Socket Mobile Unveils the SoMo 650 [Archive]

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Darius Wey

03-08-2007, 03:00 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.socketmobile.com/products/handheld-computer/somo-650/' target='_blank'>http://www.socketmobile.com/product...puter/somo-650/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Socket Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCKT), dba Socket Mobile, Inc., an innovative provider of mobile productivity products, today unveiled its new handheld mobile computer specifically designed to make essential business mobile productivity solutions possible and affordable. The company’s extensive line of mobile data collection and networking connectivity peripherals combined with the new handheld make Socket a one-stop supplier of mobile computing hardware systems. The new Socket SoMo™ 650 is built to address the market that exists between consumer-oriented PDAs and heavy duty industrial devices. The sleek, durable device uses a touch screen and is based on the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system to ensure the highest level of mobile application compatibility and gives workers a familiar computing environment. The SoMo 650 handheld computer’s flexible design enables ease of customization and integration with Socket and third party peripherals and information systems – extending the lifecycle of the product and reducing total cost of ownership. The company will launch a new extended, multi-year service warranty on the device as well as on many of its higher-end peripheral products."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20070209-socketsomo650.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=53720">The</a> <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=53904">wait</a> is <a href="http://www.socketmobile.com/about/news-and-events/press-releases/read.asp?ID=235">over</a>. Socket Mobile has just revealed its first Windows Mobile 5.0-based rugged handheld, the SoMo 650. Inside, you'll find an Intel PXA270 624MHz CPU, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, CF and SDIO slots, and a 3.5" QVGA touch screen. Interested in picking one up? Expect it in the April/May timeframe at a MSRP of US$648.

Paragon

03-08-2007, 04:02 PM

Very cool. I've often thought there was a market for devices that fell somewhere between super rugged devices built to military specs such as Recons, and Symbols, and our consumer grade devices. This devide is a nice small package and the price is very affordable, yet it is still rugged enough (multiple 3 foot drops) for everyday use in many work environments.

Dave

Jason Dunn

03-08-2007, 05:58 PM

Decent specs for the price, though you do pay a premium for the rugged factor.

Gerard

03-08-2007, 11:21 PM

Nice equipment overall. Tough, probably really reliable. Price isn't too bad at all for a rugged device. But with no VGA screen... nope.

Jason Dunn

03-09-2007, 12:01 AM

But with no VGA screen... nope.

Yeah, but I can see why - VGA = power drain + higher cost. Enterprise users don't really need a VGA screen for 99% of what they'll be using this for...

stllhogan

03-09-2007, 12:31 AM

This is nice, I don't need the rugged factor but I'm still considering it, the only things I could see that it would have added to make it perfect would be xga out, gpu, vga screen, gps but those aren't necessary, at least for me just an improvement. Socket makes some great stuff that many devices can't use and seeing that most if not all will work with it makes it very versatile. wm6 would be nice, maybe the phone capability which is very arguable and I won't get into it. This reminds me of what devices were (and should be with modern updating)

03-09-2007, 01:21 AM

I like it as well, although I think the Symbol MC35 is going to meet my personal needs better. I got to play with one today and it's basically the same specs as my HP 6940, but with much better keyboard and screen - more memory too as well as 802.11a/b/g.

Probably won't be a Vaja case for it, but at least it's designed for 4ft. drops to concrete.

It should be released in a few weeks and I'm hoping it is in Symbol's 70% demo unit discount plan for business partners.

nutzareus

03-09-2007, 04:38 PM

ecsk2

03-09-2007, 05:12 PM

Nice equipment overall. Tough, probably really reliable. Price isn't too bad at all for a rugged device. But with no VGA screen... nope.

Oh if we could just get those QVGA screens extinct I'd be happy :)

After you've had VGA you don't want anything else...

Gerard

03-09-2007, 06:12 PM

If you guys are screaming about the price, my Symbol MC70 with GSM/EDGE, Bluetooth, 802.11g, and 2D barcode scanner set me back $2000 back in June 2006.
Someone screamed about the price? Must've missed that. The price seems good enough, as I indicated.

Gerald, gimme a break. No VGA? Whatever. This is not a toy, it's for business.
Firstly, the name is 'Gerard' - there is no letter L in that.
Secondly, it is precisely for business that I want VGA, and do not want QVGA. There are no games installed on my Toshiba e800. There are programs like Textmaker, Planmaker, and Pocket Artist, which I use in my business extensively (well, Planmaker not as much), and all of which provide far better use in VGA. That's true VGA, not just the smoother appearance but with wasted screen space along top and bottom as is the default. And lots of other applications unrelated to entertainment work better in VGA. Netfront, Opera, and Pocket IE for example, all show more on a page with less or no side-scrolling. Working in any text editor (I use 5, depending on the features I'm needing) is more enjoyable when more of a document is viewable.

