ffs remains to be seen. HP also promises more bundled software than current hand-helds provide.
Philips' Velo machine will have a "standard" 480 by 240 screen, though with backlighting. The neat part about Velo is the two-chip RISC CPU, developed by Philips, that offers all the hardware f
unctions required by an HPC, including a multiply/accumulate unit to assist the MIPS R3900 core in providing a very power-efficient 19.2-Kbps fax modem, which is built into the little machine.
The Velo supports two Intel Miniature Card modules that can be used to add either RAM or Flash RAM. Unlike PC Card memory, this RAM acts as system memory, so you can upgrade to as much as 36 MB. If you want to use PC Cards, a slap-on base provides a single slot. The Velo docking module will provide one-step battery recharging and data synching. Like HP, Philips will offer more software than currently comes with other HPCs, including Pocket Quicken, a database application, and extensions to the Windows CE e-mail functionality. The Velo with 2 MB of RAM is $599; the 4-MB model is $699, higher than other HPCs now on the market.
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