HHP Release Dolphin 7900 - Ruggedised Wireless Pocket PC

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=3762' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?contentid=3762</a><br /><br /></div>Geekzone spotted that a new ruggedised Pocket PC will be hitting the market in December. It's called the Dolphin 7900 and is made by HHP (not a typo ;-)). There will be two versions; one will have Wifi &amp; Bluetooth, while the other will add GSM and GPRS as well: <br /> <br /><i>"The Dolphin 7900 will be ideal for change management, customer service, computer-aided ordering, store transfers, voice communications, portable point-of-sale, product information lookup, and dozens of other mobile applications. The device also comes with HHP’s Adaptus Imaging Technology, so it can be used by mobile workers to read bar codes, capture signatures, take photos of damaged goods, and archive and retrieve data. The Pocket PC measures 185 x 89 x 43 mm, and weighs 493g. It comes with a 1/4 VGA (240x320 pixels) color TFT LCD with industrial touch panel, capable of showing 64K colors. It is powered by am Intel XScale PXA255 CPU at 400MHz, with 64MB RAM and 64MB ROM."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/hhp7900.jpg" /> <br /><br />For more details you can visit the <a href="http://www.hhp.com/Site.aspx/na/en//product_center/overview/?tab=home&amp;product=81"> HHP website</a>, while the original press release is <a href="http://www.hhp.com/Site.aspx/na/en/news_events/news_listing/listing/article/?article=19">here</a>. Does anyone have any thoughts on this or about any of HHP's exiting line of ruggedised Pocket PCs?

[ctmagnus]

LCD with industrial touch panel

Maybe this one won't need screen protectors ;)

[dh]

. Does anyone have any thoughts on this or about any of HHP's exiting line of ruggedised Pocket PCs?
HHP (Hand Held Products) have made industrial mobile computers for quite a while, in competition with companies like Symbol and PSC.

I try to avoid them as much as possible. I've had a couple of customers specify them and the projects never seem to go well. Last time HHP supplied the PPCs OK, but we had to wait about four months for the 4 slot serial cradles we ordered.

For me, Symbol has better products and much better support.

[Jonathon Watkins]

LCD with industrial touch panel

Maybe this one won't need screen protectors ;)

On a serious note, I find that it's good to always use screen protectors, even with ruggedised devices. That way the mud and grit should not scratch the man screen. I've yet to see a screen that can withstand scratching for long.

[Darius Wey]

I've yet to see a screen that can withstand scratching for long.

My car windscreen... 8)

[Jonathon Watkins]

I've yet to see a screen that can withstand scratching for long.

My car windscreen... 8)

OK,OK, a Pocket PC or Windows CE device screen. :grumble: Pedants everwhere.

:wink:

[cscullion]

My experience with HHP is exactly the opposite of dh's. I've used both Symbol and HHP devices, and I find the technical support people at HHP to be very knowledgable and helpful, and I find the lead time to get product much better with HHP. Also, you can actually FIND STUFF on their web site. Just try to buy a Symbol product without going through a third party distributor. Unless you buy in quantity and have a corporate representative within Symbol, you'll have trouble. Not so with HHP, in my experience.

On the other hand, I've found some HHP products to be "over-ruggedized", if that's possible. The Dolphin 7300 (?) has what feels like a thick steel case. You could throw this thing as hard as you can agains a brick wall, and it would barely get sratched. Rugged? Yes, but very heavy.

[SassKwatch]

On a serious note, I find that it's good to always use screen protectors, even with ruggedised devices. That way the mud and grit should not scratch the man screen. I've yet to see a screen that can withstand scratching for long.
I've never used a sp. Never. The only one that's ever shown much wear was the first Handspring Visor. Three iPAQs have held up fine without. The current 5555 looks virtually as good as new. I do treat them fairly carefully, but not so much that one would think it's my first born child.:)

As to the topic at hand.....the HHP devices could prove useful in the healthcare market. We've used Symbol products in the past, and they were fine. If the HHP stack up in price/features to Symbol, they should find a place.

[Techtoys]

We just evaluated handhelds for use in our baggage halls. The only thing that concerned me about the HHP was the screen- other similar units had a much more solid covering over the screen than the HHP, but I couldn't bring myself to whack it against a corner to see if it would break.

When they give us the units for destructive testing I'll be ready and waiting though....