Cebit 2001: HP unveils Cebit line-up

Hewlett Packard (HP) has launched a range of products which will be officially unveiled at the Cebit trade show in Hanover this week.

The company said its main focus will be on mobile and wireless devices for the consumer market following its subscription to the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, which guarantees interoperability with public 802.11B networks and other existing wireless infrastructures.

First off the HP stand will be a new Jornada handheld PC targeted squarely at the Palm marketplace. The Jornada 525 features a colour screen and a Compact Flashcard expansion slot.

The 525 also comes with software such as Pocket Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word and Excel. The devices's big brother, the 710, which is also due to be launched at Cebit this week, features a keyboard and wireless accessibility.

Also on offer will be a Bluetooth-enabled printer. Carly Fiorina, HP's chairman, president and chief executive, said that this year's focus at the convention would be on "useful, simple and convenient" products.

HP will also be displaying its 1Ghz Pentium III Omnibook, and a handful of DVD writers and re-writers at the show.

The company has set up its own vision of the future, known as Cooltown, where everything and everyone has its own web address "allowing the global sharing of ideas and information electronically".