Overall, the goal here was to create a pocket-sized rugged handheld with integrated GPS and data capture and communication to give outdoor workers access to real-time information, eliminate tedious repetitive manual/paper processes, and let people concentrate on the delivery of services instead. For that to work, the device has to be small enough to be used anywhere, inexpensive enough to be affordable, and powerful enough to actually be useful for decision support in the field.

In the design phase, Getac looked at three primary markets for their new product that all rely on the ability to quickly collect, revise, and transfer data back and forth: transportation, field service and field sales.

• Transportation still largely relies on slow, unreliable and inconsistent paper-based systems that lack rapid, reliable two-way communication (updates, look-ups, location, etc.) between the road and home base. The challenge here is to know workload, move data back and forth, and where staff and product are and are needed. The conclusion was that the new device must have 3.5G and GPS-based communication systems combined with standard PIMS tools to provide location data, reduce paper flow, and enable capacity planning, job scheduling and dispatching.

• Field service requires rapid lookup of customer data and location, product maintenance info, and the ability to do reporting and billing in the field. Data and communication must be available no matter where crews are. This, again, means reliable 3.5G communication, and an integrated camera with geo-tagging to help document status and work performed. Additional demands here are ruggedness, field-replaceable batteries, and flexible high-capacity data storage.

• Field sales depend on having the right information at hand (products, pricing, availability, stock, etc.). Also important are signature capture, transaction processing, and perhaps receipt printing. Again, reliable high-speed 3.5G, including voice and data, is crucial, as is quick, reliable and secure PAN (i.e. Bluetooth) performance.

Technically, the Getac MH132 is a fully rugged PDA based on the Windows Mobile platform. With a footprint of 2.75 x 5.35 inches and a thickness of an inch, it is small and handy enough to fit into most pockets. Weight is 7.5 ounces including battery. How does that compare to a consumer device? Well, the very successful Motorola Droid 2 measures 2.36 x 4.6 x 0.55 inches and weighs six ounces—smaller, but not by that much (the sleek iPhone 4 measures 2.31 x 4.5 x .37 inches and weighs 4.8 ounces).

The display of the MH132 measures 3.2 inches diagonally and has 320 x 480 pixel resolution. That translates into about 180dpi (dots per inch), sharper even than the original iPhone's 162dpi. That, however, is where the display similarity ends as the MH132 uses a resistive digitizer that works in rain or shine and with gloves on. So no multi-touch, and due to the digitizer and a thick layer of protection, the LCD image is visibly recessed and doesn't look like it's floating on the surface as with the iPhone.

The body of the MH132 feels absolutely rock-solid. The entire device is encased in a hard, rubbery hockey puck-like material, except for the glossy black (and, unfortunately, somewhat fingerprint-prone) front fascia around the display. The display sits under the flat surface, so there is no LCD frame to bump into when you operate the screen—something that can be very annoying when using a resistive touchscreen.

The MH132 has a built-in 3-megapixel auto-focus camera, an accelerometer and A-GPS. This means it can offer location-based systems functionality for a variety of mapping and geo-tagging applications (we measured accuracy of 50 feet or so), as well as transferring location data to a GIS server. The camera can also be used to document.

The Windows home screen is very different from the way it used to be. There is a lefthand-adjusted list of the major device functions (such as phone, email, calendar, favorites, Windows live, etc.) Then there is a horizontal bar in the middle of the screen that provides current information. Under Pictures it'd show the last one viewed, under Phone the missed calls, under Emails how many new ones are waiting to be read, under Calendar your current appointments, and so on. You can drag the list of topics up and down, and you can also drag the detail viewer bar up and down. It's an approach that's unusual at first, and it's quite easy to drag the wrong element, but you quickly get used to it and it's a great way to know what's going on without being assaulted by tons of tiny print on the screen (as was the case in earlier home screens).

The pictures below show the Windows 6.5 Home and Start screens (left) compared to the older Start/Home screen of Windows Mobile 6.1. If the new screens look narrower, it's because the MH132's 320 x 480 half-VGA screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio (like the iPhone has) whereas the more common QVGA (240 x 320) and VGA (480 x 640) displays have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Programs (or apps as most call them today) are still shown as icons on one single screen that scrolls down, with new apps added at the bottom. The Settings screen is still there, and in it, too, you can see icons for all the various control panels. The old tabs for Personal, Systems, and Connections have given way to folders, and all icons, everywhere, are now positioned in a butterfly arrangement rather than in rows and columns. Overall, anyone used to pretty much any prior version of Windows Mobile will feel right at home.

