 Newsletter - October 2006 |
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(Rugged) Devices, Devices, Devices... Following on from last month's 'Devices, Devices, Devices...' article, this month we thought we'd have a look at rugged devices. And this seems like particularly good timing considering Motorola's recent acquisition of Symbol for a neat $4bn. So, are rugged devices back in fashion? Once upon a time a mobile enterprise project wouldn't be without an, albeit rather bulky, mobile device like a Husky Hunter. But then off-the-shelf integrated consumer devices like the XDA emerged and rugged devices became less than fashionable. This could have been for a variety of reasons:
So has this view changed? Cost It could be argued that the emergence of converged devices like the XDA has led to consumer devices typically being a little more expensive nowadays, and consumers seem more than willing to pay this. Take the JASJAR (and we did, literally, it's a great device). You can buy a laptop for the same price (actually, you can nearly buy two if you shop around). On the flip side, you can now buy a top-of-the-range rugged device like the Symbol MC70 at less than twice the price of a JASJAR. And, how about this one than: the Mobile Compia M3. You may have never heard of them but Mobile Compia ship a rugged, IP54 mobile device with an integrated phone and CE5 for only about a third more than a JASJAR. Mmm...and if you're interested contact these guys. Bulk This is probably where rugged devices have seen the greatest improvements. The Symbol MC70 now weighs little more than the JASJAR and the Mobile Compia M3 actually weights less! Here are the numbers so you can see for yourself, and we've included the Husky's stats as well for you to reminisce about...
Yes, the Hunter really used to weigh as much as 4 x JASJARs! Naffness Problem was, until recently, rugged devices like the PDT 8000 from Symbol still looked a little less-than-snazzy compared with the shiny silver consumer devices like the XDA range (and this is an unfair comparison, the PDT 8000s were great!). You see, small is cool, which means less Bulk means less Naffness. If you're going to use a rugged device as a phone you might want something a little less obtrusive than this (but then, the Gotive H42 does have a whole load of other superb features including a massive screen, options for both GPRS and GPS, and it's a seriously tough device). Final Word OK, once-upon-a-time devices weren't wirelessly connected 24/7. A trip back to the office to dock wasn't a big deal, and a day or two lost because you'd dropped your shiny silver PDA was also nothing to worry about. However, devices are now expected to be connected and work 24/7 - and the loss of just a few hours can be disastrous. That's where rugged is making a comeback. IP54 and protection against a 4-foot drop onto concrete means a mobile solution can be 99% reliable for the magic 24/7. Although a consumer device may seem cheap in the short term, consider the loss in productivity when (not if) that device breaks... |
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Latest Product Versions Auto Archive (1.6.2 - 14 March 2006). Download... Blue Schedule (1.2.0 - 14 March 2006). Download... GALSync (1.8.8 - 28 Sept 2006). Download... LoneWorker (1.1.5 - 23 November 2005). Download... myIP (1.2.1 - 16 March 2006). Download... Phone Schedule (2.3.9 - 16 March 2006). Download... Stay Connected (1.2.2 - 16 March 2006). Download... TimeSync (2.3.2 - 04 August 2006). Download... |
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