View Full Version : Fujitsu Shows Off Its First PDA
Jason Dunn
03-15-2002, 07:12 PM
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,88523,tk,dn031202X,00.asp">http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,88523,tk,dn031202X,00.asp</a><br /><br />A more official news announcement of the Loox. I'll have some pictures and further information about the hands-on time I had with the device at CeBit. To end any speculation, however, the Bluetooth is integrated and the GPRS is a pack that slides onto the back, connecting at the bottom. It has another battery pack in it, likely 1550 mAh just like the Loox itself (the biggest battery I've seen yet from an OEM!).<br /><br />"Fujitsu has taken the wraps off a PDA--the company's first--which will be sold worldwide from the second quarter of this year, the company announced Tuesday. The Tokyo-based company is planning to sell its Pocket Loox PDA in Europe, Japan, North America, and other Asia-Pacific countries, but has not decided where it will ship the new device first, says Tomohiro Onagi, a spokesperson for Fujitsu.<br /><br />The Pocket Loox is based on Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 software and an Intel PXA250 XScale microprocessor. The Japanese model will be equipped with 64MB of RAM, a 3.5-inch 240 by 320-pixel reflective LCD capable of displaying 65,536 colors, a Compact Flash memory card slot, and a Secure Digital card slot, a company statement says."
entropy1980
03-15-2002, 07:23 PM
Loox like I am getting rid of my Ipaq 3835, ebay here I come!
brntcrsp
03-15-2002, 07:28 PM
I wonder if it will be true SD, or just another "faux" SD that really is MMC.
entropy1980
03-15-2002, 07:34 PM
So Jason did you get to play with the Loox? How much faster does it feel, seem, how does it's size compare? Do tell do tell!
Registered
03-15-2002, 07:35 PM
If it would be running Ce.Net, I'd put my money down right now...
Jason Dunn
03-15-2002, 07:48 PM
I wonder if it will be true SD, or just another "faux" SD that really is MMC.
That was one question that we didn't ask, so I'll have to plead ignorance on that one. :?
Jason Dunn
03-15-2002, 07:56 PM
So Jason did you get to play with the Loox? How much faster does it feel, seem, how does it's size compare? Do tell do tell!
I know you want to know EVERYTHING right now, but be patient and I'll have some good stuff for 'ya. :-)
Jason Dunn
03-15-2002, 07:57 PM
If it would be running Ce.Net, I'd put my money down right now...
A Pocket PC running Windows CE.Net is still quite a way out - it takes Microsoft a while to adapt their GUI and apps to the new core.
but has not decided where it will ship the new device first
Wherever they decide to ship it first, they will sell by the cargo load!!! They better make sure they churn out enough of them fast enough. Does anybody know how many a day they manufacture?
Now we'll have lots of low priced clearance MIPS, SH3 and even SA-1110 devices that will give Palm a run for their money. That is if the rumour that Fujitsu-Siemens will really price their devices below that of an ipaq. Any official late announcement?
And where are you posting your pLOOX images???
Shapeshifter
03-16-2002, 01:07 PM
Jason, can the LOOX be seen by the public or is it hidden in some secret press-only area?
Stefan
03-16-2002, 01:16 PM
I was also there at the fujitsu-siemens booth at cebit.
The loox device was shown public and everyone interested could have his hands on the device to test it.
And it's official: It will be a xScale processor at 400 MHz :D
It will come to the german stores end of may, begin of june.
regards
Stefan
entropy1980
03-16-2002, 04:14 PM
anybody know what retailers in the US will be selling them?
Teddy
03-17-2002, 04:12 PM
A Pocket PC running Windows CE.Net is still quite a way out - it takes Microsoft a while to adapt their GUI and apps to the new core.
And when do you think this will happen? If it takes too long it LOOX as if I'll have to get one... :wink:
Shapeshifter
03-17-2002, 08:15 PM
Bad news everyone, they have removed the flash rom so bad coders wont flash it, causing people to return their pocket loox to fujitsu-siemens. i wonder how they think about costumer service...
entropy1980
03-17-2002, 08:30 PM
Are you kidding? No flash ROM I will hae to go look at the specs, I thought Flash ROM was a requirement of PPC 2K2?
Dave Conger
03-18-2002, 12:48 AM
Are you kidding? No flash ROM I will hae to go look at the specs, I thought Flash ROM was a requirement of PPC 2K2?
