From a tech perspective, Getac set the bar pretty high with the latest version of its PS535F handheld, and the PS236 follows suit in that tradition. On the display side, it has a 3.5" touchscreen display with full VGA 480 x 640 pixel resolution. That translates into 228dpi (dots per inch), considerably sharper even than the Apple iPhone's 162dpi display. Combined with transflective sunlight-readable display technology, the very high resolution makes for excellent viewing quality of graphic-intensive files and detailed maps, even in bright daylight or snowy conditions.

Like the smaller PS535F, the new PS236 comes with a built-in 3-megapixel auto-focus camera, an altimeter and an E-compass. These new features are meant to let field-based users capture a much richer, expanded range of field data on-site. Combined with the PS236's integrated SiRFstar III GPS and Getac's proprietary geotagging application, this rugged Getac handheld offers plenty of the advanced location-based systems functionality required in GIS applications, search-and-rescue operations, and similar deployments.

Thanks to its integrated altimeter and E-compass, the PS236 handheld GPS PDA can provide accurate latitude, longitude, and altitude data as well as the ability to generate directional relations between the unit's position and that of a target. The built-in camera enables instant visual data capture on location and its resolution and quality are high enough so that taking a (fragile) camera along may not be necessary. Wireless connectivity options (including HSDPA WWAN) can be used to connect the PS236 to a GIS server and instantly transmit or process data in the field. There are a lot of tools built into this unit that, combined with the proper software, make entirely new applications possible, applications that in the past either required multiple devices or simply were not available in the field.

Unlike the smaller PS535F that is powered by a 533MHz Samsung S3C2450 processor, the new PS236 uses Marvell's PXA310. The PXA310 is part of Marvell's PXA3xx family of application processors that offer higher performance as well as lower power consumption than the predecessor PXA255 and PXA270 chips used in millions of handhelds. Capable of running at clock speeds up to 806MHz, the PXA310 provides excellent speed, hardware video acceleration, DRM security and combines them with low-power modes ad the ability to dynamically adjust voltage and frequency for optimal battery life.

Why did Getac choose Windows Mobile instead of Windows CE .NET or Windows CE 5.0 or 6.0 with their more industrial look and feel and functionality? These days, Microsoft differentiates between Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile. Windows Embedded CE is a scalable 32-bit OS 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.

The differentiation can be a bit confusing. Microsoft uses the term "Embedded CE" for both early versions of Windows CE that were used in both consumer and industrial devices (such as Windows CE 2.1 and 3.0) as well as for more recent versions released after industrial handhelds split away from the more consumer/business-oriented Pocket PC and smartphone devices (such as Windows CE .NET and then Windows CE 5.0 and 6.0). While the CE .NET and CE variants can (and often do) include multimedia, PIM applications and communications tools, they don't have the polished Today screen and all the Pocket PC functionality and Pocket versions of popular Windows applications users have become familiar with.

The top row of keys consist of Send/End keys, two soft buttons, the function key, and a key that brings up the camera.

To the right of the numeric keypad is the WIndows key that brings up the Today screen, OK, enter, and the power button.

Above the display are three indicator lights and a small phone-style speaker. A small phone-style microphone is below the keypad.

Operation of the PS236 is via keypad or stylus. Touch works as well, but the Windows Mobile interface is clearly designed for a stylus.

For data entry, the Windows Mobile-based PS236 offers a wealth of options. There is the keyad, there is a nice pop-up keyboard, and three 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 uniterrupted 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.

The PS236 includes a separate altimeter, is able to determine pitch and roll, probably via an accelerometer, and can also detect barometric pressure. There is an e-Compass (see screen capture from the PS535F on the right) that displays direction as well as altitude, barometer reading, pitch/roll in degrees, and Azimuth Angle. The e-Compass can be set so that either the needle or the wheel rotates, and altitude can be set to GPS or the built-in altimeter.

The pictures below are screenshots from the Getac PS535F. They show the functionality likely included in the new PS236. On the left is the TacLink utility that displays pertinent satellite data. To the right are two screens from Google Maps, a freebie download directly from the web to the device. Google Maps uses the integrated GPS and can show both maps and satellite images. You can locate yourself on the map, and the accuracy was stunning. As I walked around a building, the Getac handheld showed me exactly where I was (and by exactly I mean just that; not in the general vicinity).

The unit is well protected against damage via rubberized bumpers on the bottom corners and a rubberized endcap on the top. It can handle 4-foot drops, and survived 26 4-foot drops in standarized testing, with the unit on. The PS236 has an extremely wide operating temperature range of -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Of most interest to prospective customers is the new model's IP67 ingress protection rating. This is a significant step up from the PS535F's IP54 rating. Whereas IP54 means mostly protected against dust and protected against water spray from all directions, the PS236 is completely sealed against dust and is also totally waterproof, even when immersed in water.

However, this handheld offers far more than just standard PDA functionality. For one thing, it's rugged enough to survive rain, dust, drops and all sorts of abuse, even total immersion in water. It has a 3-megapixel autofocus camera, a GPS receiver, an electronic compass, and an altimeter. Add to that a super-sharp 3.5-inch touch display with full 480 x 640 pixel resolution, 4GB of Flash, a SDHC slot for up to 16GB of additional memory, and you have a device that is ideal for all sorts of GPS, GIS and mapping applications even in extreme environmental conditions.

As for its intended use and application, Getac president Jim Rimay said, "The Getac PS236 offers users fast, reliable, and consistently accurate real-time communications solutions which are critical to anyone working in the field. Our customers work in some of the most extreme environments and need a communications tool that can handle severe climate changes and perform flawlessly. By extending the battery life and increasing the storage capacity in the PS236, our customers can spend more time in the field and increase overall productivity anywhere in the world.""

– Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, September 2009