US reports say that Hewlett-Packard Co is working on a Precision Architecture RISC-based laptop computer that could rival offerings from IBM Corp and Sun Microsystems Inc. The company launched its first Unix portable – a 68000-based Integral Portable Computer including built-in Thinkjet (CI No 96) – way back in 1985, but it did not catch on. The new product may well be based on the long-awaited and low cost 7100LC chip, and will be targeted at users that need to access multiple databases and require multitasking capabilities, such as travelling product managers. But, reports say, the laptop will not compete with the company’s Advanced Micro Devices Inc Am386-based notebook, Omnibook – the Omnibook is the first of a family, and Hewlett-Packard intends to release a regular string of enhancements over the next three to six months. The new RISC laptop should provide better communications and other value-added features such as security and robust graphics capabilities. It will also likely have a colour screen.