I used a Casio EG-800 (well, 5 of them actually) until the last one died. I know how good it is to have a toughened PPC, and miss that. My e800 has taken 3 or 4 falls from 1metre+ to ceramic tile over concrete (the floor in my house) and at worst forced restoring from the previous day's backup. I'm awkward sometimes and forgetful almost always; a PPC in a pocket sometimes jumps out when I'm busy chasing a kid around the house... It would be great to have a device again which was actually designed for such accidents, but only if I didn't have to lose functionality. The QVGA screen on this new device represents too much frustration and inefficiency, for my uses. Otherwise it seems a great device with a fair price. Maybe they'll offer a VGA versipn. Battery life isn't a worry: Mugen makes batteries for most devices, and the 15+ hours I get from my current 5800mAh model is ample.

SassKwatch

03-09-2007, 08:38 PM

Any word on Cisco LEAP compatibility.(??)

There are a *LOT* of enterprise environments that just drip Crisco......er, I mean Cisco.

03-09-2007, 09:36 PM

dh, no ruggedized devices come with Vaja cases. :D The snap holster for my MC70 works just fine. The screen faces into your body when it is snapped in so it is not exposed while walking.
:devilboy:

I was kidding about the Vaja case.

On the table in my office right now I have a couple of MC50's, an MC70, one of the RFID versions of the MC9060 and a nice new 9090. The new Lorax scanner in this device is just brilliant. Oh, a crappy HHP 9501 is lurking around here as well.

I'm serious about possibly getting the MC35 to use as my next phone. I really liked the form factor and the features. I like the MC70 as well, but just too big as a daily use phone. There's going to be a Verizon MC70 anyday now which will be a good step. The list price of the MC35 is supposed to be about $700 - $800 so if I can get the 70% demo discount for partners (and a version without a camera) I'm there. The MC70 is still very expensive. I sold a bunch of them this week for about $2,500 each - including cradle, service plan etc.

By the way, the MC35 doesn't have a proper barcode scanner. It uses the the camera module to take a snapshot of and decode 1D and 2D barcodes. Personally I can't use a device with a camera because a lot of my customers are defense companies and I hate having to leave all my data in my car.

Texican

03-10-2007, 06:25 AM

If you guys are screaming about the price, my Symbol MC70 with GSM/EDGE, Bluetooth, 802.11g, and 2D barcode scanner set me back $2000 back in June 2006. I was slightly miffed when I loaded SlingPlayer last week and they don't support this device. :bad-words: I can get video to stream, but no audio. I was hoping to scan barcodes and watch ESPN in the warehouse. :mrgreen: Anyhow, $700 is a relative bargain for a ruggedized device, even without GSM radio. The other low-budget option is using an Otterbox for your device, and I have done that with no problems with my Axim x51v. I even threw the whole thing in a swimming pool as a test and it floats just fine. Do not try this at home! :wink:

Gerald, gimme a break. No VGA? Whatever. This is not a toy, it's for business.

dh, no ruggedized devices come with Vaja cases. :D The snap holster for my MC70 works just fine. The screen faces into your body when it is snapped in so it is not exposed while walking.

Remember guys, these are NOT toys! I have seen serious abuse to these devices in warehouse and construction scenarios, both deliberate and accidental. I can't find the link, but there was a video of a guy who literally threw his Symbol device with trigger across the warehouse and bounced it a few times off the concrete, and then zoomed in to show no damage to the screen. I dare anyone do that with their Windows Mobile device. :devilboy:

Actually, I need a VGA device for my construction job. I look at schedules (excel) and options/selections (pdf) and VGA is far more effective for these tasks than QVGA. I like the dual memory slots (just like my Dell X50V) so I don't have to change or upgrade anything except my software. 8) Make this device with VGA and I snap it up tomorrow. Put VGA and WM6 on it and I'll drop a grand on it. My desire is to find a device that is a close to a Dell X50/51V that can make phone calls and this is it. The only close contender is the Ultimate series from I-mate but at over twice the money I'll take the Socket. :wink:

Stik

03-10-2007, 03:27 PM

Any word on Cisco LEAP compatibility.(??)

There are a *LOT* of enterprise environments that just drip Crisco......er, I mean Cisco.

No LEAP compatibility. Socket's WLAN embedded module in the device support...

