TAPWAVE LAUNCHES THE AWARD-WINNING ZODIAC MULTIMEDIA HANDHELD INTO EUROPEAN MARKET
Dixons Group Plc is the Exclusive UK Launch Partner. Zodiac Available On October 22nd at PC World, Dixons, and Dixons Tax Free Stores
Friday 8 October 2004/... London, England - Christmas will come early for technology enthusiasts this year; US-based Tapwave announces its Palm Powered Zodiac multimedia handheld will be available for the first time on UK High Streets on Friday, October 22nd 2004. The Zodiac handheld will be available exclusively through PC World and Dixons (including its Tax Free stores).
The award-winning Zodiac is the perfect combination of fun and function in a sleek ergonomic design (only 6.3 ounces) that you'll want to take everywhere. Listen to music, experience console-quality 3D gaming, view photos & video, and organize your life. You can also customise your Zodiac with thousands of Palm OS® applications.
While the powerful Motorola i.MX1 ARM9 processor and integrated ATI graphics acceleration are the same in both models, the Zodiac 1 and Zodiac 2 come with 32MB and 128MB of memory respectively. Each can be expanded by slotting in SD cards into the handhelds two expansion ports, offering up to 2GB of additional storage - enough for a significant number of songs, photos, e-books, audible books, games, videos, and business documents.
The Zodiac offers a high resolution (480x320) 3.8-inch colour display, Yamaha audio with stereo speakers and vibration effects. With integrated Bluetooth and infrared wireless technologies, the Zodiac can also be used in conjunction with a supported mobile phone to browse the internet, send SMS messages and manage email. The Zodiac can be operated in landscape or portrait mode, allowing Word documents, e-mail or family pictures to be viewed in the orientation which best suits them. The Zodiac also features high capacity rechargeable lithium batteries for extended use, a touch-screen for direct interaction and text input and the first ever analog controller (joystick) in a handheld product.
The 32MB Zodiac 1 will be available for a suggested retail price £269.99, with the 128MB Zodiac 2 for £329.99. The new retail model for the UK market will also come with the UK/Euro/US charging kit and the latest Zodiac 1.1 software suite, which includes many new enhancements like background music playback (e.g., listen to music while you play games, view a photo slideshow or read an e-book) and the ability to sync your personal organizer data with Microsoft® Outlook® using Chapura® PocketMirror®.
The Zodiac will also launch with a host of additional accessories - including a convenient desktop cradle, carrying case and styli - as well as a full complement of games on SD cards in DVD-style packaging. Retailing at £29.99, these games include: Activision's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater® 4, Midway's SpyHunter®, id Software's DOOM II® and 3D Realms/MachineWorks Northwest's Duke Nukem MobileTM. Along with premiere titles, Tapwave is also offering two game packs - Z Pak: Adventure, which will include Galactic Realms and Legacy; and the Z Pak: Fun featuring Paintball, MegaBowling and Kickoo's Breakout. A dedicated games release schedule for the UK holiday season will be available next month.
"We are looking forward to working with the Dixons Group Plc to launch the Zodiac into the European market," says Andrzej Kasprzyk, Director of Sales, Europe, Tapwave. "We chose a partner that will back the product with significant marketing activities and who understands the Zodiac and loves it as much as we do. In terms of reputation, muscle and image, Dixons Group Plc - with its key High Street retailers - is the perfect outlet for the Zodiac."
"The Zodiac handheld is an innovative mobile product," says Jonathan Hirst, Mobile Office Marketing Manager, PC World. "With the Zodiac it all comes together - an MP3 player, game console, picture & video player and PDA all in one, it's sure to be the must-have handheld device this Christmas and beyond. We've worked hard to secure UK distribution exclusively, and we're delighted to have done so. We're looking forward to putting the full weight of PC World and Dixons behind this break-through mobile product."
Since launching in US retail last June, the award-winning Zodiac has won numerous awards for both its functionality and its design. The Tapwave Zodiacs will be available on October 22nd 2004, priced £269.99 (32MB) and £329.99 (128MB), exclusively in the UK from PC World and Dixons, and online through www.pcworld.co.uk.
Tapwave's European plans will be unveiled shortly.
About Tapwave, Inc.
Tapwave is changing the way people manage their lives, play and interact on the go. Founded in May 2001, Tapwave is a privately funded company in Mountain view, CA, USA. Through a wealth of consumer electronic experience and strong partnerships, Tapwave is developing a portfolio of innovative, media-centric products that combine the power and function of advanced handheld computing with the fun of a console-quality entertainment experience.
Since officially launching the company a year ago, Tapwave has garnered numerous accolades and industry awards for its first product - the Zodiac, including: 1st place in PC Magazines "Last Gadget standing" competition at CES 2004, Handheld Computing's "Most Innovative PDA for 2003". Mobiletrax's Mobility Award, CNET's Editor's Choice Award, PC World's 2004 Next Gear Innovations Award and Popular Science BOWN (Best of What's New) Award. More information about the company can be found at www.tapwave.com.
® 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. Tapwave is a registered trademark and the Tapwave logo, Zodiac and the Zodiac logo are trademarks of Tapwave, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.