P. M. BRIEFING : New PC Turns Scrawl Into Print

Sony Corp. unveiled its Palm Top computer today with a small screen and electronic pen that turns handwritten notes into typed letters and hailed it as the beginning of the age of a computer for everyone.

Sony and electronics experts described the Palm Top PTC-500 as a significant breakthrough that could make personal computers as common as Walkman portable stereos.

“This machine has historical significance,” said Toshi Doi, the director of Sony’s microcomputer group. “The product is targeted for a far wider range of potential users in the coming era of a computer for everyone.”

The computer, which measures 8.2 inches by 6.3 inches with a height of 1.8 inches, uses “fuzzy logic” to recognize letters drawn on a 6-by-4-inch screen and convert them into typed letters that can be printed out on a computer printer or fax machine.

It eliminates the need to learn how to type on a keyboard.

The Palm Top computer will debut in Japan on April 1 at a cost of $1,320.