FlipStart ultra small PC to ship this month at US$2000

March Paul G. Allen’s FlipStart Labs has taken a while in bringing its first product to market but the highly-anticipated FlipStart will ship to customers before the end of the month. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates and since bowing out of Microsoft he has shown a keen eye for investing in key technologies before their time. He is now one of the world's richest men and the Flipstart is one of his passions – it’s based on the premise that mobile professionals have too many devices and need full functionality in one pocket-sized device. "I've always been captivated with problems that really need solving,” says Allen. “What should exist and how we could create a solution. Years ago, I began to imagine a super compact computer that would allow us to connect, communicate, work and relax, no matter where we are. One that is intrinsically intuitive to use. FlipStart is the first commercial product to meet that vision; it simply works as expected."

With a design based on extensive user preference research and usability studies, FlipStart has a clamshell design, runs full Windows apps, and comes with a full complement of communications, entertainment and constant connectivity in a convenient form factor.

Whether sitting at the office, standing in line at the coffee shop or traveling between destinations, FlipStart is comfortable to use in people's hands, on a desk or mounted in a vehicle.

David Daoud, research manager at IDC, a global provider of market intelligence, advisory services and events for the information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology markets, said, "FlipStart is instantly appealing because of its familiar, intuitive form factor. FlipStart's power stems from the combination of its accessible design and constant connectivity, allowing people to get work done and be entertained wherever they go."

FlipStart will be delivered with the choice of Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista Business, delivering support for the business applications needed by today's mobile professionals for full productivity wherever they are. With FlipStart's bundled port replicator, professionals can connect to full-size monitors and keyboards in an office setting or plug in a projector to present at a meeting. FlipStart also facilitates entertainment. Users can play their favorite games, watch movies or listen to music with their favorite media player.

Proven to Work for Mobile Professionals

FlipStart Labs conducted extensive research with mobile professionals to determine what they need in a portable device. Although laptops, cell phones and PDAs have improved mobile productivity, research indicated that a gap still exists for mobile users. According to this research, there is strong need for a highly usable PC with the functionality of a home or office workstation that is small enough to tuck into a bag. Research also indicated that above all else, people want a device that is easy for them to use whether they are sitting, standing or traveling. Independent research reveals that people's typing speeds on FlipStart are 16 to 26% faster than on similar products by competitors.

"Our goal with FlipStart is to evolve the quality of mobile computing to the next level," said Robin Budd, senior director of FlipStart Labs. "People want a device that is easy to use, packed with the power to run their vital applications and that enables ongoing connectivity to e-mail and the Internet."

FlipStart delivers on these needs with the following features:

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