Los Altos, California-based Pen Pal Associates Inc claims that beta testers have rated its Power Pen Pal Version 5.0 as the fastest development environment on the market. The new software is now shipping with more than 40 new features designed to speed the creation of custom applications for pen-based computers in vertical markets, the company says. As a result of support for a greater variety of screen sizes, applications created in Version 5.0 will run on a wider range of systems, including the new pen-based computers from Symbol Technologies Inc, Norand Inc, Telxon Corp and Casio Computer Co. Users can incorporate a range of features and functions in custom applications including database access, dial-up and radio communications, bar coding, graphics, fonts, character recognition and signature verification. Applications designed in Power Pen Pal Version 5.0 offer broad system independence, says the company, since Version 5.0 supports all of the major pen computer hardware systems running the MS-DOS operating system, including both the PenDOS pen operating environment from Communication Intelligence Corp, Redwood Shores, California, and the PenRight! pen operating environment from the PenRight! unit of Telxon, Akron, Ohio. The new package sells for $700.
