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Consumer Pocket PC Devices |
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Casio E-125
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Designed with the professional user in mind, these Pocket PC devices are
fast, compact, lightweight, and stylish. In addition to running a host of
built-in Microsoft applications (including Pocket Outlook, Word, and
Excel) they are also capable of running powerful bespoke applications.
The excellent Compaq Ipaq has done more than any other device to promote
Pocket PC as a platform, and is still leading the field due to it's
ergonomic design, great screen, and impressive performance. The Casio E-125
also comes highly recommended as an all round performer which is easily expanded.
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Compaq Ipaq
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Industrial Pocket PC Devices |
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Casio EG-800
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For some applications it is necessary to use a device that is tougher that those
designed for typical consumer usage. Industrial or ruggedised Pocket PCs have therefore been
specially constructed to operate in extreme environments that would be considered
too hostile for a consumer device. The degree of ruggedisation available varies from
simply hard-wearing to practically indestructible military specification.
The Casio EG-800 is virtually identical to the E-125 with the addition of a
ruggedised chassis, flash memory (so you can’t loose the software), and additional
battery capacity. The Symbol 2700 only features a monochrome screen, but includes a built-in
laser barcode scanner.
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Symbol 2700
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Handheld PC & Tablet Devices |
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HP Jornada 720
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The portrait style screen, which is a feature of Pocket PC devices, is clearly not
going to be ideal for all applications. Fortunately the hardware manufacturers
understand this and have produced a range of devices with different physical layouts.
The Handheld PC is a class of device that adheres to the clam-shell design principle
of a wide folding screen and a keyboard, very useful for applications requiring a
lot of text entry.
The HP Jornada 720 is widely used by many business professionals who prefer the
decent sized keyboard for typing notes, but don't want the inconvenience of using
a traditional laptop computer. Casio's PA-2400 is simply a variation on the
Pocket PC theme, incorporating a larger landscape oriented screen for graphical
applications.
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Casio PA-2400
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Wireless Pocket PC Devices |
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Siemens SX45
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Wireless devices have been developed to allow mobile users to conveniently access
information wherever they happen to be. This is an incredibly powerful tool,
not only for time sensitive processes where getting live data to and from the device
is crucial, but also for remotely browsing huge amounts of data stored back at the
office or on the Internet.
These devices are a sign of the current convergence between PDA type devices and
the mobile phone. Siemens SX45 is a Pocket PC with a built-in mobile phone for
GPRS data communications, whereas Sagem’s WA3050 has been designed more like a
mobile phone with a built-in Pocket PC.
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Sagem WA3050
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Expansion Options |
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Digital Camera
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Since most Pocket PC devices are expandable, a myriad of third-party companies have
grown up around the technology. By supplying an enormous variety of accessories to
either bolt onto or into Pocket PC devices, they have multiplied the range of
applications for which they can be used.
With new products being launched all the time, the possibilities are endless...
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Portable Printer
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