It's some way from the freely usable cellular pocket computer, but
NEC Corp in Japan has replaced the hard disk in its PC-Note 9801
handheld version of its market-dominating PC-9801 personal computer
and replaced it with a modem and transceiver that enables it to
send and receive data by radio. At present it is available only in
Tokyo, because communication is via a network of Teleterminal node
transmitter-receivers installed around Tokyo by Japan City Media
Inc, which are linked to a central store and forward host computer.
Facsimile send and receive is planned for later. The 6 lbs 10oz
RC-9801 transmits and receives at 9,600bps, supports Multi-Channel
Access method - the ability to select a vacant channel - and
efficient packet switching with error correction. It has a 12MHz
80386SX, 640Kb memory, RAM drive usable as expandable memory to a
maximum of 1.6Mb, and has a floppy drive cannot connect to a hard
disk. Because of the 12Kb buffer in the radio telecommunications
unit and efficiency permitted by the separate power supplies for
the personal computer and the radio element, it is able to receive
messages even when the notebook is switched off. The communications
support is via software, using Hayes commands, with an ID for the
City Media service instead of a phone number. The Japan City Media
service operates in the 23 wards of central Tokyo and has been slow
to take off, with the president admitting to only 850 terminals
currently in use by 50 contracting companies. However, it recently
received a boost when Coca-Cola signed up for machines for its
employees who refill vending machines, who will transmit sales data
back to their head office computer. NEC says that it sees great
potential in the service, however it is being very cautious and
planning to make only 5,000 machines in the first year. The RC-9801
is just over $4,000, more than double the price for a PC-9801 Note,
but the City Media service itself appears to be priced to compete
with pocket bells as pagers are called in Japan, the basic fee
being $17.50 with packets of data at less than a cent a time. NEC
is considering marketing the machine internationally. AT&T Co
is already developing a laptop that includes a cellular phone at
its joint venture with Marubeni Corp and Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co, and Toshiba Corp plans one for June. As for NEC's
PC-Note 9801, 4m had been sold by the weekend.
