Microsoft extends hand on low-cost PDAs
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft and Samsung on Monday announced they have teamed up to develop a design for low-cost handhelds, a market dominated by rival Palm. Devices based on the design will use Microsoft's Pocket PC software and Samsung's 200MHz ARM9-based S3C2410 application processor and will have 32MB of memory. The design also calls for a 3.5-inch color or black-and-white display, Secure Digital and SDIO support, and a petite 4.1-inch-by-2.8-inch, 2.9-ounce case.
The announcement with Samsung underscores Microsoft's recent emphasis on the low-end market. The software giant and its hardware partners have traditionally offered devices with advanced features to the corporate market, where prices tend to be in the $500 range. The high end of the market is a smaller segment compared with the low end, but profit margins are larger.