LG Electronics (LGE) has developed the Linux-based Digital iPAD Web pad, signalling its entry to the potentially very lucrative Web pad market. Web pads support wireless Internet search and AV data transmission and reception, as well as enabling wireless connection with other devices.
The new product can directly access the Internet in a wireless environment and enables wireless networking with devices within a maximum of 100 meters around it through a wireless LAN. In future, in addition to simple Internet access, it will also support home networking features to wirelessly control various appliances at home. LGE plans to introduce Bluetooth-enabled home networking products in April this year.
"Digital iPAD has a pen recognition function that recognises Korean as well as English inputs so that you can use the touch-screen function on the 8.4-inch LCD for e-mail, word processing and other functions. It also has a media player that can run video and MP3 files. When the voice recognition feature is added, video phoning will also be possible," says Jaehong Kim, product manager: IT products at LGE SA. The new Web pad from LG can also be used for car navigation via a geographic information system (GIS).
It can support up to 10Mbps of data communication through wireless LAN and can send not only still images in popular formats, but also videos in MPEG1, MPEG4 and other formats. With a USB interface, it also connects to conventional PCs and notebooks, while a compact flash memory card can also be added for storing AV and multimedia data.
"Linux, with no royalty requirement and rich venues for application, is the basic operating system and the company plans to expand Linux-based its next generation Internet appliance business," says Kim.
Intel`s StrongARM is the basic CPU and although a 200MHz CPU is currently being used, through technological collaboration with Intel, the Web pad will adopt Intel`s next generation embedded CPU with a speed of 400MHz. The Digital iPAD will be available in the fourth quarter 2001.
"In conjunction with continuing product development in this area, LGE also plans to expand co-operative ties with PC and AV companies to secure various business opportunities. The Web pad is a strategic business area for the company," concludes Kim.
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