Symbol Introduces MC1000 Enterprise Mobile Computers

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.symbol.com/category.php?fileName=PR-855_MC1000_Release.xml' target='_blank'>http://www.symbol.com/category.php?...000_Release.xml</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL), The Enterprise Mobility Company, today introduced the MC1000, a new value-priced enterprise mobility tool designed to improve operational efficiency in the retail, manufacturing, warehouse and logistics industries. The new MC1000 expands Symbol's rugged mobile computer product portfolio with a cost-effective, feature-rich handheld device that enables organizations to automate processes and efficiently capture data. "The new MC1000 handheld computer provides an enterprise mobility tool to address our supply chain and customer demand chain needs," said Kevin Huang, IT operations manger, ICI Paints. "With a highly ergonomic and lightweight design, the MC1000 provides an affordable solution to reduce employee training requirements and increase productivity and profitability.""</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050719-MC1000.jpg" /><br /><br />Weighing in at a little over 7 oz. (205g), the Symbol MC1000 features a 240x240 square screen, 32MB RAM, 32MB ROM, an Intel 312MHz processor, an SD slot, and Windows CE .NET 4.2. This is one of those budget-priced, budget-featured rugged handhelds to suit any business on a tight budget! :)

[Tim Rapson]

I think this will be my new PDA!

Actually, I am a letter carrier. The scanners we have used for the past few years are made by Chinese giant, Legend. We are getting new Symbol models based on CE any day now. I would guess that with a contract for several hundred thousand of these, Symbol could make them for retail very cheaply. But, who would want one as a general consumer? Like our original model (the size of an old phone handpiece) this one was promised to be the size of a pager. It's not. Oh well.

I expect they have locked it up and tested it for a year or two to make it less likely to need a reset than consumer handhelds. We'll see. The original handheld my local Walmart oil change guy had was a PalmIII. He is now using a ruggedized wireless Symbol to take my order. This piece looks about that speed times 4.

Anyone wonder if this could be the only response to this new item? I am betting this story will draw fewer views than any.

[Mike Dimmick]

No, Tim, yours will not be the only reply.

We had one of the Alpha units a few months back. It seemed fairly reliable - Symbol's track record isn't too bad. We were, and I believe still are, evaluating it for a port of a consumer survey application originally written for Symbol's Series 3000 DOS terminals. The keyboard seemed fiddly - it's got flat rubber keys like an old Sinclair ZX Spectrum - but I don't really get on with multi-press keyboards that well. The screen is not touch-sensitive - all navigation is by keyboard or barcode scanning.

As a piece of interest, it supports running from both a Lithium Ion battery, or from three AAA cells (alkaline preferred). The AAA contacts had to be flipped down on our sample, and the connector to these contacts looked to be a bit flimsy, but this might be different on production hardware.