PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

PDAs are rapidly gaining in popularity, but with new wireless capabilities being added, how can you possibly do without one?

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have been around in one form or another almost since the beginning of personal computing. How many readers out there remember the Timex data watch with the innovative data uplink achieved by holding the watch itself up to your PC screen and letting the program run? Technically it was wireless, albeit with one-way data. In more recent times the PDA market has really livened up with Palm and Compaq leading the way initially with their Pilot and iPAQ range of products respectively. Nowadays it seems that everyone is getting in on the act with the likes of Acer, Toshiba, and even Dell hawking PDAs.

On the other side of the coin, vendors who have traditionally dealt with portable data devices such as GPS tracking/mapping systems and warehouse stock control such as Intermec and Symbol are also finding markets for more rugged and warehouse-friendly handheld computing devices that can be integrated with back-end warehouse or sales systems, for example.

Naturally the more vendors, the more competition for both price and features, so it can only get better for us in the coming months and years.

In this review we looked at PDAs with inbuilt 802.1x wireless LAN capabilities. Yes, you too can now go to work and surf the Internet in the lunchroom or bathroom on your handheld digital assistant.

Seriously though, there are many legitimate and useful jobs a PDA can be used for in most companies, providing the organisation ensures a correct plan is established for their use and the appropriate training is provided for staff.

For example, they can be used to link with the company database server to update stock on hand and prices for sales reps on the road or mobile warehouse staff. Or for mobile sales presentations with a portable data projector when a notebook is too cumbersome or simply not required--the PDA can perform the slideshow presentation just as well. PDAs also have the benefit of size and portability, and enable the operator to very quickly turn the device on and access the information required without having to handle a notebook and wait for it to boot up.

Probably my one piece of important advice for the decision makers reading this is for companies to be aware of the potential Customer Relationship Management (CRM) factor with PDAs. Yes, years ago CRM was the catch cry of every business manager and analyst, and if you didn't have a good CRM strategy, your business was bound to be swallowed by a bigger, more organised fish.

While CRM is definitely a core part of any business' daily operations, it doesn't necessarily need to be altered dramatically just because the technology evangelists are touting a new application or technology. The companies who successfully pulled off the implementation of a CRM application did it with planning, training, and customisation. Instead of trying to mould employees around the limitations of the applications on offer, they designed custom modules, applications, and procedures to allow the CRM applications to work with the staff.

As with anything new, change is sure to create a wave amongst the operators, it is only a natural human reaction after all. However, with planning and a controlled roll-out with plenty of training, the migration to the new technologies can not only be painless at the end of the day, but also it will be sure to keep the bean counters happy.

Keeping in sync
More and more in the near future we will see PDA-to-PDA synchronisation and/or data recognition on a portable level and also more widespread usage in the new Wi-Fi hotspots being set up. It is handy sitting down in a hotspot at a café with a hot chocolate and croissant and surfing the Net on your notebook. However, if you simply want to know when the next train is, or where your next appointment is since your assistant rearranged your schedule this morning, and you happen to be wandering through a hotspot, you are hardly going to have a notebook in your top pocket . The most useful device in this situation is a wireless capable PDA.

The five vendors who supplied products to us for this review fall into two categories: Hewlett-Packard, Palm, and Toshiba submitted standard non-ruggedised PDAs, while Intermec and the Symbol sent us toughened PDAs for heavy-duty environments.

HP iPAQ H5450

Whatever the reason, there was much fiddling, resetting and general difficulties in configuring the internal card.

You should always ensure you test one of these units on your WLAN before committing to the order, just to ensure your technicians do not experience the same problems that we did.

The unit is very neat; the iPAQ engineers in this third or fourth generation have certainly learnt lessons and they have delivered a package that is very difficult to beat.

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

Product:	HP iPAQ H5450
Price:	AU$1299
Vendor:	HP
Phone:	132 393
Web:	www.hp.com.au
Interoperability:	½ Windows-based, may have wireless issues (see review).
Futureproofing:	SD slot, WLAN, and Bluetooth integrated, also includes fingerprint scanner.
ROI:	Very good price for the included features.
Service:	12-month warranty.
Rating:	½

Palm Tungsten C

Both the rugged units only charge through their cradles, however they are only really intended for use in or around a business.

The wireless networking configuration option was given as part of the initial wizard setup. Although the unit detected our access point, the wizard assumes you have DHCP running in your network infrastructure. If you don't, you need to enter the IP address, gateway, and name servers manually in a separate configuration page.

The Tungsten C is quite a refined device--the built-in keyboard and the use of the Palm OS could sway users towards the unit, particularly those who have used Palm previously. The smaller screen size is not a real disadvantage, particularly considering the inbuilt keyboard and the screen real estate occupied by the virtual keyboards on other PDAs.

