Home | Index | Contact | New!

The Cyrix Conceptual Products Group has designed the WebPAD™ solution as a reference platform for developers and OEMs. WebPAD is not available as a retail product at this time.

Ever think about using the Internet "on the fly" to look up information, or send a quick e-mail? How many times have you not gone online because of the inconvenience of sitting down at your PC, turning it on, waiting for it to boot, clicking on an ISP icon, and waiting again for your modem to dial in and connect?

But imagine simply picking up a device the size of a clipboard, switching it on, and being instantly online from the comfort of your couch, kitchen table or backyard lounge chair. What if you could access the Internet when you wanted, where you wanted, without using a PC or an appliance that competes with your TV program?

By this time next year, you'll have a portable Internet access device - developed from a product idea brought to you by Cyrix.

A Powerful Concept for Portable Access
National Semiconductor's Cyrix Conceptual Products Group (CCPG) has developed the WebPAD™ reference design, a working prototype for a powerful, convenient Internet access device that can make Web browsing as easy as using the telephone.

The WebPAD will allow you to tap into the vast universe of information available on the Internet, wherever you are in and around the house. For example, if you're in the kitchen, use the WebPAD to find a great dinner recipe online in minutes. If you're working on your car and need to know the answer to a diagnostic problem, get online with WebPAD right in your garage. If you're watching baseball and want to compare stats or find out more about the team, WebPAD can connect you to the Internet - quickly and conveniently.

WebPAD isn't designed to replace conventional PCs as a productivity tool. Rather, it complements the PC as a single-application device, making it more convenient for Internet users to send or receive e-mail, chat, or browse Web sites instantly. It's portability and ease of use delivers the ultimate Internet experience.

Design Features for Single Application Use
Cyrix is providing the WebPAD reference design to consumer electronic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). OEMs can use the design specifications to develop their own Internet access devices with a variety of features and connection options..

While Cyrix is not manufacturing the WebPAD, the Company designed the device around its highly integrated MediaGX™ processor. The MediaGX CPU represents intelligent processor integration, delivering powerful, easy-to-use multimedia technology that enables the development of low-cost information devices - like WebPAD.

The WebPAD employs sophisticated wireless (radio frequency) data transmission technology to make it a truly mobile device, providing convenience similar to that of a cordless telephone. An 8-by-11 inch , 2.7 pound tablet, the WebPAD features an LCD touchscreen supporting high-resolution graphics. Additionally, it comes with a stylus, enabling users to navigate the Web using the WebPAD's touchscreen technology.

The WebPAD is completely integrated and sealed: There are no internal parts that can be upgraded, added or removed, and there is no software to load. It's designed with dual Universal System Bus (USB) ports to add peripheral options such as a keyboard, mouse, printer or gaming input device. There are no disk or floppy drives, and no PC Card slots -- although the design would support these items if an OEM chose to feature them.

The WebPAD reference design includes three components: The WebPAD mobile display tablet, the charging unit, and a base station transceiver that can be plugged into any power outlet near an RJ-11 telephone jack. Depending upon how OEMs choose to design it, it could use a coaxial cable Internet connection as well. The design can support xDSL and ISDN as well as cable and legacy 56K interconnect protocols, and it is Ethernet network ready. Eventually, pending availability of such services, "persistent" or instant-on service similar to cable television will be available, enabling users to pick up WebPAD and turn it on with instant, no dial-up access.

The transceiver base station, which delivers the Internet data via RF signals to the hand-held WebPAD unit, can be tucked out of sight or placed among other home entertainment system components. The charging unit is an inconspicuous desktop cradle similar to those that come with cordless telephones.

The WebPAD is designed to carry a charge for up to six hours, with 20 hours of standby (out of cradle) power. It has a range of up to 500 feet from the base station, allowing freedom of mobility throughout a house, office, or even the immediate neighborhood. It will provide the Internet access of a PC in a product as portable and easy to use as a cordless phone.

Making Information Access Available
There are still variables that will determine when such a device will find favor in a vast numbers of homes and offices around the U.S. For example, one factor in mass-market acceptance of WebPAD devices is the maturation of the telcom and datacom industry infrastructures to support persistent Internet connections.

But with the acceptance of devices such as the VCR, the cellular telephone and compact disc/DVD players, the industry won't be far behind in providing the technology infrastructure necessary to make WebPAD a reality. And in time, these and other technological improvements will likely bring the cost of WebPAD devices into a comfortable price range for consumers. Similarly, Internet services are very likely to evolve into either cable- or telephone-based access standards that will make persistent Internet connections possible.

The WebPAD's innovative design provides consumer electronic OEMs an opportunity to change the paradigm of Internet access -- from the PC-based model to one based on Internet access devices. The new paradigm promises Internet access as easy to use as the telephone - bringing information to people, anytime, anywhere.

The Cyrix Conceptual Products Group has designed the WebPAD™ solution as a reference platform for developers and OEMs. WebPAD is not available as a retail product at this time.