The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company will use the low-end model to go after the $200 to $400 midrange market, which accounts for half of all handheld shipments, according to Cindy Box, a marketing director for handhelds at HP. Like its predecessors, the device has four buttons, a brushed-metal case and a color screen. However, the new device is far thinner and smaller, and also includes a Secure Digital expansion slot. In an interview, Box briefly demonstrated the device. However she declined to provide specifications and pricing for the new models.
HP is also aiming at corporate users with the high-end device, which includes built-in 802.11b wireless and Bluetooth capabilities along with a built-in fingerprint reader that can be used to give a device owner exclusive access to the machine. The high-end unit will be priced in the $400 to $650 range, a niche that Box said accounts for a third of all handheld shipments.
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