Philadelphia Area HP Handheld Club Meeting

Wednesday, May 11, 1994 - Drexel University

Dutch Conference Soon

The Dutch PROMPT group Tenth Anniversary Conference is just around the corner (May 28th and 29th) and should bring some interesting presentations. HP's Diana Byrne (software team leader for the HP48G/GX) and Sparcom's Megha Shyam are scheduled to be present, as well as some notable others. I will be videotaping as much as I can, although it is currently planned to be a dual-session conference with workshops in one room and formal presentations in the other.

New HP Products?

Check out this handout for various rumors about upcoming HP products. Apparently a new palmtop will appear sometime this year, as well as a possible line of low-cost PDA-type devices. Also I hear word of at least one new omnibook beyond the current top-dog model 430 (which has 6 meg of RAM, 105-meg HD and 486SX-25 under the hood). Also, since there is so much talk about the eventual merging of television and computer functionality, there is alot about "set-top boxes" which will deliver computer and TV interactivity to the home through a relatively low-cost product. HewlettPackard is already entrenched in this area.

Final Chicago CES

Since this year is the final year for Summer Consumer Electronics Shows in Chicago, it may be a memorable one, with perhaps the final "special" HP users meeting and annual CHIP picnic. Maybe we can find a different excuse to get to Chicago in June in 1995. It should be another interesting time in the windy city, with the second annual HP48 programming contest already planned for the Friday, 6/24 meeting. Again, I will be ready with video camera in hand.

HP48 Rev "R"

The version-R HP48s are beginning to appear in users' hands, but their production is going a bit differently than expected. Educalc has already received a few shipments of Rev-R HP48G machines, but their most recent GX shipments (following the G's) have been rev P units. On the other hand, users who have gotten their machines upgraded by HP have been indeed receiving rev-R HP48GX units. This seems to indicate that the new rev-R machines are being earmarked for upgrades only until the existing supply of rev-P units are exhausted through the normal distribution channels.

Since I will be out of town for the PROMPT conference beginning on Saturday, May 21st (until May 30th), I will not be present for the PACS Saturday meeting on 5/21. Therefore, the HP48 programming class as well as the 1 PM meeting will be postponed until June 18th.