A Communicator to watch out for (R.O.A.D) from Berlin

3 replies · 6,313 views · Started 04 November 2005

HyPeR 04 Nov 2005, 15:56

Today i got an email from them...as follows.

Press Release 03/2005

"Handy-PC" from ROAD GmbH available in first quarter of 2006
First prototypes successfully tested

Berlin, November 4, 2005
The development of the new device class �Handy-PC� - a synthesis of mobile phone and PC - is under way and almost completed. Berlin-based ROAD GmbH has successfully tested its first prototypes. Delivery will begin soon: ROAD plans to sell the product in the first quarter of 2006. The company has increased its development and sales teams and works hard on completing the product. The unique scope of features of the Handy-PC has been enhanced even further: Among others, the device now has a WLAN function and 128 MB RAM memory. After completing various tests the process of certification will begin soon. Despite strong demand, distribution of the product had to be postponed to the first quarter of 2006.
The Managing Director and founder of ROAD GmbH, Dipl.-Ing. Hans-Peter Constien, said: �Our future customers will get a device that really offers all options of mobile computing. The business user will greatly benefit from these features. To enhance them, we have hired more development staff and have already started our sales activities.�

Main features of a Handy-PC:

- form, size and usual operation of a normal mobile phone
- full-size inside keyboard with PC layout, wide-format PC colour screen and a touch creen as mouse-replacement
- open hardware architecture enabling the user to work with applications under different operating systems (Windows, Linux or Symbian)
- pre-installed PC remote control for remote access to files and programs of desktop PCs and servers

About Road GmbH
The Berlin company ROAD GmbH (Remote Office Access Devices) is the sole developer and manufacturer of mobile remote office access devices - so called Handy-PCs - combining performance characteristics of mobile PCs and communication features and the convenient size of a mobile phone.

For further information and pictures please contact:
ROAD GmbH
Hubertus von Streit
Bennigsenstra�e 14
D-12159 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 230069 - 60
Fax: +49 (0) 30 230069 - 69
E-mail: [email][email protected][/email]
http://www.road-gmbh.de

(Please send specimen copy to: unlimited gmbh berlin)
presse: unlimited communications marketing gmbh berlin
Beate Figgener
rosenthaler stra�e 40-41
10178 berlin
+ 49(0)30.28007815
[email][email protected][/email]
www.ucm.de

What do you think of it...

here's the specs & the link for it in English...(with some screen shots)
:icon14:

User posted image

Comments???

Its going to be out soon!!!

Symbian or Windows or Linux??? What do you think??

Nokia 9500 or 9300i or ROAD???

langdona 04 Nov 2005, 18:57

Interesting the screen shots seem to be from the Linux version. It looks like a 9500 with a Psion keyboard. No 3G but is quadband and has WiFi and Bluetooth.

However their is no metion of which version of Symbian it will be using or which UI.

It looks interesting but will it turn out to be vaporware?

Full spec for the linux version follows.

http://www.road-gmbh.de/en/produkte/index_01.html

Technical Features

Software
- Standard applications
- GSM telephone with SMS/MMS
- PIM with

* Address book
* Appointment diary
* Tasks

- Pocket calculator
- Dictaphone set
- Drawing Application
- MP3 Player
- PC synchronisation MS Outlook et al.
- Remote Access
- Internet Browser
- E-mail client (POP and IMAP), multiple accounts
- Office Viewer (MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe PDF)

Customer-related applications
- Encryption (only S101K)
- Business-applications for direct access to company servers
- Provider-related Online-Services

Operating system
- LINUX Kernel 2.6.x
- Qtopia Graphic user interface

Hardware
- GSM Telephone

* Display: LCD monochrome 102x65 pixel
* Keyboard: 20-key standard layout
* Speech output via earphones or hands-free speaking system

- PC

* Display: Colour TFT 640x240 pixel with touchscreen
* Keyboard: 63-key PC-compatible layout

- Dictaphone set / Audioplayer

* 4 separate keys for control
* Replay via loudspeaker / earphones

- Camera (optional)

* 2 Megapixel

Running time
- GSM Telephone: active 4 hours, standby 240 hours
- PC: active 5 hours, standby 30 days (GSM Telephone switched off)

Connectivity
- Wireless

* GSM quadband (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) with EDGE
* WLAN
* Bluetooth
* IRDA infrared module

- Cable connection

* USB 2.0, Mini-USB socket
* SD-Card slot
* Charging adapter 5V DC, at 1A
* Telephone-headset or stereo earphones

Inwards
- CPU Intel Xscale PXA 263 with 400 MHz
- Memory 64MB RAM, 64MB Flash
- Lithium Polymer 1500mAh battery, recharging time 3 hours
- Vibration alarm

General Information
- Weight 210g including battery
- Dimensions 128x60x25mm

Attachments:

SwitchBlade 04 Nov 2005, 19:15

This R.O.A.D. linux PDA thing has been floating around for years though and not come to anything IIRC. I doubtful that it will now.

langdona 05 Nov 2005, 11:34

I too am dubious I can't find reference to the above press release on their site. However I did find this interesting patent claim.

In June 1995 Hans Constin registered a German patent for a mobile Remote Office Access set combining the performance characteristics of a mobile PC with the communication capability and handiness of a mobile phone.
Patent applications for the "Handy-PC" throughout the world followed. Patents were granted in the USA, Russia, China and Europe.
At the beginning of 2005 Hans Constin and Hubertus von Streit set up the company ROAD GmbH in Berlin. The objective was the further development and market launch of the Handy-PC, which had hitherto been lodged under the aegis of Constin GmbH.

The patent to me sounds like a patent on smartphones in general which seems unlikely.

However I like the concept of Linux, Symbian and Windows all running on the same hardware. Then we could do a proper comparison.