Apple Computer Inc’s personal digital assistant – now said to be code-named Newton – is being described as one of the most exciting electronics products in years according to sources that spoke to the Associated Press. Now expected late next month, the pen-driven handheld computer is said to be able to organise data such as an appointments diary and can communicate with other machines by dialling phone numbers and sending facsimile messages. Although the machine, which is designed to read handprint but not cursive writing, is expected to be at the Spring Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, it is not expected to be available until early next year. Apple confirms that the machine will be built by Sharp Corp and will cost under $1,000. The company has said that it will license the technology to others.Newton is said to be powered by a RISC microprocessor, presumably Acorn Computers Plc’s ARM device, which is now owned by Advanced RISC Machines Ltd, the Cambridge, UK-based design company in which Apple, Acorn and VLSI Technology Inc are all investors. Sanyo Electric Co licensed the RISC for embedded applications.
