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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.

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.

The specifications for the product will vary somewhat by region, Onagi says.

The Japanese model will be equipped with Bluetooth technology, which will allow for low-power wireless data communication, Onagi says. The European model is expected to have General Packet Radio Service phone capability, he adds.

Tough Competition

The PDA was jointly developed by engineers at Fujitsu in Japan and at Fujitsu Siemens Computers in Germany, a joint venture of Fujitsu and Munich's Siemens, Onagi says. The Pocket Loox will be priced around $467 in Japan and is expected to be have a similar price in other markets, he says.

The European model of the product will be exhibited by Fujitsu Siemens Computers at the CeBIT exhibition in Hanover, Germany, starting from March 13, a Fujitsu statement says.

Japanese hardware makers, such as Toshiba and Hitachi have recently entered the PDA market, domestically and globally, intensifying competition. NEC, after having delayed the launch date of its first PDA product, is expected to ship its PocketGear PDA on March 15, the company says.

The launch of the new Fujitsu machine and NEC's PDA come as two of the strongest players in the Japanese PDA market are preparing to launch new machines. Sharp and Sony have both announced new versions of their PDAs, each equipped with digital still cameras. Sharp has also announced plans to begin selling its Zaurus line of machines overseas.

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