CES 2006 Profile: Pepper Computer

Maker of the Pepper Pad wireless handheld media computer unveils the upgraded Pepper Pad Plus.

Pepper Computer, developers of the Pepper Pad Internet appliance, launched an updated version of their handheld media computer at CES 2006 earlier this month in Las Vegas. The new Pepper Pad Plus should be available in the second quarter.

The Pepper Pad Plus builds upon the older Pepper Pad design by offering new hardware features such as a battery with reportedly more than 60 percent greater capacity, Wi-Fi 802.11g wireless connectivity, a 30GB hard drive and Bluetooth 2.0 support. Software upgrades include VoIP support, compatibility with Windows Media 9 Series audio and video files and support for streaming audio and video from UPnP devices.

Other features of the Pepper Pad Plus include a weight of 2.3 pounds, a splash resistant shell, built-in speakers, a thumb keypad, 8.4