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From:	 Rhett Glauser <rhett@lineo.com>
To:	 lwn@lwn.net
Subject: Sharp Corporation and Lineo Collaborate on Next Generation Sharp PDA
Date:	 Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:39:00


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SHARP CORPORATION AND LINEO COLLABORATE ON NEXT GENERATION SHARP PDA 


Sharp selects Lineo Embedix for next version of handheld devices

SAN FRANCISCO - June 5, 2001 - JavaOne - Lineoä, Inc. a leading innovator
in embedded systems, real-time and high availability solutions, today
announced it has been selected by Sharp® Corporation to provide the embedded
Linux operating system and engineering expertise for development of the
next Sharp mobile computing device for the worldwide market. Lineo Embedixä
was selected as the operating system for the Sharp PDA for its low hardware
requirements, broad feature support, and for Lineo's ability to bring
the product quickly to market using the Linux operating system. Lineo
was also selected for its worldwide engineering presence, including a
major development center in Japan.   

"Sharp has decided to use Linux because it is an open operating system,"
said Hiroshi Uno, general manager, mobile systems division, Sharp Corporation.
"And we selected Lineo, the leading provider of the Linux-based embedded
operating system, Embedix, to run on our upcoming PDA for the worldwide
market. Linux will allow tens of thousands of Linux developers to write
applications for our devices."  

Sharp is the market share leader for mobile handhelds in Japan. Sharp
intends to sell one million units of the handhelds worldwide by March
2002. The first Linux-based handhelds are expected to be available in
fall 2001 in North America. 

In addition to working with Lineo, Sharp has selected Tao Group and Amiga
Corporation to develop content, software and processing power for the
Sharp handheld device. The new Sharp OS platform will be able to run software
written in Sun Microsystems' versatile Java software language that supports
different operating systems. The Linux/Java platform provides a framework
and flexible open architecture to develop unique, powerful handheld products
in wireless communication, data integration, multimedia, and personal
information manager-based applications.
  
"Lineo looks forward to working with Sharp to build the world's first
major commercial consumer smart handhelds based on Linux," said Bryan
Sparks, CEO, Lineo, Inc. "Sharp's decision to embrace Linux means that
millions of consumers will soon benefit from the ease of use and productivity
to be gained from using Linux-based devices. We think this is the 'tip
of the iceberg' and that Linux will become more pervasive in consumer
devices in the coming years."       

About Sharp Corporation
Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of the core digital technologies
that are playing an integral role in shaping the next generation of mobile
computing products for consumer and business needs. Since creating the
Wizard(R) electronic organizer in 1989, Sharp has led the market in introducing
 innovative handheld computing products. Sharp is also the global leader
in LCD technology, which is incorporated into leading-edge LCD monitors
and projectors. From the small office/home office (SOHO) to large corporate
environments, Sharp provides a variety of innovative, computer-related
solutions designed to help increase productivity while providing functionality
to meet customer demand. Dedicated to improving people's lives through
the use of advanced technology and a commitment to innovation, quality,
value and design, Sharp Corporation employs approximately 59,800 people
worldwide in 29 countries. More information is available at http://sharp-world.
com/index.html.

About Lineo, Inc.
Lineo, Inc. provides embedded systems, real time and high availability
solutions that include software, hardware reference designs and professional
services. Lineo's solutions allow OEMs to create devices and systems that
interact with the Internet while helping OEMs to reduce system requirements,
per-unit costs and time-to-market. The company's key product lines include:
Embedix™ (embedded Linux system software), uClinux™ (embedded Linux for
MMU-less processors), SecureEdge™ (Linux-based Internet appliances for
secure networking), RTXC™ (general purpose and DSP real-time operating
system), BeaconSuite™ (x86 development toolkit) and Availix™ (mission-critical
high availability Linux cluster solutions). Contact Lineo at www.lineo.com,
via e-mail to info@lineo.com or by calling (801) 426-5001.


###

Lineo and Embedix are trademarks of Lineo, Inc. Linux is a registered
trademark owned by Linus Torvalds. Sharp is a registered trademark of
Sharp Corporation. All other products, services, companies and publications
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 


Press only, contact:
Blake Stowell	Nancy Boyle Levene	Peter Engel
Lineo, Inc.				Sharp Corporation	Stanton-Crenshaw-Sharp PR Agency
Tel:  (801) 426-5001 ext.321	Tel: (201) 529-8631  	Tel:  212-780-1900,
ext. 561
blake.stowell@lineo.com 	levenen@sharpsec.com	pengel@stanton-crenshaw.com