Poqet Unveils a Powerful, Pocket-Sized PC

A 2-year-old Silicon Valley start-up company unveiled a pocket-size computer Tuesday that packs the most power in the smallest package yet.

Poqet Computer Corp. said it expects to begin shipping its videocassette-size Poqet PC by the end of the year. Analysts expect the 1-pound machine to carve a new niche in the market for portable computers, now dominated by larger, heavier machines.

“In the history of personal computers, this is an important development,” said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies Research International in Santa Clara, Calif.

The Poqet PC, to be priced at $1,995, uses credit-card-size solid-state memory cards to store up to 512 kilobits of memory, less than most personal computers today but equal to IBM’s original PC and some of today’s cheaper Taiwanese clones.

A Unique Machine

Like notebook-size portable computers and larger “luggable” machines, the computer is designed as an extension of the office for professionals who spend much of their time on the road.

The machine is four times lighter than the notebook-size computers that have been introduced by such competitors as Zenith and Toshiba in the last year. In addition, it can operate for up to 100 hours on two AA alkaline batteries, more than 10 times longer than other portables, which require frequent recharging.

William Lempesis, senior industry analyst for Dataquest Inc. of San Jose, Calif., said it is unique.

Peter Rogers, a technology analyst with Robertson, Stephens & Co. in San Francisco, said the size alone should make the computer a hot seller.

“There is no question they have created a whole new market segment,” he said. “This is the first portable I’ve come across in the last year that I’d be willing to buy right now.”

Application programs that come with the computer contain such basic functions as an address book, a scheduling book, a calculator and a basic word processor.