Microsoft Ships Windows for Pens: More than 220 Companies Declare Support

April 7, 1992 — Microsoft Corp. Tuesday announced the immediate availability of its new pen operating system, Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing, also known as ”Windows for Pens.”

In conjunction with this announcement MicroSlate, Momenta, NCR and NEC announced the immediate availability of pen computers with Windows for Pens pre-installed. More than 220 hardware and software companies have announced support.

In addition, there is strong corporate customer demand for Windows for Pens solutions.

Windows for Pens builds on the Windows operating system version 3.1. The extensible Windows design enabled the integration of a special set of pen extensions that support pen innovations such as ink, gestures, and recognition of handwriting, shapes, and special symbols. Windows for Pens provides more than 70 new pen functions to enable application developers to create exciting new pen applications. A robust platform for portable computers, Windows for Pens is a scalable system that will be able to run from ROM and use the battery-saving features of Advanced Power Management. End users will receive the Windows for Pens operating system pre-installed with pen-computing hardware from licensed hardware vendors.

”To make personal computing even more personal and broadly accessible, the interaction between the individual and the computer must become less obtrusive and more natural. Pens will play a critical role in making this vision come true,” said Mike Maples, executive vice president, world wide products group at Microsoft.  ”We believe the impact of pen computing will be on an order of magnitude similar to the introduction of the graphical user interface and the mouse in the 1980’s.”

Windows for Pens is the only operating system that combines full pen computing functionality with full compatibility with Windows.  Only Windows for Pens lets users operate the pen with exciting, new pen applications as well as with unmodified applications for Windows version 3.0 (or higher). Customers can use the pen with existing applications for Windows to issue commands using ”gestures.” Another significant advantage of this approach is that it allows developers to leverage their development time, knowledge and code to develop new pen functionality.

Strong Customer Demand for Windows for Pens

Windows for Pens is attracting great customer interest across a broad range of industries including: financial services, retail, insurance, health care and utilities. Corporations plan to create custom applications to enhance the productivity of mobile professionals. In a recent survey, 80 percent of these customers planned to integrate these systems — the data and the applications — into existing corporate-wide computing solutions.

”With superlative pen support and a wide range of development tools and applications, Windows for Pens was the best solution for our pen needs,” said Ray Payne, vice president, management systems at Anheuser-Busch. ”It gave us the best of both worlds. We can develop and evolve sales applications quickly and easily, while, at the same time, creating an application that is designed totally around the pen.”

Windows for Pens allows customers to use a broad array of development tools, connectivity solutions, and their expertise in Windows to create prototypes, test pilots and roll- out complete solutions rapidly and cost-effectively.

Windows for Pens Garners ISV Support

In addition to the strong support Windows for Pens has received from OEMs and corporate customers, it is also realizing strong support from independent software vendors. Developers supporting Windows for Pens range from mainstream software providers such as Borland, Lotus and Oracle, to innovative pen start-up companies such as PenSoft and Slate. Eight independent software developers today introduced 11 products for Windows for Pens. Microsoft officials said they expect 80 more applications to ship during the year.

These applications exploit the pen beyond the handwriting recognition and gestures that are enabled in thousands of Windows applications.

”Windows for Pens is an excellent environment for pen computing,” said Vern L. Rayburn, chairman of Slate Corp. ”It provides complete support for innovative pen applications.”

”Windows for Pens gives us everything we could want to support our new pen computing applications on the latest mobile, small form-factor computers,” said Sam Lanahan, president of PenMetrics, Inc. ”This system is made for portable platforms.”

”Over the next decade, pens will have a dramatic impact on computing,” said Mike Maples, executive vice president, worldwide products group at Microsoft. ”Pen support has already been built into the newly introduced versions of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation graphics program and the Visual Basic programming system. This is only a start. We are also initiating projects in new application categories enabled by highly mobile pen machines.”

Pen Functionality Supports Special Needs of Pen Computers

Windows for Pens customers have a broad range of pen computers to choose from.

In addition to MicroSlate, Momenta, NCR, and NEC, other companies demonstrating computers running Windows for Pens in the Microsoft booth at Windows World include Calcomp, Grid, Kurta, Samsung, Sanyo, Summagraphics, Trigem and Wacom. In all, 34 hardware manufacturers support Microsoft pen computing.

Microsoft designed Windows for Pens as a robust platform for portable pen computers. It includes the ability to scale down to a total system size of 2MBs and can be run on a variety of different form factors. Windows for Pens supports the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification for extended battery use. Windows for Pens will enable diskless systems by supporting the Flash File System and its ability to be executed out of ROM.

”Windows for Pens does a superlative job of supporting the new pen computers that our customers want,” said George Simmons, assistant vice president, pen-based computing business unit at NCR Corp. ”The scalable architecture, ROM-able Windows and lower power requirements add up to a system optimized for mobile pen computing.”

Windows for Pens also offers a range of connectivity options central to pen portable computing, including networking and wireless communications. Vendors demonstrating such options for Windows for Pens at Windows World included ARDIS, B&M Systems, Ericsson, GE, Motorola, Photonics and Ram Mobile Data.

Aggressive Marketing Campaign is Launched for Windows for Pens

Microsoft, in conjunction with OEMs and ISVs, is launching an aggressive marketing campaign to create awareness and foster the adoption of pen computing. The campaign includes the following programs:

• The Microsoft Seminar Series on Windows for Pens. More than 250 corporate seminars are planned over the next 6 months.
• The Microsoft Pen Lab and Preferred Developer Program. The Pen Lab facility offers ISVs the ability to consult with Microsoft specialists and use Microsoft development tools and pen hardware.  The Preferred Developer Program offers ISVs who are shipping product in 1992 priority access to the Pen Lab as well as special technical and marketing support.
• The Microsoft Windows for Pens Corporate Partnership Program. This program offers high level support for corporate users of Windows for Pens and includes consulting services, access to Microsoft’s Pen Lab, special Product Support Services and the opportunity to actively influence future product specifications.

Companies interested in Windows for Pens should contact Microsoft at 800/642-7676.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has become the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Microsoft and PowerPoint are registered trademarks and Windows and Visual Basic are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. A Microsoft survey sampling 534 individuals from 177 corporate accounts.

CONTACT:
Microsoft Corp., Redmond
Collins Hemingway or Marty Taucher, 206/882-8080
or
Waggener Edstrom, Portland
Ray Berardinelli or Kim Wolfkilll, 503/245-0905