ViewSonic to sell PDAs on Microsoft’s OS

SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp. said that display maker ViewSonic Corp. will c The new personal digital assistant, which costs $299, is the cheapest new PDA running Microsoft software to date, said Ed Suwanjindar, a mobile devices product manager at Microsoft.

Microsoft is trying to move its software away from the desktop and into living rooms and people's pockets to make itself less dependent on sales of personal computers running its Windows operating system. "The device is one of the thinnest and lightest Pocket PC PDAs out on the market, but still reaches a great price point," said Suwanjindar. It will be available in early November.

ViewSonic, a closely held maker of computer screens and flat-panel displays, said the new PDA would sport Intel Corp.'s 300MHz X-Scale processor, have 32 megabytes of flash memory, a 64,000-color display and a Secure Digital (SD) slot.

© Reuters