From: anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Anthony J Stieber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.palmtops
Subject: Re: Likely Evolution of the HP 95
Date: 16 Dec 1992 18:09:06 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

In article <3921@key.COM> rburns@key.COM (Randy Burns) writes:
>I'm now the very happy owner of an HP 95LX. Now that I've had a chance to 
>live with it a bit, I have a couple of questions:
>
>1) What is the likely evolution of this machine? (i.e. what kind of upgrade
>   options are we likely to see from HP?). 

Aside from the 1MB upgrade (which expires the end of this month) I
don't expect any other upgrade path.  That particular upgrade replaces
the single board that constitutes nearly all the electronics in the
machine, except for the LCD.  If you want an upgraded LCD too, the
entire machine has to be replaced except for a $100 (if even that)
keyboard and case.  I would only expect HP to perhaps offer another
upgrade if they come out with another model with the same basic design
as the 95.  The rumors are that the new HP machine will be larger, more
of a sub-notebook than a palmtop.  Rumors have been known to be wrong :-).

>2) A friend of mine says that another friend of his got the technical
>   manual for the HP 95. Allegedly there are some interesting capacities to
>   this machine like a built-in sound chip. Would anyone else care to comment?

Yes, there's what I think is an 8 bit DAC hooked up to the speaker.
There is software at eddie.mit.edu to play back sound files and to
general DTMF (phone touch tones).  I don't have programming details.

What is this technical manual?  The only documentation I know of are
the development files on eddie and elsewhere and the special HP/Lotus
documentation distributed to registered software developers.
It would be great if it were generally available.

>My own wishlist items.
>1) A higher resolution screen-preferably one that could display 80x25 characters
>   even if the typeface was small.(has anyone created a modified memopad that
>   uses a lower resolution font to display 50-60 characters?).

There are some shells available only on Compuserve for 20x8, 60x20, and
80x25 displays.  The author of these and other programs has
specifically prohibited distribution of his software on the Internet and
most other places.  The 20x8 is quite fast, 60x20 is sluggish, and 80x25
is quite slow.  A well optimized driver might run reasonably fast.

>2) What sort of stuff is being done on integrating a cellular telephone with
>   a 95? I've seen the Skytel stuff, but it seems to me somebody ought to 
>   make a cellular phone that has a built in serial port and modem.

Somebody has.  Microcom has a cellular phone with a built in modem,
it's a bag phone, not a handheld.  Other companies make handheld phones
with jacks on them which can then, perhaps through an adapter, be
hooked up to a modem.

v.32bis, mnp10 (cellphone)
Microcom, Inc
500 River Ridge Drive
Norwood MA 02062-5028
800-822-8224
617-551-1000
617-551-1021 fax
617-551-1007 international fax

The Skytel hardware is actually made by Motorola.  In addition to the
PCMCIA pager card in development and the serial port pager, Motorola is
working on assorted packet radio systems some cellular phone and
satellite based.  The packet radio system is available now in some
cities.

packet radio network provider
RAM Mobile Data
One Rockefeller Plaza Suite 1600
New York, NY 10020
800-736-9666 x11

Ardis packet radio network and packet radio modems
Iridium satellite digital radio system
Motorola
800-247-2346

EMBARC data pager
Motorola
800-EMBARC-4

Ericsson also has a packet radio system in some cities. They bundle
their Mobidem, which looks like a handheld cellular phone minus keypad and
audio, with an HP-95LX.  There have been several reviews on it in various
magazines.

Mobitex packet radio network and Mobidem packet radio modem
Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc., a division of Telefon AB LM Ericsson
Wireless Computing
15 E. Midland Ave.
Paramus, NJ
201-265-6600
201-265-9115 fax
800-223-6336

I have no relationship with any of the above mentioned companies.
You can get more information on portable modems and digital radio via
anonymous ftp to csd4.csd.uwm.edu:/pub/{Laptop,Palmtop}.
--
<-:(= Anthony Stieber	anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu   uwm!uwmcsd4!anthony