The Mac Observer--Want To See Some Detailed Specs On The P1? We Got 'Em

This Story Posted:
July 9th, 1999

[4:22 PM]
Want To See Some Detailed Specs On The P1? We Got 'Em

We had a seemingly well placed source send us some details on the P1. We believe this source to be accurate as they had a piece of information that we have independently confirmed elsewhere that no one else has talked about, including The Mac Observer. Some of the following information has been slightly altered in an attempt to keep various parties anonymous.

The P1 will be heavier than originally expected with a weight above the Lombard but less than the Wall Street unit. As for the dimensions, I just remember width as ranging from 1-2".
Ports: USB, 10/100 Mbps ethernet, 56k modem, 11 Mbps wireless networking card (optional), audio out, AC power.
The wireless card wasn't specified as internal or external (PCMCIA). But it's range is 150 ft. and you can buy a wireless "hub"... you see how this works for classrooms.
One 6 hour battery and 24x CD-ROM built in.
One speaker
12" active matrix TFT 800x600 or scaling to 640x480
Two or three colors (specifics withheld)
Of interest is the internal latching mechanism for the clamshell. The concept is that there are no latches or openings of any kind when closed... the idea is that nothing will open, activate, or break when being carried in a book bag.
Bundled Software: Mac OS 8.6, AppleWorks, AOL, Earthlink, Netscape, IE/OE, 2 entertainment titles (names withheld). There is more that I don't remember, some educational type stuff perhaps. No mention of the Apple ISP or portal site.
I don't know the price.

The Mac Observer Spin: There's the wireless concept resurfacing. We are hoping that this part is true. How about that weight however? That's plain heavy. We hope that this is wrong because that will be a deterrent for many people, including students. That may be the price of ruggedness though. All in all, this is an exciting package that will be very attractive. Hopefully the price will be in the US$1099 - US$1299 range. Some rumors out there have the price pegged as high as US$2799 which is just too high.

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