I think the flash ROM would only really be needed for upgrades. This would be a definate downside to the device if it didn't have one...I probably won't even consider buying it because it won't be upgraded in the future.
Shapeshifter
03-18-2002, 05:28 PM
No kidding, i went there and asked them. Yes, all other PPC2k2 devices have flash rom.
Too bad. The LOOX seemed to be the greatest PPC in town, but again they blew it. The SX45 could have been cool if it used ARM instead of MIPS. The LOOX could have been cool if it had flash rom.
entropy1980
03-18-2002, 08:27 PM
Well crap that nixes this off my list....
Jason Dunn
03-18-2002, 08:37 PM
Regarding the "no Flash ROM", don't believe everything you hear. I'd be interested to know how the previous poster knows it's not Flash ROM. AFAIK, and a source at Microsoft confirmed this, part of the Pocket PC spec is Flash ROM, just like having an IR port. Unless someone can prove otherwise, I'd stake my life on the fact that the LOOX has Flash ROM. :-)
Shapeshifter
03-18-2002, 10:09 PM
Jason, believe me. I was there. I had my press pass. I asked the man who presented the LOOX. He said it had no flash rom. I dont believe they report ******** to the press, do you?
-Eike
You all relax and sit back, I just sent an email to the PR guys at Fujitsu-Siemens Germany to ask about the ROM and different other questions about specs that remain dubious now. I've read and re-read the US and German PR and datasheet and didn't find the answers to these questions there.
And I'll report these answers here as soon as I get my mail answered.
Jason Dunn
03-20-2002, 05:48 AM
I dont believe they report ******** to the press, do you?
I'm not doubting YOU, I'm doubting that the guy knows what he's talking about. A lot of marketing people are just talking heads - they don't KNOW the product. I'd be very shocked if they were ALLOWED to release a Pocket PC without Flash ROM.
OK Gentlemen,
I just received an answer from the Product Manager Handheld Computing at Fujitsu Siemens Computers in Germany.
So these are official and most probably definite answers.
I'll summerize the answers as the mail was quite lengthy since I was wordy in my questions to be acurate and he was too.
In italics characters below, you will find my summary from his comments or my own comments or my original questions when needed for your best understanding, and bold emphasis is by me as well; normal characters show the product manager's literate answers:
a) ROM IS flashable!!!
b) The Pocket LOOX will have the Bluetooth module integrated in every version on the market.
c) Yes, the headset profile is one of our requested specifications to support the usage of a Bluetooth headset e.g. in combination with our GSM/GPRS module.
d) SDIO in MMC/SD slot (short version by me): not now, possibly later. IO functionality support is currently via CF card.
For the next generation with more SDIO support e.g. from CPU and card vendor side, the situation is completely different. We are thinking about an SDIO support for this device.
e) IrDA is supported, version 115Kbps. Bluetooth capabilities are more and more available, in my opinion a Bluetooth connection is more convinient than an IrDA could be.
f) Only USB-slave (by me: i.e. no USB host support à la Casio E-200 or NEC PocketGear)
g) Here the question is relevant to understand the answer: Q: the German datasheet mentions 166 g for the unit weight, while the English one states 175 g, while the difference is relatively minimal, it is puzzling.
*The lower weight would be great, but we need additional EMI shielding, we changed the five-way-navigation knob...this lead to the overall weight of 175g. The information in the German datasheet was an older one than in the English one.
Although I think we have one of the lightest Pocket PC PDA on the market.
So the Pocket LOOX has extended EMI shielding and a five way pad like the ipaq.
h) Here I was asking if they use the same LCD screen as the Casio E-200 (as I knew they had collaborated with Casio on their Siemens SX-45 Pocket PC smartphone and taken (amongsts other components) their legendary bright HAST TFT screen). This is the answer:
We evaluate different LCD displays from different vendors. We keep in mind what the quality of a screen should be: bright, transflective, low power consumption, weight.
All these qualities together leads to one decision. Use the Sharp LCD display. Might be not the best one in one testing scenario, but the overall package was great and therefore we decide to use this one.
Well, thank you for your interest in our PDA and your comments, fortunately America is the market of one of our mothers Fujitsu, but I think (and I get a lot of positive feedback, also from Palm people during the CeBit) we have done a good job.
(I would add they did a great job)
Best regards
Stephan Mueller
Product Manager Handheld Computing
Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH
Augsburg, Germany
I edited the text a bit only to retain the central points while staying true to the overall message.
vBulletin® v3.8.9, Copyright ©2000-2019, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.