" Open systems, 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption, and networks with enhanced security such as AES, WPA2-Enterprise, WPA, WPA-PSK and 802.1x with EAP-TLS/PEAP authentication. "

And CCX network security...whatever that is! My research hasn't taken me that far yet. :oops:

http://www.socketmobile.com/products/oem-embedded-hardware/wireless-lan/

Your question led me to do some research. There may be good reason that Socket didn't implement Cisco's LEAP authentication...

The bottom line on LEAP

" Cisco LEAP authentication is a huge security risk in enterprise wireless LANs. So much attention in wireless LAN security or security in general is given to the encryption component of security that the authentication component is often neglected. If your wireless LAN is running LEAP and this document doesn't scare the living day lights out of you, it should. Move to PEAP, EAP-TLS, or EAP-TTLS."

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-1035-6148551.html

Decent specs for the price, though you do pay a premium for the rugged factor.

I would venture to ' guess ' that besides the rugged aspects, one is also paying a premium for pre-loaded software like Socket's Mobile Wi-Fi Companion that allows for seamless roaming between WiFi access points and Socket Mobile SocketScan which allows Socket barcode perepherals to work from the getgo without the headaches that users experienced in the past on other ( I won't mention names 8) ) handheld device makers implementation of things like SDIO slot configuration on their respective PPC handhelds. :devilboy:

One last thing. $648.00 is the initial MSRP.

The ' suggested ' part of that equation leads me to think that this handheld eventually could be had for less.

Bulk orders are preferred by us stakeholders please! :lol:

Nurhisham Hussein

03-12-2007, 08:39 AM

I like this - I like this a lot. It's pretty much what I'm looking for sans the VGA screen (full SDIO! CF slot!). I have to agree with Gerard and Texican, VGA resolution would be both practical and useful for virtually any business application or database.

Stik

03-12-2007, 09:31 PM

FWIW, I used Gerard, Texican and Jason's ( thanks all! ) comments here to formulate questions to Socket's CFO to see if I could get a VGA response to future Socket handheld( s ) .

Heres how it went...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Dave,

First let me congratulate you folks at Socket for bringing to market a very nice PPC handheld with excellent specs!

If there is a negative from my SoMo 650 readings, its that the unit utilizes a QVGA screen rather than a VGA screen to make documents more viewable on programs like Netfront, Opera, and Pocket IE.

Most do agree however that the QVGA screen has the benefit of not draining the battery as quickly and keeps the overall handheld unit cost lower.

With that said, my question is two-fold but somewhat related. I know you don't like to answer questions ( understandably! ) on future product releases ( Socket pr'ed a family of handhelds ) and that I'm fishing once again, but I feel it never really hurts to ask anyway.

My questions are...

Has Socket ruled out a VGA-screened device in a forthcoming Socket handheld?

What in the world is a Super Capacity battery offered as it relates to the Socket SoMo 650?

Best Always,

stik

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

stik,

In planning for future products, everything goes back on the table.

You've correctly identified the tradeoffs between screen type and power consumption, but as technology advances, we often find that we can offer features that we were unable or unwilling to offer before.

The SoMo 650 standard main battery is a 1200mAh Lithium-ion 3.7 v battery. The optional large capacity battery is a 2600 mAh Lithium-ion 3.7 v battery.

Best regards,

Dave

David W. Dunlap
Chief Financial Officer
Socket Communications, Inc.
dba Socket Mobile, Inc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another ' stay tuned ' moment from the good folks at DBA Socket Mobile... but at least its a somewhat encouraging response without going into detail. :mrgreen:

Len M.

06-15-2007, 11:47 PM

Dell is selling the SoMo 650 in two versions, the 650-M ($580) and the 650-E ($520).

http://search.dell.com/searchcom_redirect.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs=&k=somo&cat=prod&tdc=2&p=1&qmp=12&cd=1&sfp=product&dtype=product&did=A1138204&redp=http%3a%2f%2faccessories.us.dell.com%2fsna%2fproductdetail.aspx%3fc%3dus%26l%3den%26s%3ddhs%26cs%3d19%26sku%3dA1138204&redpe=bf0559d9-46d4-b0bd-e41d-76aa85c8f9cf

http://search.dell.com/searchcom_redirect.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs=&k=somo&cat=prod&tdc=2&p=1&qmp=12&cd=2&sfp=product&dtype=product&did=A1138197&redp=http%3a%2f%2faccessories.us.dell.com%2fsna%2fproductdetail.aspx%3fc%3dus%26l%3den%26s%3ddhs%26cs%3d19%26sku%3dA1138197&redpe=66067738-e0c9-8645-0f53-42b5c93f58b3