Overall, Windows CE remains a very scalable, competent 32-bit OS that was designed for intelligent devices ranging from enterprise tools such as industrial controllers, communications hubs, and point-of-sale terminals to consumer products such as cameras, phones, and home entertainment devices. It's neither pretty nor elegant, but it works, as evidenced by the fact that almost all vertical/industrial market handhelds are based on Windows CE/Windows Mobile. And it's definitely a standard platform for VARs and system integrators to develop custom apps.

But why not the very latest version (Windows Embedded Compact 7) that Microsoft released in late February 2011? Probably because Embedded Compact 7 just came out, and because its primary new features (multi-touch support, media transfer, updated Office) weren't really needed for the MH132.

Getting applications installed in mobile devices used to be rather cumbersome, until Apple showed how it's done with the hugely popular app store. Well, Windows Mobile now has its own Marketplace app. To peruse and download apps, you sign in with your Windows Live or Hotmail ID. Marketplace worked well on the MH132 and we quickly downloaded a few essential apps (like Google Maps, Facebook, Handmark's ExpressNews, a couple of utilities and converters, etc.). Windows Marketplace may not have the sheer number of apps as the Apple AppStore, but there are certainly plenty to choose from.

Below are a few other apps that come in handy. Notes can be used to quickly capture handwritten notes or sketches (and also voice). The Wireless Manager lets you quickly turn services on and off. And MSN Money is a quick way to keep track of stocks and financials.

On the wireless side, the MH132 comes with 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth. For WiFi, support of the "a" and "n" standards would have been nice, but that's fairly uncommon in handhelds and smartphones. Getac, however, did give the MH132 Bluetooth version 2.1 support, and that is important, and here's why: While the older Bluetooth v2.0 standard, still used by most handhelds, is rated at the same nominal 3 Mbit/second speed (and a max of about 2.1 Mbit/s in real life), version 2.1 reduces power consumption and includes secure simple pairing (SSP). SSP not only improves the Bluetooth "pairing" process between devices but, much more importantly, increases the use and strength of security. Unlike the "legacy" pairing process of BT 2.0, 2.1 uses public key cryptography and mandatory, reliable, non-expiring encryption that precludes electronic "eaves-dropping," a potentially significant advantage for the Getac device.

Having an integrated camera helps documenting projects and processes in various ways. And being able to geotag them via the GPS Data Capture option enhances the usefulness. Custom applications can probably access the camera and do all sorts of interesting things with the embedded GPS data. The camera's 3-megapixel resolution is high enough for these purposes. While camera modules integrated into phones and mobile computers generally have a reputation for producing low quality pictures, the one in the MH132 is fairly decent (though, of course, it won't replace a high quality, high res dedicated camera neither in quality or speed).

The three shots below were taken in the camera's highest resolution. They provide an idea of what the MH132's camera is capable of.

Controls and input

Above the front controls are two indicator lights. The one to the left glows blue when wireless is on. The one to the right is a multifunction light that indicates battery status (green = full, red = low, amber = charging) and notifications (flashing).

For audio, there is a microphone below the right bottom, a fairly powerful speaker in the back, and a standard 3.5mm headphone connector on top.

Operation is generally via touch and Getac has done a fine job making everything fairly touch-friendly, especially considering that Windows CE was originally designed for use with a stylus. Some operations are still best done with a stylus, though none is supplied.

For data entry, the Getac MH132 offers a wealth of options. There are a couple of pop-up keyboards and there are also no fewer than three different ways of recognizing text. They are:

• Block Recognizer, which uses the special Graffiti alphabet Palm invented in the 1990s. The idea here is that almost all letters are "unistrokes," or consisting of a single uninterrupted stroke, which makes them easy to recognize for the computer. The slightly abstracted alphabet is quite easy to learn. Millions used it on Palm Pilots.

• Letter Recognizer, which also recognizes individual letters instead of whole words, but uses the standard alphabet instead of the slightly modified one of the Block Recognizer. And whereas the Block Recognizer lets you shift case, the Letter Recognizer, which goes back to a product called "Jot" by (CIC) Communication Intelligence Corporation, has different data entry boxes for upper case, lower case and numerals.

• Transcriber, which is a full-function handwriting recognition system that also goes way back almost to the beginning of PDAs more than 15 years ago. Microsoft bought the rights to it a number of years ago and it's been part of Windows Mobile ever since.

