October 2005

The GPS/mapping specialists at Garmin were the first to offer Palm OS devices with built-in GPS receivers. Then they added a Pocket PC version with very similar looks. The iQUE M5 impressed us so much that it was given a 2005 Pen Computing Magazine Editor's Choice Award. Problem is, at $699 the price was a bit high and so Garmin released a stripped down iQUE M3 version with a slower processor, less ROM, no Bluetooth, and less mapping software for US$200 less. The just released iQUE M4 is essentially the M3 with a couple of improvemens and a full complement of Garmin's best mappoing software. The sole problem we see is the price of $642, just $58 below the list price of the more powerful M5.

Motorola enters rugged WinMo handheld market
Motorola announced its entry into the commercial off-the-shelf rugged mobile computing market with the rugged HC700-L flashlight-style handheld. The first in a series, the HC700-L is designed to meet the rigorous demands of mobile workforces in a variety of industries including utility, transportation, logistics, public works, public services and manufacturing. The device is built around a 416MHz Intel PXA270 chip, has 64 to 128MB of SDRAM and 64-128MB of Flash. For expansion there is a MiniSD card. The HC700 supports an area imager, 1/2D decoding sgnature capture, has an LED aimer, and also supports GPS-location services. The device is sealed to IP64 standard, can handle 6-foot drops, and operate in -4 to 140 degree temperatures. A hot-swappable 1800mAH battery provides good battery life. On the OS side, you can get either WinCE .NET or Pocket PC. [pdf of Motorola HC700-L specsheet] -- Posted Monday, October 17, 2005 by chb

State-of-the-art rugged Pocket PC with IP67 sealing
While we haven't seen a lot of new commercial Pocket PCs lately, industrial models keep on coming. Juniper Systems of Logan, Utah, is offering the Archer Field PC, an ultra-rugged Pocket PC with IP67 sealing, a 5-foot drop spec onto concrete and an operating temperature range between -22 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The Archer is technologically state-of-the-art with a 520MHz PXA270 processor, Windows Mobile 5.0, CF and SD card slots, 64MB RAM and 128MB Flash, a 3.5-inch transflective display, and optional end caps that can accommodate GPS, radios, barcode scanners or a camera. The Archer also has a 9-pin serial connector in addition to Mini USB A host and Mini USB B device jacks. The unit is a bit larger than it looks in the picture (6.5 x 3.5 x 1.7) and weighs just over a pound. Too bad we couldn' include it in Pen Computing's upcoming roundup of rugged Pocket PCs. -- Posted Tuesday, October 11, 2005 by chb

New Trimble GPS PPC with sub-foot accuracy
Trimble today introduced the GeoXH handheld receiver—the first integrated GPS field computer to deliver subfoot accuracy for Geographic Information System (GIS) data collection and mapping. The GeoXH handheld is based on Trimble's H-Star technology, first introduced in the GPS Pathfinder® ProXH receiver earlier this year. H-Star handhelds and receivers greatly reduce the time it takes to collect high accuracy GPS data in the field. For even greater accuracy, a Zephyr™ antenna added to the GeoXH handheld yields 8 inch accuracy. The GeoXH uses a 416MHz Intel PXA processor running Windows Mobile Version 5.0 for Pocket PC. -- Posted Wednesday, October 5, 2005 by chb

Paragon PenReader 2005 for Pocket PC
Paragon Software's Smart Heldheld Devices division began in 1995 to tackle some Newton projects. That led to specialization in a market niche: RAM-based localization of smart handheld devices. These days, its PenReader handwriting recognition sofwtare is available for Pocket PC, Tablet PC, earlier versions of Windows, and other platforms. The latest version, PenReader 2005, is available for download (trial). It supports 28 languages, so even if you like to scribble in Latvian or Icelandic, try PenReader. -- Posted Monday, October 3, 2005 by chb