Everex Systems will show a handheld computer based on Microsoft's Palm PC specification at the Hanover CeBIT show in March.
At 150g (including the two AA batteries that power it) and measuring about the size of a half-full deck of playing cards, the Everex Freestyle will be capable of being carried in the pocket, unlike current Windows CE 2.0 designs which are typically clamshell models about the size of a spectacles case. The primary means of input is by pen. Unsurprisingly, many observers view the Palm PC blueprint as being a direct challenge to 3Com-US Robotics' huge-selling PalmPilot design.
The Freestyle screen is a backlit monochrome 320 x 240 LCD and the device has couple of smart features that the PalmPilot doesn't yet support: voice recording/playback and a notification audio alarm. A flashing LED or vibration option alerting the user to appointments and paging alerts is also available. A 33.6kbps modem is optional.
As with the PalmPilot, four buttons on the facia provide access to software features which here include Pocket Outlook, PIM, jotter and Internet Explorer.