The wearable PC -- that underpowered, bulky and impractical PC-on-a-belt that only a geek could love -- is poised to make the leap from quirky fad to everyday fashion.
Wearable PC pioneers Xybernaut and ViA in recent months have introduced slimmer, trimmer and more powerful systems that promise to appeal to a broader range of user. Need proof? Engineers at Ford Motor and runners on the New York Stock Exchange are now using ViA's ViA II.
By the end of next year, a big-name designer could endorse the trend when IBM is expected to deliver a wearable PC, tentatively dubbed Visionpad, based on its ThinkPad 560 notebook.
"There are a lot of possibilities out there...even beyond what we're envisioning," said Paul Alt, manager of Exploratory Display Technology with IBM's Research Division.
The new systems overcome two major shortcomings of first-generation wearable PCs -- power and size. IBM's prototype, for example, uses an Intel 233MHz Pentium with MMX Technology and includes 64MB RAM and an IBM microdrive, which can squeeze 340MB of data on a drive the size of a CompactFlash Type II card.
IBM plans to rely upon a head-mounted display supporting 800-by-600 resolution and 16-bit color, although the current display is still in development. For input, IBM is forgoing a keyboard in favor of its ViaVoice voice-dictation software, though a USB (Universal Serial Bus) keyboard will be available as an accessory.
With a mandate for light computing, the device should slip in weighing only 10.5 ounces.
IBM: Limited rollout
IBM plans to produce prototypes through the middle of 1999, with possible limited rollout of the Visionpad by the end of the year.
IBM's new unit, which is not even out of the research labs, is nevertheless being considered by an aircraft manufacturer for assembly line use and by an airline for use by ticket agents, Alt said.
Xybernaut's newest model, the MA IV, contains a 200MHz or 233MHz Pentium with MMX Technology processor and can be accessed via keypad and belt-bound mouse, or by a headset microphone and IBM's ViaVoice. Two viewing options are a 6.3-inch tablet or a head-mounted display capable of 640x480-resolution and 256 colors.
ViA's ViA II uses Cyrix's 180MHz MediaGX processor and a pen-based tablet or voice recognition for input. ViA partnered with Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products, in October, and while they haven't made any formal announcements yet, they are working together to create a new voice recognition package. This will replace the proprietary software that ViA created in-house.
Big hurtle: Price
One significant hurdle for wearable PCs remains: price. Xybernaut's MA IV costs from $US5,000 to $US6,000, and the ViA II is priced between $US3,200 and $US5,000. IBM hasn't set the price of its Visionpad, but Alt said it's safe to say that the price will be "in the ballpark" of the ThinkPad 560, which is currently at $US3,000.
Some IT managers have no use for wearable PCs until prices drop.
"[Current prices] make wearable PCs impractical for many businesses purposes," said Kevin Baradet, network technology director with Cornell University.
