Compaq Does Kitchen Windows.iPAQ home Internet appliance works only for Microsoft MSN (1) (MicroSoft Network) A family of Internet-based services from Microsoft, which includes a search engine, e-mail (Hotmail), instant messaging (Windows Live Messaging) and a general-purpose portal with news, information and shopping (MSN Directory). Giving a boost to the stagnant Internet appliance market, Microsoft and Compaq recently introduced the iPAQ Home Internet Appliance, an instant-on, limited-feature system with email capability that will retail for $599. The iPAQ Home Internet Appliance runs Microsoft's MSN Companion platform (based on Win CE, IE, and MSN) and includes 32MB of SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) A type of dynamic RAM (DRAM) memory chip that has been widely used since the late 1990s. SDRAM chips eliminated wait states by dividing the chip into two cell blocks and interleaving data between them. , 16MB of Flash, a 10.1 inch DSTN (1) (Dual-scan STN) An enhanced STN passive matrix LCD display. The screen is divided into halves, and each half is scanned simultaneously, thereby doubling the number of lines refreshed per second and providing a sharper appearance. display, four USB ports, a 56K modem, and a wireless keyboard. At press time, add-ons were limited to an Epson 740 Micro Piezo color ink-jet, a USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. mouse, and JBL JBL James Bullough Lansing (audio/speaker engineer) JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JBL John Bradshaw Leyfield (wrestler) JBL Jonathan Bell Lovelace (investment research) Platinum speakers with a digital audio port See S/PDIF and Toslink. . (SanDisk Type I and II upgrades will be supported in future versions.) The machine runs Internet Explorer 4.0, not more recent versions of the browser, and the unit can only access the Internet via MSN service. Interestingly, the appliance includes Insignia Solutions Jeode EVN, a Java-compatible VM. Users who sign up for three years of MSN ($21.95 per month) receive a $400 rebate; a two-year membership brings a $200 rebate; and one-year membership brings $100. The iPAQ Home Internet Appliance is just one piece of a new strategy for Compaq. The company is also rolling out a number of new special-purpose devices, including an audio player and a wireless email device--the existing iPAQ Pocket PC has been a huge seller for Compaq. The Home Internet Appliance is the first such machine from a major PC manufacturer, and will likely spur other companies to offer similar systems for the consumer market. |
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