NEC Rolls Out MobilePro 900

The latest handheld device featuring desktop capabilities from NEC Solutions came out Monday.

The NEC MobilePro 900, known as the "clamshell" for its petite-laptop look, features an Intel PXA255 processor with XScale technology, and has more memory--64MB of SDRAM--than its predecessor, the MobilePro 790.

The product's desktop capabilities include 32MB of Flash ROM, with an additional 32MB of Flash ROM for customer applications. Built on the Microsoft Windows CE 3 Handheld PC platform, the MobilePro 900 comes with Pocket Word, Excel, Pocket PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer applications. Weighing less than 2 pounds and measuring 9.7 inches wide, 5.1 inches long, and 1.2 inches thick, the device also features a nearly full-size keyboard and an 8.1-inch HVGA (640 by 240) touch-screen display that supports up to 65,000 colors.

Available now globally through NEC and direct resellers with a list price of $899, the MobilePro 900 comes with a standard lithium ion battery, which lasts up to 8 hours, and includes an A/C adapter for battery charging.

Built to Move

Designed with the needs of field force automation, professional services, and health-care professionals in mind, NEC said the MobilePro 900 provides users with instant-on capability and delivers enterprise applications without the bulk of a full-sized notebook.

"This release is the ninth generation of the MobilePro line," said Joe Harris, director of product marketing with NEC Solutions in Santa Clara, California. "Being a Windows CE-based device, users get the instant-on capability of a PDA with a nearly full-sized keyboard for desktop functionality. We have increased the performance with the Intel XScale processor and have increased ROM and RAM as well, and anticipate phenomenal success with this converged device."

While Harris said the decision to opt for Windows CE 3 was based on customer demand, the company said it has plans to migrate to the newly announced Windows CE .Net platform over time.