If you're trying to shrink down the number of items you have to carry around with you to trade shows, business meetings, or just on your morning commute, perhaps Cymobile has the key. The Handheld PC (HPC) combines a portable PC, wireless Internet access, GPS, and cell phone capabilities in one device.

From a distance, the HPC probably looks much like a laptop, but when you get a bit closer you'll see that it is quite a bit smaller, measuring 188 x 92 x 28 mm, and weighing 380 g. The 640 x 240 pixel 256 color display is also smaller than one you would find on a laptop, but you should also take into account the fact that it is a touchscreen, a feature that's rare, if it even exists, for laptops.

Though the sight of it may resemble a laptop, if for no other reason than it has a black case, the HPC is really not designed to be as robust or serve the functions that a normal laptop serves, so a direct comparison is really not fair. Inside you won't find a Pentium III and 6 GB of memory. Instead you'll find a 206 MHz Intel StrongARM processor and 16 MB of Flash memory. But that is perfectly sufficient for the job it was designed to do. Running Windows CE 3.0 doesn't require as much power as XP, and the HPC needs only to handle documents and personal information that you need while you're mobile.

As far as what this device can do is concerned, you'll be quite happy with the ability to send and receive email, browse the Internet, and keep track of schedules, names, and addresses. Connecting other devices to the HPC or adding features is fairly simple, because you can use the RS 232 serial port, IrDA, USB, or CompactFlash card slot. Now for the creme de la creme - built-in wireless connectivity. Yes, the HPC ships with not only a 56 kbps modem, but a PCS/CDMA modem as well, so you can do all the surfing and emailing you want to from anywhere you have wireless network support.

Pricing and Availability

The Handheld PC is currently available. Contact Cymobile for pricing information.

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