Palo Alto, California. October 16, 1995
Hewlett-Packard Company today unveiled the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer, an easy-to-use product for professionals who need immediate access to personal scheduling information and financial-analysis tools.
The new organizer, which features a small, flexible design and a range of information-management tools, is expected to be available to customers worldwide on Nov. 1 at an estimated street price of $349 (U.S.).
Small enough to fit into a coat pocket, the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer is designed to adapt to the way people on-the-go prefer to work. It combines the convenience of a pen and the familiarity of a keyboard with a fully rotatable screen that allows either horizontal or vertical display. The HP OmniGo 100 organizer also offers a simple solution for tracking daily appointments and expenses, taking notes, organizing addresses and telephone numbers and computing financial information with an HP calculator and financial tools.
"The HP OmniGo 100 organizer provides customers with high-quality personal information management and financial tools in a single, low-cost solution," said Kheng Joo Khaw, general manager of HP's Asia Pacific PC Division (APCD). "We 've gained the experience with our calculators and palmtop PCs to understand what our customers are looking for in a personal organizer. Until now, customers have had to compromise on features or deplete their savings to get the product they want. We're offering all the organizational tools our customers need at a price they're willing to pay. It's the right product at the right time."
The HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer includes a host of financial- and business-productivity functions designed to eliminate the need for multiple reference tools. In addition to incorporating the industry-standard HP 12C financial calculator, the new product's personal information-management features include the following:
HP also offers a host of hardware and software accessories that work with the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer to extend its productivity, communications abilities and entertainment value. Key solutions currently available include the following:
An important part of the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer is its flexible design, which allows the user to switch between pen and keyboard interfaces. This flexibility is enabled by Geoworks' GEOS compact operating system. GEOS is an efficient graphical operating system that enhances the HP OmniGo 100 organizer and allows users to personalize the device with additional applications after purchase.
"The HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer is the first product resulting from our collaboration with HP to develop market-winning organizers," said Gordon Mayer, president of Geoworks. "HP's experience in the handheld market, combined with Geoworks' expertise in developing robust software, uniquely enables the partnership to deliver low-cost, multifunctional devices for the mobile customer."
"The GEOS operating system was the natural choice for HP," said Khaw. "It provides all the flexibility and ease of use that today's consumer needs from an organizer - not to mention an extensive array of user-friendly, intuitive, aftermarket software solutions."
For maximum convenience and flexibility, the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer also features an innovative 360-degree rotatable hinge that allows the user to simply fold back the front cover to reveal a keyboard or screen. In addition, the unit comes with 1MB of RAM, one standard PCMCIA Type II card slot for additional data storage and expanded software and services, and a serial port for PC and printer connectivity. With 3MB of ROM, the HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer weighs just 11.6 ounces - with batteries included - and runs on two standard AA batteries and one lithium backup battery.
With the introduction of its new organizer, HP also has significantly broadened the retail presence of its entire family of handheld computer products, including the popular high-end palmtop PC, the HP 200LX PC.
The HP 200LX palmtop PC remains the industry leader for customers who need a handheld companion for their home or office PCs. Popular in such industries as real estate, insurance, transportation and the medical market, the HP 200LX palmtop PC lets customers communicate wirelessly through cellular, two-way paging to exchange e-mail and use messaging and other on-line services.
The HP OmniGo 100 handheld organizer will be available through a variety of retail outlets and mass merchants, including Service Merchandise, Staples, OfficeMax, Lechmere and J&R Office World. HP's handheld products also are available through a wide range of home-office and PC/peripherals channels, including computer and consumer-electronics superstores.
"Those wishing to purchase the new HP OmniGo 100 organizer will not have to search for very long," Khaw said. "We're making this product widely available through a large number of popular retail channels. Meanwhile, for customers desiring a higher-end handheld companion to their PCs, the HP 200LX palmtop PC will continue to be on the shelves in computer/home-office superstores, mass merchandisers and other channels worldwide."
Graffiti and HP OmniGo Connectivity Pack were developed by Palm Computing and Bokja Software
Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the United States. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets.
