Hitachi shows new Windows handheld

Hitachi Home Electronics (America) today announced several new products, including a Windows CE-based handheld computer, which it plans to display at the 1998 Winter Consumer Electronics Show.

Hitachi will show its second-generation handheld PC, a device slightly larger than the traditional Windows CE-based PC. Windows CE is a slimmed-down version of the Windows 95 operating system, designed for small devices like handhelds.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) gets underway tomorrow in Las Vegas.

The Hitachi computer has one of the fastest chips in a handheld to date--an 80-MHz Hitachi microprocessor. It also packs a 7-inch screen and an oversized keyboard, and comes standard with 8MB of memory and a software modem with fax capability. It weighs in at only 16.9 ounces.

Home entertainment devices are high on Hitachi's list at CES. The company will demonstrate a 61-inch high-definition television (HDTV) and a 36-inch digital-ready TV. The digital-ready television is equipped for connection to digital TV set-top boxes, personal computers, and game systems.

On the video front, Hitachi will show a high-resolution "UltraVision D-VHS" VCR. Hitachi also will demonstrate two DVD players, offering 2X speeds and other enhancements. These are scheduled to ship in the third quarter of this year.

The company will further show color, flat-panel plasma displays, measuring 25 inches and 41 inches diagonally.