MicroTouch Announces Go PenPoint Support for Digitizer that Offers Both Finger and Stylus Input

May 26, 1992 — MicroTouch Systems, Inc. announced that its TouchPen pen computing digitizer, one of the first to offer both touch and pen input, now supports Go Corporation’s PenPoint Operating System for pen computers. Go PenPoint support for TouchPen makes possible a new generation of pen computers that are more flexible and intuitive, and enable users to easily work with either a finger or stylus.

The TouchPen digitizer driver is provided by Go to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) upon request, enabling them to easily integrate TouchPen into their pen computers. The MicroTouch digitizer using PenPoint is part of NEC’s new UltraLite SL/20P Series notebook computer, which was the first machine to incorporate the new TouchPen technology.

“TouchPen enables NEC to offer an intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly way to interact with a pen computer. We chose the MicroTouch TouchPen for the UltraLite SL/20P Series because it offers both finger input for icon selection and general mouse control tasks, as well as pen input for handwriting recognition,” said Bob Levin, marketing director of NEC’s Portable Systems Division.

With its new PenPoint driver, TouchPen makes possible new capabilities such as capturing signatures, annotating documents and facsimiles, and on-screen hand editing. Possible applications include use by field maintenance workers, delivery truck drivers, insurance sales people, and pharmacies.

The TouchPen components sold to OEMs consist of a CMOS chipset, stylus, and a transparent glass sensor that fits over the flat LCD display. This design enables OEMs, such as NEC, to build stylus-based computers that are significantly thinner, more energy efficient, and easier to integrate than traditional digitizers being used in other pen computers.

Pricing and Availability

TouchPen and its Go PenPoint driver are available immediately. The NEC UltraLite SL/20P (including the TouchPen digitizer) began shipping last month. OEM evaluation kits are available from MicroTouch, allowing OEMs to evaluate the TouchPen technology working with Go PenPoint.

MicroTouch is a leading supplier of pen computing digitizers and has been shipping transparent digitizers since 1989 into the pen computing market. Pricing for the TouchPen digitizer evaluation kit is $995. Quantity one pricing for the digitizer ASIC and transparent glass sensor is $145. Significant OEM volume discounts are available.

MicroTouch Systems, headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., is a leading manufacturer of touch screens used in point-of-sale, gaming, factory floor, multimedia, and other computer-based applications. The company also markets the Un-Mouse, a mouse replacement touch pad. Founded in 1983, MicroTouch filed a registration statement with the Securi-ties and Exchange Commission on May 13, 1992 for an initial public offering.

CONTACT:
The Weber Group Inc.
Janice Rosen/Mirena Reilly, 617/661-7900
or
MicroTouch Systems Inc.
Janet Pannier, 508/694-9900