PC-Chips is a Hong Kong based manufacturer dealing in low-cost motherboards. I never heard of them expanding into other areas of computer hardware before. However, I received news from a reader that they are actually thinking of selling a Palm clone at only USD 30!!! How do they do that???

The PalmClone

According to this reader, the PC-Chips PalmClone will be an exact replica of the Palm PC with the following specs :-

• Motorola Dragonball processor (speed unknown)
• 2MB Flash ROM
• 8MB RAM

Instead, PC-Chips will flash the Flash ROM with something they call MiniOS. This way, they don't have to pay Palm any license fees for PalmOS.

Then, the user is supposed to get a copy of PalmOS from somewhere else and flash it into the 2MB Flash ROM, thereby turning this PalmClone into a complete Palm PC!

On the right is the picture he sent me. He says it was taken by someone who received a sample from a PC-Chips employee and that it was originally posted on some Chinese PDA site.

Curious, I dropped by PC-Chips' website but I couldn't find any reference whatsoever to any Palm clone...
     

Personally, I don't think PC-Chips will actually believe that Palm will stand aside and allow them to sell a Palm-lookalike that can be easily converted into a Palm PC. They will end up in court as fast as cash-strapped Palm can arrange. How much does a PalmOS license cost anyway?

Even if it's all true (maybe they will only be sold on the black market with a different label), the price tag of USD 30 is really quite ridiculous. That will sell like hot cakes but will they actually make any money? Heheh...

The Truth?

Several days after this rumour was posted, PC Chips released information about their Palm clone - the PC Chips EPD 30! So, the rumour was true. However, not all of it was true. Let's see what's true and what's not...

First of all, the picture shown above is really that of the PC Chips EPD 30. The processor used is the 16MHz Dragonball EZ, which was what the rumour mentioned. And it will come with 2MB of flash ROM. However, only 4MB of EDO RAM will be shipped with this Palm clone, not 8MB as previously mentioned.

As for its OS, it will come with MineOS (wrong spelling posted previously). And if the rumour is correct, you should be able to replace the MineOS in the flash ROM with PalmOS. But that cannot be confirmed as of this time. In addition, the price is still unknown although it's unlikely that they will be sold for only USD 30!

Anyway, here are the full specs :-

• 16MHz Motorola Dragonball EZ processor
• 4MB EDO RAM
• 2MB Nor-Gate Flash ROM
• No expansion slots
• 160x160 monochrome (4 shades of grayscale) touch screen display
• IrDA and serial port support
• Powered by two AAA batteries
• Supports MineOS and Penbex
• Comes with HotSync cable, stylus and leather case
• Dimensions : 122.5 x 81 x 16.5mm
• Weight : 145g

If you have a comment or two about this rumour, please post them here.

Thanks for your time! :)

Adrian Wong
Adrian's Rojak Pot
http://www.rojakpot.com/
http://www.adriansrojakpot.com/