Vadem Clio

Vadem Clio refers to a handheld PC that ran Windows CE H/PC Pro 3.0 (WinCE Core OS 2.11). It was released in 1999. Data Evolution Corporation currently owns the rights to the Clio.

Vadem Clio model C-1000, 1998

Overview

The Clio is a convertible tablet computer, designed by Vadem Corporation San Jose, CA, which runs Microsoft’s Windows CE operating system and has a "SwingTop" pivoting arm. The 180 degree screen rotation allowed the unit to be used as a touch screen tablet or as a more traditional notebook with keyboard. Clio could run more than 12 hours on a single charge and together with the Sony VAIO, was one of the first full-sized portable computers that measured only an inch (2.2cm) thick.

The platform was conceived and created within Vadem by a skunkworks team that was led by Edmond Ku. Clio was first developed without the knowledge of Microsoft and after it was presented to Bill Gates and the CE team, led to the definition of the Jupiter class CE platform.

Handwriting software was from Vadem's ParaGraph group (acquired from SGI), the same team which provided handwriting recognition technology used in the Apple Newton.

Originally introduced in 1998, the Clio product line won numerous awards and accolades, such as Mobile Computing & Communications’ “Best Handheld Design, Keyboard Form Factor;” PC Week “Best of Comdex” finalist; Home Office Computing’s Silver Award; Mobility Award “Notebook Computing, PC Companion” winner; Industrial Designs Excellence Awards (IDEA)—Silver in Business and Industrial Equipment; and IDC’s “Best Design”. In addition, the Clio has been featured in hundreds of articles and has appeared on the cover of a number of magazines, including Pen Computing and Business Week.

Design

The swing arm and rotating screen concept was conceived by Edmond Ku, Vadem's engineering director. The physical design was the creation of frogdesign, Inc. industrial designers Sonia Schieffer and Josh Morenstein and mechanical engineers Richard Huang and Jenny Schlee.

The enclosure was made from plastic injection molded carbon fiber reinforced polyamide (nylon). The swing-arm was die-cast aluminium for stiffness and strength. The video signals relied upon a double-sided flex-circuit which routed from the base up through the arm to the display panel.

Specifications

C-1000
  • Processor: NEC VR4111 (MIPS R4000-compatible) @ 84 MHz
  • ROM: 24 MiB (upgradable)
  • SDRAM: 16 MiB (upgradable to 32)
  • Display: 9.4" 640 × 480 DSTN, 256 colors, touch panel
  • Software screen Rotation: None
  • Contrast and Brightness Settings: Yes
  • Keyboard: 63 Key, US English—16.5 mm center-to-center
  • Battery: 12-hour lithium ion rechargeable battery pack
  • Power Supply: 120 volt
  • Ports:
  • Modem: 33.6 kbit/s Lucent
  • IrDA support: SIR and FIR
  • Speaker
  • Microphone
  • Size/Physical Dimensions: 8.75 in × 11.25 in × 1 in
  • Weight: 3 lb., 5 oz. (Includes batteries and AC adapter)

C-1050
  • Processor: NEC VR4121 (MIPS R4000-compatible) @ 168 MHz
  • ROM: 24 MiB (upgradable)
  • SDRAM: 32 MiB
  • Display: 9.4" 640 × 480 DSTN, 65,000 colors, touch panel
  • Screen Rotation: 0–180° (90° and 270° screen orientation supported)
  • Contrast and Brightness Settings: Yes
  • Keyboard: 63 Key, US English—16.5 mm center-to-center
  • Battery: 10 hour lithium ion rechargeable battery pack
  • Power Supply: 120 volt
  • Ports:
  • Modem: 56 kbit/s V.90 Lucent
  • IrDA support: SIR and FIR
  • Speaker
  • Microphone
  • Size/Physical Dimensions: 8.75 in × 11.25 in × 1 in
  • Weight: 3 lb., 5 oz. (Includes batteries and AC adapter)

See also
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