Sony Hand-Held to Debut

Sony Corp. today will join the hand-held computing fray when its Sony Electronics Inc. unit unveils a prototype device based on Palm Inc.’s operating system at the PC Expo 2000 technology conference in New York. The move adds the consumer electronics giant’s name to a growing list of competitors in the hot market for hand-held organizers, first made popular by Palm, a majority-owned unit of 3Com Corp. Others vying for space in the market include software powerhouse Microsoft Corp. and Handspring Inc., founded by the creators of the Palm Pilot. Sony’s American depositary receipts rose 6 cents to close at $94.13 on the NYSE.