Jedi is the code name for a new hand held personal computer being developed by Psion. It is roughly equal in size to a small sub-notebook and will use the EPOC operating system, with support for Java, GSM mobile telephony and sporting a colour display. With 24MB of RAM, it is expected to retail at under £800.

“Quantum” is another product being developed, but is a tablet device, around twice as long as it is wide, with no keyboard. It will also have a colour display and use the same 140MHz StrongARM “light sabre” processor as the Jedi.

Both Jedi and Quantum will place Psion squarely in competition with a number of large American players. HP, with its Journada, and Palm, with its Palm connected organisers, will both see this as a move towards their traditional market space. However, Microsoft will perceive it as the greatest threat, a clear demonstration that the EPOC operating system is suitable not only for mobile telephony, as shown by the recently announced Ericsson MC218, but also as a competitor to the Windows CE HPC Professional.

As these new products and collaborations prepare to take on Microsoft’s Imperial Troopers, there is a rumoured Alliance"encounter” with IBM which would enable Psion to launch an attack on the US market with a full fleet of X-wing fighters, defeating the Empire once and for all ... enough already.

http://www.psion.com/