HP has given us another present: an extra megabyte for our HP 100LX. The new 2MB HP 100LX turns the 100LX into a new machine. The good news is that HP offers existing 100LX owners an upgrade path.
With 1.4 Megabytes of storage space, most HP 100LX users will have enough room for essential data files and utilities to make a memory card a luxury rather than a necessity. 2MB HP 100LX users will be able to fax or E-mail anywhere without lots of extra parts and cables. Just stick a PCMCIA fax/modem card in the 100LX and put any necessary software on the C drive.
Before we knew about the two megabyte HP 100LX offering, we had planned several articles on PCMCIA Input/Output cards. These articles on PCMCIA cards converge nicely with the news about the 2MB 100LX since the new HP 100LX makes these PCMCIA cards practical. Mark Scardina's article provides basic (and subtle) background knowledge to fax/modem cards plus a brief look at three fax/modem cards. In my User to User column I discuss the sounds and sights of COMDEX, highlighting many PCMCIA card discoveries. Both Mark and I talk about the HP 95LX fax/modem card.
If you are like many, a bit confused about "PCMCIA" and related acronyms, check out sidebars to my article and Mark's introduction.
Our first 1994 issue contains much more. There are five pages of Quick Tips and Basic tips. Stanley Dobrowski tells us all we need to know about different kinds of batteries and their use in the HP Palmtops. For those willing to roll up their sleeves, Ed Keefe teaches some about Lotus and gives us some ideas to overcome the limitation of the diminutive HP keyboard. Finally, two friends of mine chronicle their use of the HP Palmtop in a most unusual experiment to reduce crime in Washington D.C.
As this issue portends, 1994 should prove to be a most exciting year of Palmtop possibilities.