Enclosed in this text file are some postings from September 1995 through January 1996 regarding the IBM Japan PalmTop PC110; I have deleted *only* INTERNET "junk' from some of the posts - otherwise intact. Hope this helps. --LT ========== Subj: New IBM Palmtop Announce Section: Sharp Zaurus To: All Saturday, September 30, 1995 9:42:08 AM From: Jim Christian (Sysop), 72320,474#19712 IBM announced today in Japan their first Palmtop. Thii was copied form the HP forum. It's Windows 3.1, color, small, sells for >$1,600 US & is a only a Japanese product. I'm still hangin' with the Zaurus as it seems a better buy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the specs for the IBM PalmTop 110... Processor:Intel Sl enhanced 486sx-33mhz Main memory: 4mb (up to 8mb) main storage: 4mb Flash memory builtin (500k free) Video: C&T65545 512kb ram display: 4.7" DSTN 640x480 256 colors (external 800x600 16 col) keyboard: 89 keys, compact size plus FN keys pointing device: pointing head handwriting: memo pad expansion: two typeII or one typeIII modem: data2400, fax9600 builtin ext keyboard & mouse: yes IR port: IRDA (115kbps) Sound: PCM/FM size: 158(w) 113(d) 33(h) in mm weight: 630g including battery battery: Li-Ion battery life: 1.3-3.0h Software: IBM PC DOS V7 PersonalWare Options: Port replicator for serial,parrallel,FDD port,Display port, and mouse port. Price: 169,000yen for 4meg 199,000yen for 8meg 289,000yen for 8meg, port replicator, TypeIII HDD, and Win3.1 ========== From: INTERNET:jpsd at VNET.IBM.COM TO: Larry Tawa, 73140,2066 DATE: 10-26-95 11:15 PM RE: IBM Palm Top PC110 Mr. Tawa, (1) This model will be available only in Japan, we don't have any anouncement a bout it will be release in USA. Please ask IBM US for information. (2) DOS/V 7.0 bilingal PC DOS and *Windows3.1 Japanese version (* only for hard disk model) (3) You may install PC DOS but keyboards layout isn't different. OS/2 Warp isn' t supported. (4)2431YD0 Palm Top PC 110 (4MB memory a) * Open 2431YD1 Palm Top PC 110 (8MB memory a) * Open 2431YDW Palm Top PC 110 (8MB memory,Windows installed) * Open 39H4515 Port Replicator 19,800 39H4526 smart pico flash 4MB 45,000 39H4527 smart pico flash 10MB 80,000 39H4528 smart pico flash 15MB 110,000 84G7958 PCMCIA 260MB hard disk drive(2431-Y) 89,800 39H4522 AC adapter(2431-Y) 10,000 39H4534 Memo pad sheet(2431-Y) 1,000 39H4516 Li-Ion battery pack(2431-Y) 10,000 84G7952 Carrying case(2431-Y) 6,000 84G7957 Carrying bag(2431-Y) 18,000 4BM memory upgrade(2431-Y) 35,000 * IBM Japan's PC Diect Price 2431YD0 Palm Top PC 110 (4MB memory a) 169,000 2431YD1 Palm Top PC 110 (8MB memory a) 199,000 2431YDW Palm Top PC 110 (8MB memory,Windows installed) 289,000 (5) One of Business Partner in Japan handles export, please ask them in detail. Groval Support LTD Tel. +81-3-3355-6876 Mr. Ito Fax. +81-3-3355-5496 Best regards, Japan IBM, JPSD ========== From: INTERNET:jpsd at VNET.IBM.COM TO: Larry Tawa, 73140,2066 DATE: 10-30-95 8:47 PM Subject: IBM Palm Top PC110 Information for your questions 10/28 (1) In ROM drive PC DOS 7.0/V and Personaware is installed. Personaware is a special utilities for PC110 (only Japanese mode). (2) You can install English DOS and Windows, but you have troubles with keyboard layout. US software doesn't have driver for Japanese keyboard (106 keys). (3) Selectable, ROM drive, flash momory or hard disk. (4) No support for US PCMCIA cards. (5) Yes. (6) AC adapter only operate in AC 100V 50/60Hz. No (US 117V) (7) Carrying case is a kind of protecter, which just hold PC110 and operatable with machine. (8) With memo pad, you can write hand written image on DRAW MEMO which is one of tools in PERSONAWARE. (9) We don't have technical support for overseas, only available FAX questions. Best regards, IBM Japan, JPSD ========== NOTE: this message was posted sometime late November 1995 in the ThinkPad Forum #: ??????? S1/General Info [THINKPAD] late-Nov-95 01:13:52 Sb: Palm Top PC110/Japan Fm: Larry Tawa 73140,2066 To: Paul Brodek 100217,621 Paul, To obtain pictures of the PalmTop PC110 go to the IBM Home Page: http://www.ibm.com and you will see at the bottom of the page a place to GO to different countries; when you choose Japan, you can easily migrate to the web page where the photos of the PalmTop PC110 are, or at least were, located. A warning: this is a Japanese web page so that most, if not all, American web browsers can *not* read the Japanese characters; I think one needs the OS/2 Warp Japanese IAK to read the Japanese characters, otherwise all one gets is garbage. I dropped by the Palmtop B forum a while ago and saw this posted message, scanned the other palmtop forums, and came up with zilch both in messages and file sections; posted a question from where the first message was posted and got a response but not much more info. I then contacted IBM Japan who answered my questions (I have just posted their responses). After careful consideration, I decided to pass on the IBM Japan PC110 because: (1) the PC110 uses a special Japanese driver for the keyboard; US software does not have this driver. Neither IBM Japan nor IBM US has a special driver to allow US software to work on this system (as far as I can determine). (2) the PCMCIA card