News

Pepper Computer Launches The Pepper Pad Combining Broadband Internet Access, Digital Media and Home Control in Convenient, Portable Form (26/5/2005)

Pepper Computer, Inc., announced that its wireless Pepper Pad(TM) went on sale today. The Pepper Pad is the first portable wireless device that gives consumers instant Internet and digital media while also controlling other in-home devices. The Pepper Pad's tightly integrated hardware, software and services make it hassle-free and convenient to use and own. It provides, in a lightweight, ruggedized package: Mozilla-based Web browsing, AOL instant messaging, and e-mail; collecting, organizing and sharing videos, music and photos; and TV and stereo remote control.

The Pepper Pad is a 2.3-pound, Wi-Fi-enabled device, with a large, high-resolution screen, 20-gigabyte hard disk, built-in speakers and a thumb keypad, providing a powerful, versatile platform for a much wider range of online and off-line activities than any other portable device. Its 8.4-inch display is ideal for viewing full-width Web pages and watching full-screen videos. The Pepper Pad can store hours of music and videos, plus thousands of photos. And, with three forms of wireless communication - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared (IR) - the Pad can access and control a wide range of devices around the home, from Wi-Fi access points, to keyboards and mice, to TVs, set-top boxes, music systems, home theaters and media servers. It's an ideal way for consumers to have Internet and media access plus wireless remote control in every room of their home.

The Pepper Pad can be used anywhere, with or without Wi-Fi. Consumers can take advantage of home networks and public wireless hotspots for access to online services, or offline, they can play digital media they've saved on the Pepper Pad's built-in hard disk. The Pepper Pad is fully functional and ready to use right out of the box. It offers a far richer viewing experience than small-screen PDAs or mobile phones, but much less maintenance than complex laptops, making it attractive for both computer novices and experienced computer users alike. The Pepper Pad is water-resistant and comes with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery with advanced power management for a day's worth of activities.

"The Pepper Pad was designed for the world consumers live in today, whether they're around the house, in the car, at a friend's house, or off to the beach," said Len Kawell, CEO of Pepper. "Music, photos and videos are becoming as much a part of daily life as e-mail, IM and the Web and consumers want to have them all in one easy-to-use product. The Pepper Pad offers the power of the Internet, the simplicity and reliability of TVs and the convenience of instant-on, wireless access."

The Pepper Pad has an SVGA TFT LCD screen with an 800 X 600 resolution and resistive touch screen. The system is based on a 624-MHz Intel PXA270 application processor, Intel 2700G media processor and 256 MB of SDRAM. The Wi-Fi is complemented by Bluetooth, IR, SD/MMC card slot and a USB port. It also features built-in stereo speakers and microphone, jacks for headphones, external microphone and external video display, plus a direction-pad and scroll wheel for navigation and game playing. It has two options for easy and reliable text entry: a built-in lighted thumb-style QWERTY keypad or a separate (optional) keyboard connected wirelessly by Bluetooth or wired via USB.

Amazon.com currently is the exclusive online retail outlet for the Pepper Pad in the U.S., offering the product at a discount from the initial suggested retail price of $849.99. The Pepper Pad is available to consumers outside the U.S. through Pepper.com. It will be available through selected "big-box" retailers later this year.

www.pepper.com