As is, GPS and A-GPS capabilities are built into the MH132, programmers can easily integrate GPS functionality into applications, and there are numerous GPS utilities and applications available from third parties or directly downloadable from the Windows Marketplace.

We used Marketplace to download the free Google Maps onto the Getac MH132 and it worked very well. The device knew where I was, maps loaded and refreshed very quickly, satellite view was, of course, available, you can get directions. I could even sign into my Google account to get the map data I have stored. Dragging maps and panning around was very fast, you can search for locations, or easily find places of interest (like nearby gas stations, stores, hotels, etc.). Below you can see Google Maps in action:

The battery is replaceable but you can't just slide the cover off; since it's a rugged and sealed device the cover is held in place with two screws that can be opened and closed with a small coin or the small screwdriver Getac supplies with the unit. The battery itself is Getac-labeled and looks like a digital camera battery.

The back cover is exceptionally thick and sturdy, and quite obviously designed to make the device crush-proof. I've seen ruggedness testing where a device eventually failed because the battery was crushed. That will never happen in the MH132.

Getac sells an extended battery with twice the capacity, and we'd definitely recommend that, though it adds a bit of bulk.

Backlight intensity, backlight shut-off and device shutoff can all be used to optimize battery life. Since Windows Mobile devices are instant-on (or, in the 132's case, on within about three seconds), it's generally good practice to have the device quickly go to sleep when it is not used. This can greatly extend battery life, though it can also be annoying to have to wake it up all the time.

In terms of temperature resistance, the device can be used within a range of -21 to 43 degrees Centigrade (-6 to 110 Fahrenheit). That is a far wider range than the 5-35 degrees Centigrade generally listed for consumer electronics, and enough for use in all but truly extreme environments.

In terms of sealing against the elements, the MH132 carries an IP65 rating. IP stands for "Ingress Protection," where the "6" means the device is totally sealed against dust, and the "5" means it is protected against not only rain, but low pressure water jets from all directions. So short of being dropped into water, the MH132 should be to handle any and all exposure to liquids.

Phones and handheld computers fall and get dropped. The procedures described in the US MIL-STD-810G "transit drop" section suggest testing the ability to survive a four foot drop. That's because if you drop handheld computing equipment, it'll fall from approximately four feet (120 centimeters). However, since a rugged smartphone may fall while you're talking on it, Getac designed it to handle a five foot drop (150 cm), which is the approximate distance it'll fall if it drops while talking into it.

Getac also tested the ability to survive "tumbling." Tumbling may happen when the device gets dropped while the user is walking or running. Then it won't neatly fall on a surface, but it'll roll and "tumble." Almost no one tests for "tumbling" damage, but Getac tested the MH132 for that, and it survived 250 tumbles from half a meter.

Emphasizing security and easy integration into existing corporate IT infrastructures, the MH132 is running the Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional operating environment, which means it comes with Internet Explorer, email, messaging, calendar, tasks, contacts and all the other goodies most of us have come to rely on. It also has Windows Live, the Windows Media player, access to the Windows Marketplace for easy downloading, and a good complement of utilities and security features.

What sets the MH132 apart from standard smartphones and PDAs is a degree of ruggedness sufficient to survive rain, dust, drops (from 5 feet!), tumbles and all sorts of abuse. It also has a 3-megapixel camera, accurate A-GPS, and an accelerometer.

The sharp 3.2-inch touch display offers 320 x 480 pixel resolution (like the original iPhone). There is no multi-touch, but the user interface has been optimized for touch, and resistive technology works when it's wet and with gloves. Add Wifi, 3.5G mobile broadband, and secure Bluetooth 2.1, and you have a device that can take both computing and the convenience of modern smartphone communication and functionality into places where it was not feasible or available before.

Is the Getac MH132 perfect? That depends on your expectations. Resistive touch now seems dated, but the kind of effortless multi-touch we've come to expect from iPhone-style devices with their projected capacitive multi-touch displays doesn't work outdoors where it can be bright and wet and cold. The Windows Mobile OS originates from an earlier era and isn't as smooth and elegant as iOS or Android, but it's a proven, secure software platform running on millions of handhelds. And ruggedness means extra size and weight, so the Getac phone is necessarily larger than a consumer device.

As long as those compromises are acceptable and understood, the Getac MH132 makes a tough, handy, powerful and versatile communication and computing solution for the field.

– Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, March 2011