Samsung Electronics America Announces Shipment of the PenMaster Notepad Computer

September 1, 1992 — Samsung Electronics America, Information Systems Division, announced Tuesday that it has begun shipping its PenMaster notepad computer.

Based on Intel’s powerful 80386SL microprocessor, the PenMaster is one of the most feature-rich systems to enter the $200 million pen-based market. Samsung will be demonstrating the PenMaster in booth #154 at the upcoming Pen-Based Expo, taking place Sept. 21-23 in Los Angeles.

Samsung’s PenMaster weighs less than five pounds, measures 9.35- by 11.5- by 1.48-inches, and offers a back-lit VGA screen. It supports all pen operating systems, including PenPoint from GO Corp., PenDOS from CIC, and Microsoft’s Windows for Pen Computing, and offers sophisticated hand recognition capabilities that allow users to easily modify data and text. In addition, it comes standard with a 60-megabyte hard disk drive, expandable to 120 megabytes, and a PCMCIA slot that offers up to four megabytes of additional memory capacity.

Along with the products, Samsung is also making its PenMaster Partner Kit available to software vendors developing new applications for pen computing, and to Value Added Resellers (VARs) and distributors (VADs) who will be sell-ing pen systems. The kit provides guidelines for participating in the partner program and is designed to make the development and sale of new pen applications easier and faster.

Samsung is offering substantial discounts on the PenMaster to ISVs, VARs and VADs who qualify for the program. The systems can be purchased directly from Samsung.

“We believe pen computing has the potential to have as great an impact on an end-user’s personal productivity and ability to access information as the personal computer had ten years ago,” said Kevin Kilroy, senior director of marketing and operations for Samsung’s Information Systems Division. “Samsung’s investment in the potential of pen computing is evident in the PenMaster.

“In the immediate near-term, it is a viable alternative or supplement to a desktop computer. Long-term, it has all the features developers need to create the applications that will take pen computing into the future.”

Pen technology enables users to input data and text using a stylus pen directly on the computer screen. Currently, the new devices are particularly attractive to the mobile field work force who can benefit from the automation of repetitive tasks, and to mobile professionals who can use pen systems in meetings or during presentations, causing minimal disruption. Dataquest estimates that approximately 2.8 million pen-based computers will be sold by 1996, up from only 30,000 in 1991.

The PenMaster notepad, which features a wireless, or untethered pen, is based on the Intel Corp. 80386SL microprocessor running at 20 megahertz, and comes standard with a 60-megabyte 2.5-inch hard disk drive; four megabytes of RAM (expandable to 20 megabytes) with 16-kilobytes of cache; a back-lit VGA screen with 32 shades of gray; a fax/modem card (9600 baud send/receive, and 2400 baud data); and a socket for the 80837 co-processor.

It also includes one serial port; one parallel port; a VGA port for an external monitor; a PS/2 compatible keyboard port; and a floppy disk drive port. The PenMaster comes standard with MS-DOS 5.0 and features a dual-boot capability.

A 10-cell, nickel-cadmium battery powers the PenMaster for more than three hours under heavy use, or four to eight hours with normal use. A power management system shuts down the system if it is idle for more than 30 seconds — the system starts back up when the pen is brought near the screen.

Options include: an 80- or 120-megabyte internal hard disk drive; a memory expansion card; an external 3.5-inch, 1.44 megabyte floppy disk drive; battery charger, auto adapter and carrying case.
Samsung’s PenMaster is covered by a 12-month parts and labor warranty, and the company offers additional support through a toll-free support hotline, which can be reached at 800/446-0262.

The PenMaster is available immediately through select VARs and distributors. Manufacturers suggested retail price of the system is $3,995, which includes the warranty for parts and labor.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Information Systems Division, markets a broad range of electronics products, including personal and portable computers, local-area network hardware, monitors, printer systems, disk drives and other peripherals.

The parent company, Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. (SEC), Seoul, Korea, is a silicon-to-systems manufacturer of electronics products, including telecommunications devices, systems and peripherals. Since 1981, the company has sold 17 million computer products, including 16 million monitors.

SEC is a part of the Samsung Group, a Seoul-based conglomerate with $52 billion annual sales from electronics, chem-ical, food-processing, textile and information products, services and international trading activities. As of July 1992, Fortune magazine ranked the Samsung Group as the 18th largest company in the world.

CONTACT:
Edelman Technology Communications, Mountain View, Calif.
Lisa Croel, 415/968-4033
or
Samsung Electronics America Inc., Ridgefield Park
Kevin Kilroy, 201/229-4060