Pepper Pad Plus Demoed at CES

Iria · Jan 8, 2006, 01:17 AM

BetaNews got the chance to play with the new Pepper Pad Plus at CES on Saturday. The upgraded version of the original device now includes longer battery life, a 30GB hard drive, 802.11g wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth 2.0. Mary Ellen Heinen, president of Pepper Computer, said that while the device will currently still carry the $849 price tag for the immediate future, a price drop is likely very soon.

Reviews of the unit have cited the Pepper Pad's steep price as the biggest deterrent to widespread adoption by consumers. With what Heinen told us Saturday, It appears as if Pepper Computer is listening to those criticisms.

The price drop would come as a result of a new deal with HanBIT Electronics of Korea to mass-produce the device. Heinen told us that this is good news for consumers -- the company would be able to produce the devices more cheaply. Over the next several months, Pepper expects to sign deals with other OEMs to continue building it's worldwide distribution channels.

The new device would include the latest version of the Pepper Pad software that improves software performance, adds access to Flickr photo-sharing, Mobipocket eBook reader and TitanTV program guide, and would add support for Windows Media playback.

Heinen also hinted at the possibility of PlaysForSure compatibility in the not too distant future in future software upgrades.
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Source: BetaNews

Jan 8, 2006, 01:17 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Pepper Pad Plus Demoed at CES BetaNews got the chance to play with the new Pepper Pad Plus at CES on Saturday. The upgraded version of the original device now includes longer battery life, a 30GB hard drive, 802.11g wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth 2.0. Mary Ellen Heinen, president of Pepper Computer, said that while the device will currently still carry the $849 price tag for the immediate future, a price drop is likely very soon. Reviews of the unit have cited the Pepper Pad's steep price as the biggest deterrent to widespread adoption by consumers. With what Heinen told us Saturday, It appears as if Pepper Computer is listening to those criticisms. The price drop would come as a result of a new deal with HanBIT Electronics of Korea to mass-produce the device. Heinen told us that this is good news for consumers -- the company would be able to produce the devices more cheaply. Over the next several months, Pepper expects to sign deals with other OEMs to continue building it's worldwide distribution channels. The new device would include the latest version of the Pepper Pad software that improves software performance, adds access to Flickr photo-sharing, Mobipocket eBook reader and TitanTV program guide, and would add support for Windows Media playback. Heinen also hinted at the possibility of PlaysForSure compatibility in the not too distant future in future software upgrades. ____________ Source: BetaNews