Having denied the rumors last week, Palm Computing, 3Com Corp’s handheld PC division, confirmed Monday it will announce its next generation Palm Pilot computer later this week. The new device will be unveiled Wednesday at the company’s developer conference in Santa Clara, California. The aim, 3Com said in a press statement yesterday, is to provide a new way of accessing information on the internet. The new product, Palm V, will be slimmer than previous versions and feature enhanced synchronization capabilities. It will also rely on Lithium batteries, as opposed to the standard AA size currently used, which are lighter and last longer. But staying characteristically tight-lipped, spokespeople for 3Com refused to divulge any more details about the product. Janice Roberts, acting president of Palm Computing since the departure, last month (CI No 3,533), of Donna Dubinsky, former general manager of Palm and Jeff Hawkins, former chief technology officer, to form rival company Handspring, will announce the device, followed by hands on demonstrations by web content providers and partners. As well as unveiling the Palm V, the company is reportedly expected to announce a new wireless version of its current Palm Pilot model. Wireless technology will be built into a number of palm organizers, one news service yesterday, quoting sources close to 3Com. The products will not be available until after the new year, and will cost more than existing versions, the service said. Palm V is not expected to hit the shops until early next year.
