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View Full Version : $2,300 iPAQ 3900 Key Tool In Military Information Network


Ed Hansberry
02-27-2003, 02:00 PM
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,47023|5,00.html<br /><br />"The central component of the Pentagon's new war-fighting doctrine isn't a weapon at all, but an information network. The military wants to tie together every scrap of incoming intelligence to create a comprehensive picture of the battlefield that can be shared by different military branches or combat units in real time."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2003/20030227-pfed.jpg" /><br /><br />They use a Pocket-Sized Forward Entry Device (PFED) which consists mainly of an iPAQ 3900 and what a appears to be a sleeve of some sort. The 3900 series is really a solid device and the sleeve system, bulky by today's standards, is so versatile I can see HP wanting to keep it around for a few more years yet.

vincentsiaw
02-27-2003, 02:24 PM
Wow it is the most expensive i know out of the door man!

Paragon
02-27-2003, 02:51 PM
Wow! They could have bought Dell's for what?........about $1800.00 with the standard military discount. All taxes, and kickbacks included :D

Dave

MultiMatt
02-27-2003, 02:51 PM
I have heard that they have some sort of Wireless IP Router setup, where they launch a bunch of "ball-shaped" devices into a battlefield. Then it creates a network that everyone can connect to, either via iPAQ's of any other device they are using!
There are apparently so may of the little balls scattered about, if a few of the balls get destroyed, it's no big deal.

Anyone heard about this or have more info on it? It certainly sounds cool!

Matt

Venturello
02-27-2003, 02:53 PM
Ever heard that joke (for me, it is not...) about government spending? $10,000 toilet seats, etc?

Well, this seems to be an example. Unless this sleeve has Wifi, GSM, GPS and who knows what other battle information and communication systems, besides an extra battery, there's no other way to justify this value.

Maybe turns an iPaq into a laser gun? Star Trek tricorder? Radar? Infrared scanning of enemy troops? :roll: :twisted:

jmbneaf
02-27-2003, 03:14 PM
Ever heard that joke (for me, it is not...) about government spending? $10,000 toilet seats, etc?

Well, this seems to be an example. Unless this sleeve has Wifi, GSM, GPS and who knows what other battle information and communication systems, besides an extra battery, there's no other way to justify this value.


Yeah and your commercial Ipaq can sustain MIL-STD specs too? Get real, MIL-STD-810E is no walk in the park to meet. Look at the specs on this thing!!

- immersion to 1m of water
- -4F to 131F operational
- operational at 15000 ft
- MIL-STD-461D (EMI/RFI emmissions) which no standard PDA will meet.

BS - the cost is real and actually a bargain as military grade computers go.

Also, US Military doesn't take to kindly to PC's not functioning on the battlefield - so I am sure that this thing is not your mother's Ipaq.

JB

Skoobouy
02-27-2003, 03:19 PM
Shoot, why keep it hand-held? Make tank-sleeves! The iPaq could act like a key to turn it on, and transfer the info. Jet-figher sleeves! Heck, drill-seargent sleeves! Make everything a sleeve, and pop iPaqs into them to turn them on, make them talk to each other, identify the owner, etc. Neat stuff.

JvanEkris
02-27-2003, 03:27 PM
Yeah and your commercial Ipaq can sustain MIL-STD specs too? Get real, MIL-STD-810E is no walk in the park to meet. Look at the specs on this thing!!

- immersion to 1m of water
- -4F to 131F operational
- operational at 15000 ft
- MIL-STD-461D (EMI/RFI emmissions) which no standard PDA will meet.


MIL also demands a droptest from several meters 8O , this is cool stuff, when can we buy it at an army dump :D

mike6024
02-27-2003, 03:30 PM
There are several different Pocket PCs being used by the military now. As far as I know, they are all ruggedized/repackaged versions of one or another Ipaq, which is how they make it up to mil spec. I work for a gov't contractor and our project will be used on a ruggedized 3975, cause it needs bluetooth as well. I'll have to ask around about these "ball" things though.

bdegroodt
02-27-2003, 03:53 PM
Also, US Military doesn't take to kindly to PC's not functioning on the battlefield - so I am sure that this thing is not your mother's Ipaq.

JBNo doubt. This would be a REAL mission critical piece of hardware. RE:Not your Mother's Ipaq- I actually read a bit more about this device in the WSJ (They've been running a series on the "new soldier" over the last couple of weeks.) and the more accurate description of this device as it relates the the 3970 is that it uses SOME of the parts of the 3970. It's not a 3970 that's been ruggadized. In fact, I'd be surprised if much more than the main circuit board was left untouched. I'd really be surprised if it still had an MS OS on it. I think it's safe to say this thing isn't much of a kissing cousin to the original 3970.

Steven Cedrone
02-27-2003, 05:14 PM
Please keep this on-topic! Any off-topic posts will be deleted...

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

mike6024
02-27-2003, 07:14 PM
I'd really be surprised if it still had an MS OS on it. I think it's safe to say this thing isn't much of a kissing cousin to the original 3970.

I have yet to see a ruggedized/repackaged Ipaq for military use that doesn't run WinCE. But as far as the hardware goes, in some instances the form factor does dramatically change. Some can barely be called "pocket" pcs anymore (that is unless they have a special pocket in their BDUs for them now :D ).

R K
02-27-2003, 08:09 PM
This reminds me of some new sleeve for the iPAQ that won't be coming out. It's a case/sleeve hybrid that can do the following.
Withstands bullets from high powered vulcan canons,
Withstands a 999,999,999,999,999 mile drop, even without burning up upon entry into the earth's atmosphere, (which leads to the next benefit)
Able to withstand 72,456,112 degrees (Fahrenheit) of infernal heat,
Withstands 63,257,186,254 lbs of pressure,
Survives 224,368 miles under water,
Includes a seperate compartment for human attachment,

Dimensions: 10.40 x 6.60 x 4.50 feet,
Weight: 948 lbs

Warning: This product is not capable of surviving through nuclear attacks.

Will T Smith
02-28-2003, 06:59 AM
This is a completely different handheld unit built around some iPaq components.

"Built using many off-the-shelf components to reduce costs and ensure ready availability, the PFED incorporates the motherboard, display, and other electronic parts of an HP iPaq h3900-series PDA. -- M.M. "

The military has about ZERO tolerance for things that break easily. That pretty much rules a stock iPaq out regardless of how well you protect it against the elements.

jimski
02-28-2003, 08:29 AM
Wonder if I can convince the military to send me a copy of their version of Active Sync. Bet (or at least hope) it works just a tad better than 3.6.

oljaitu
03-01-2003, 07:13 PM
It could be this one from HP and Raytheon...

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/19jun02c.htm