must be Japanese; one canot use an American PC Card. (3) no converter for US voltage; which means that the US purchaser needs to buy their own converter. (4) no formal IBM Japan support for foreign purchasers. (5) I contacted IBM US through different channels; all I get from them is ........????? Hope this helps. --Larry ========== #: 122896 S1/General Info [THINKPAD] 07-Dec-95 01:13:52 Sb: Palm Top PC110/Japan Fm: Paul Brodek 100217,621 To: Larry Tawa 73140,2066 Larry, Thanks so much for all the info. This reply is late because.....I bought one. I know I'll regret it in a month or two when better/faster/cheaper ones hit the market, but I just couldn't resist. Most of your concerns about support, keyboards, etc are not really problems, but you still might be better off waiting a few months to see if a US-market version or something similar from another maker appears. I've used English and Japanese versions of DOS/Windows on both US- and Japan-market PCs with little trouble. I've found: * The Japanese Win 3.1 keyboard drivers work fine with English Win 3.1 (as do printer drivers). Most of the Win 3.1/J drivers have English names, and most of the Win/System.Ini files are in English as well, so it's not too tough to figure out what needs to go where. *The AC has never presented a problem. The plug is the same, and I've used Jpn-market laptops in the US with no trouble. There is a current difference between east/west Japan (50hz vs 60hz), but I don't know anybody from Tokyo who's had problems in the US with Jpn-market laptops. *US software mostly works fine with Win 3.1/J. I've only found a few quirks, like Sidekick/E weekly/monthly calendars not properly displaying the month field. I'm mostly using Works/Excel/PIM/utilities, but I haven't run into anything that didn't work. *The PCMCIA issue might be tricky, but only if you're trying to use a US modem with the PC110's DOS-based Persona PIM software, which may not have US modem configurations/initialization strings. If you're using Win/E, and English software, you'll have the proper modem configurations. But if you're running Windows on the PC110, you're using the PCMCIA HDD, and there's no extra PCMCIA slots for a modem! I jumped right to Win95/J on the PC110, and it's almost right. I can't get Win to recognize the internal modem, and the sound drivers load but .WAV files don't play correctly. It's definitely small/light/handy, and it's quite a thrill to have something this small that runs real software. The track point is a little tough to use. I saw a photo in a Japanese computer magazine showing an Epson palmtop, which measures slightly bigger than PC110, has a palm rest with center track ball keyboard layout, and looks like it should be easier to use than the IBM. Epson builds both NEC- and IBM/DOS-compatible machines (which are mutually incompatible!), and I'm not sure which this machine is for, whether it's actually going into production, pricing, etc, etc. But it might be something to look out for. Thanks again for the response. Let me know if you see something interesting. I had forgotten about the Palmtop forum. I guess I should head over there and see what's up. Regards, PB ========== #: 26896 S1/Forum Business [PALMB] 07-Jan-96 17:42:05 Sb: #26480-IBM Palmtop PC110 Fm: Paul Brodek 100217,621 To: Larry Tawa 73140,2066 Larry, The PC110 continues to be extremely handy and useful. I've ironed out a few of the Win95 configuration problems I had (the IR port now works and I got the keyboard configuration properly set), though the audio still doesn't work. I contacted the IBM Japan English-language support desk and was told that they don't support Win95 on the PC110 but I was welcome to call the Japanese-language toll-free tech support line and try my luck. Yippee..... The only important thing it won't do yet is Net surfing (due to the slow 2400 internal modem), and I think I'll just bite the bullet and use a pocket modem with the port replicator. It's less elegant than a PC Card modem, but I really don't need to Net surf when I'm on the road so the replicator/fast modem would stay at home anyway. The PC110 and all accessories seem very sold out at dealers here, and aren't due back into stock until later this month. There seems to be quite a cult growing up here around the machine---not suprising in the land of high-tech gadgets. I also saw a blurb about Epson's palm top. It's rumored to be released this spring, is slightly larger than the PC110 but has what might be a more user-friendly keyboard and trackball, and has a 14,400 baud internal modem. No news on price, HDD/storage or operating systems yet. Regards, PB Trek Japan, Kobe ========== #: 62 (C) S0/CompuServe Mail 05-Jan-96 21:20:41 Sb: IBM Palm Top PC110 Fm: Larry Tawa 73140,2066 To: Werner Schienle [100031,1473] Werner, Based on what I found out (~15 Dec 95), I do *not* think that IBM will release a US version of the PC110 within the next 12 months. After that, I do not know. All companies are revaluating the PDA market - changing the most in PC computers in my opinion. IBM Japan tends to be on the leading edge of consumer tech; Japanese tend to buy more of that stuff than Americans. Regards. --Larry ========== end of file ==========