Despite those devices’ prices, Bill Gates thinks the future lays the handheld devices’ way. The Maemo development environment will allow to port applications without having to purchase and Internet Tablet. The only problem is the steep price tag.
Typical applications include supply chain management in warehouses, package delivery, route accounting, medical treatment and record keeping in hospitals, facilities maintenance and management, parking enforcement, access control and security, capital asset maintenance, meter and reading by utilities, and “wireless waitress” applications.
A lightweight, hand-held, usually pen-based computer used as a personal organizer is the ideal solution for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. As it includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, Personal Digital Assistants may also offer e-mail, Web browsing and cellular phone services, their future looks brighter than ever. Data are synchronized between the PDA and desktop computer via a cabled connection or wireless.
Psion Teklogix provides handheld, tablet, and vehicle mounted computers for the industrial, commercial, and professional markets. The company intends to develop its production for portable computing systems to customers in the airline, industrial manufacturing, materials handling, and transportation industries among others.
Apple: their famous product Newton, failed commercially, but defined and launched the new category of computing and was a forerunner and inspiration of devices as Palm Pilot and Pocket PC.
Blackberry is the all-in-one wireless data and voice device from Research in Motion. This product is available in cell phone and PDA sizes, the popular devices that extend the office to the road, providing e-mail, phone, text messaging, Web browsing, organizer, as well as paging, instant messaging and corporate data access.
Third-party applications are also available: Java (using the J2ME set f libraries), Visual Studio .NET making possible the development in C# or VB .NET. A growing number of third party commercial applications will be available fro Blackberry in the future. There include application in sales force automation, customer relationship management, remote IT administration and integrated instant messaging, Google talk, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger.
Complex, attractive and affordable, Compaq iPAQ H3600 is the flagship of HP products, successfully distributed in US and Europe. Their production will be expanded with increased ROM size and 16-bit screens, incorporated SD card reader and highest RAM capacity of any Pocket PC, integrated Bluetooth too. A smaller, slimmer frame will make it more competitive in terms of portability.
Interface type infrared, USB, Bluetooth wireless technology, serial and Wi-Fi, special features as led notification, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, sound notification will make it very special. Operating system can be Microsoft Mobile Pocket PC 2003, Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0, and Microsoft Mobile Pocket PC 2003 2nd edition.
Sharp’s business is pointed at the electronics market; its flagship component business makes LCDs, flash memory, integrated circuits, and laser diodes. The PDAs made by Sharp are respecting the same high quality level.
