IBM is demonstrating growing interest in radio communications on both sides of the Pacific, and two developments emerged last week. IBM Japan was reported in the Nippon Keizai Shimbun to be ready with a notebook computer that would include a cellular data communications capability, perhaps as soon as next month. And at the ComNet show in Washington, Ardis Inc, the joint venture between IBM and Motorola Inc was showing off its packet radio communications system. IBM Japan said that it was still trying to get permission to use radio frequencies for data communications, initially via an internal radio modem compatible with Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp’s cellular network – but IBM would like a private dedicated network. Meantime in Washington, Microbytes reports, IBM was demonstrating a working prototype of a 4 lbs portable terminal for the Ardis network on the Lincolnshire, Illinois company’s stand. The machine, which IBM says will be announced later this year, uses an 80286 processor, has MS-DOS in ROM and is designed primarily for host connection via 3270 emulation. Ruggedised to survive life in the truck driver’s cab, it comes with a full keyboard and a back-lit liquid crystal diode display and a baby 40 character-line thermal printer. It has an RF radio modem and conventional modem, and for secondary storage will rely on the credit card-size memory cards. Compaq Computer Corp, Grid Systems Corp, Poqet Computer Corp and Texas Instruments Inc have all announced plans to support the Ardis network by offering internal or external RF modems for use with their laptops.IBM has had80386SX-based notebook computer back yet again, the Wall Street Journal reports: the machine, which had been expected late this month, is not now expected out until late March, and the reason is said to be parts shortages, in particular for 60Mb drives.
