Wrist PDA Hits the Market (Dick Tracy must be spinning in his grave…)

‘This is our first-generation high-technology product and we hope to capture 1 percent of Palm’s installed base, which would
represent about sales of about 100,000 to 150,000 devices,’ Fossil vice president of technology Donald Brewer told Wireless
NewsFactor.

By Jay Wrolstad
http://www.WirelessNewsFactor.com

Gadget fans can now get their hands on the wrist PDA (personal digital assistant) offered by Fossil (Nasdaq: FOSL) which went
on sale this week at the watchmaker’s Web site and will be on store shelves by the middle of the month.

The initial version of the US$145 wearable handheld, with the storage capacity of a PDA, is compatible with Palm-powered devices, while
a PocketPC model is expected in June.

Using the infrared transmitter component in most current handhelds, data from a PDA can be downloaded to the watch, which is
programmed for read-only capability, and then stored in its 190KB of available memory, Donald Brewer, vice president for technology at
Fossil told Wireless NewsFactor.

That is enough memory to file 1,100 contacts, 800 different appointments or 350 memos.

Users also can beam up to 20 business cards sent from handhelds or other wrist PDAs. A four-direction toggle button delivers access to
the information using drop-down menus. And yes, it also keeps time.

The Wearable Trend

The device is compatible with the Palm (Nasdaq: PALM) III, V and VII
series, m100 series and m500 series PDAs, as well as Handspring’s
(Nasdaq: HAND) Visor and Edge models and the Sony (NYSE: SNE)
Clie line.

The Pocket PC version supports Compaq’s iPaq and Cassiopeia devices
and the HP Jornada PDA.

"This is our first-generation high-technology product and we hope to capture
1 percent of Palm’s installed base, which would represent about sales of
about 100,000 to 150,000 devices," Fossil vice president of technology
Donald Brewer told Wireless NewsFactor.

"Handheld computers are destined to have a place in the wearable product
area," Brewer added. "We have seen computer technology get smaller and
smaller, and this is the next step in that evolution. It combines both fashion
and function."

Big Blue Fashion Statement

Among others targeting the wearable PDA market are IBM (NYSE: IBM) , which has developed a prototype Linux watch that
communicates wirelessly with PCs, cell phones and other mobile devices. It can display e-mail and receive pager-type messages,
and it is Bluetooth -enabled.

Samsung offers a watch-phone that combines the functions of a wristwatch, mobile phone and PDA, while Seiko Instruments has
demonstrated a wristwatch supporting Bluetooth wireless technology, although the product has yet to reach the market.

Fossil’s wrist PDA, initially introduced last November, is currently available on the Web and at the company’s retail outlets. Among the
retailers that will be offering it later this month are Watch Station and Bloomingdales, Brewer said.

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