US technology giant Microsoft goes head-to-head with lawsuit-cobbled Canadian firm Research in Motion, offering a lower-cost option to its BlackBerry wireless e-mail device.
The Redmond, Washington, company also announced an alliance with Texas Instruments (TI) to produce a high-performance computer chip that could cut prices of Windows Mobile-based "smartphones" by an estimated 20 percent.
TI's new single-core chips "offer significant savings on the total bill of materials," Microsoft said in a written release.
"Texas Instruments' integrated and optimized (chip) was designed to deliver enhanced features at a reduced cost," said Edgar Auslander, general manager of worldwide strategy for the Dallas firm's wireless business unit.
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