Kermit -- >it's a *real* XT-compatible. As I understand it, the Poquet runs "real" MS-DOS. In any case, the use of Microsoft's DOS and Lotus' spreadsheet is a matter of licensing as opposed to technology. The DOS clone in the Portfolio seems to work fine, and the 123 clone is a better spreadsheet than the ones I used back in '80. It's not as nifty as the latest Excel, but then neither is 123. As far as I can tell (not having used a 95LX yet) the PF and 95LX both seem to be equally DOS compatible, and either is certainly sufficient for a tiny portable extension to a desktop computer. I said it before and I'll say it again: the 95LX is more powerful machine than a Portfolio, but less powerful than a Portfolio, and priced somewhere in the middle. It may be that HP has found a better price/performance tradeoff than either Atari or Poquet, but what the guys in Corvalis have created is a nice addition to an existing market. >I wish the Corvallis guys the best of luck with this *real* winner. >Disclaimer: I don't speak for HP. I only work here. ^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ Wonder why he reads _this_ newsgroup. I think it'll be a whil euntil we see the palmtop Connection Machine. - Laird Popkin, Thinking Machines Connection Machine: Massively parallel supercomputer. Also a cool black cube with more blinking lights than you can shake a stick at.