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

Product:	Palm Tungsten C
Price:	AU$979
Vendor:	Palm
Phone:	1800 350 535
Web:	www.palm.com/au
Interoperability:	Palm OS-based, WLAN easily configured, mini keyboard may assist some users.
Futureproofing:	SD slot and WLAN integrated. Smaller display may hinder some applications.
ROI:	Good price for features, but should have Bluetooth at this price.
Service:	12-month warranty.
Rating:	½

Toshiba e750

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

Product:	Toshiba e750 Pocket PC
Price:	AU$1299
Vendor:	Toshiba
Phone:	133 070
Web:	www.isd.toshiba.com.au
Interoperability:	½ Windows-based, WLAN very easily configured.
Futureproofing:	½ SD and CF slots, WLAN integrated.
ROI:	Good price for features, but should have Bluetooth at this price.
Service:	12-month warranty.
Rating:	½

Intermec 700

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

Product:	Intermec 700 series
Price:	AU$3677
Vendor:	Intermec
Phone:	1800 333 120
Web:	www.intermec.com
Interoperability:	½ Windows-based, WLAN very easily configured.
Futureproofing:	No expansion slots available, but includes bar code scanner. Very rugged.
ROI:	More expensive than the Symbol base unit, but the final price may change depending on your needs.
Service:	12-month warranty.
Rating:

Symbol PPT8800

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

Product:	Symbol PPT8846
Price:	AU$3000 (subject to variations)
Vendor:	Symbol
Phone:	03 9862 7000
Web:	www.symbol.com
Interoperability:	½ Windows-based, may have wireless issues (see review).
Futureproofing:	No expansion slots available, but includes integrated bar code scanner. Very rugged.
ROI:	Cheaper than the Intermec, but would need to be compared with your exact specifications.
Service:	12-month warranty.
Rating:

Specifications

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

How we tested

We setup our wireless access point outside our building, connected by a RJ45 network cable to the rest of the network, we then browsed to a test Web page on our server form each PDAs, testing at marked 10M intervals. If the PDA included site survey tools we used those also, to get an indication of the current bandwidth and signal strength available at each point.

Our test rig included an Intel P4 1.7GHz network client, an Intel Celeron 1Ghz notebook with Sparklan 802.1b network card, a Linksys 54G network card and a Linksys WAP 54G Wireless Access Point.

As described in the article no testing could be completed on either the HP or the Symbol devices.

The Intermec reached 106 metres from our AP. The Toshiba was an acceptable 50 metres while the Palm was only able to manage 32 metres.

Look out for...

• Plenty of expandable memory storage, such as CompactFlash and Secure Digital/Multimedia Card slots.
• Fast processing speed, particularly if you are planning to run processor-intensive applications such as multimedia presentations.
• Secure docking in the PDA for the stylus.
• Expansion capabilities, such as VGA output, digital camera, Bluetooth, and so on.

Sample scenarios

1. Company: BB's Bargain Book Basement. This retail chain wants to roll out wireless handhelds for its sales, shelf-stacking and warehouse staff so they can access catalogues and stock databases wherever they are.

   Approximate budget: $4000 per handheld.

   Requires: 150 robust handheld devices with Wi-Fi built in.

   Concerns: The company insists on handhelds with wireless capability built in. The devices need to be relatively robust and have a Web browser.

   Best solution: The best choice would have to be either the Intermec or Symbol; the ruggedness of these devices perfectly suit this application. It is very difficult to pick a clear winner. The Symbol was definitely the more compact of the two units. Battery life would be optimal on Intermect unit with the monochrome screen. Both docking cradles also feature a space for a spare battery, which could be very handy in these environments.

2. Company: Squeez-ee Juice Company. This company needs wireless devices for their sales staff who randomly come into the office during the week to access the database, and update their calendars and contact lists while they are there.

   Approximate budget: $1200 per handheld.

   Requires: 80 handheld devices with Wi-Fi built in.

   Concerns: Devices must include a Web browser to access via the WLAN. Should be relatively light and portable for use in the field.

   Best solution: In this case, the best choice is definitely the HP iPAQ 5450; its level of refinement is ahead of both the Toshiba and the Palm. It lacks a CF slot, but has Bluetooth or wireless LAN integrated. The protective casing shows HP's design efforts to provide as much protection as possible without affecting the usability of the device.

Editors' choice: Intermec 700 Series
Highly commended: Symbol PPT8846, HP iPAQ H5450
The Intermec is ideal for a rough warehouse environment with its rugged casing, monochrome screen, barcode scanner, and excellent battery handling options. We were equally impressed with Symbol's rugged handheld, but wireless issues meant we could not award it an Editors' Choice. Similarly, the HP iPAQ combines the best of HP and Compaq's handheld expertise in the best office product we looked at, but once again the wireless problems we had in testing robbed it of the top gong.

Final words
PDAs are certainly very handy tools providing adequate planning and training is given on their implementation within the business. As with any relatively new technology, there will always be the knockers or slow adopters resistant to change. It is worthwhile listening and evaluating their opinions, as they are the ones who must use these tools and ultimately decide whether they are effective or not. Also, it is worthwhile ensuring you match your tools with needs; as you can see, these devices are designed for very different applications.

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	PDAs  PDA reviews:  HP iPAQ H5450  Palm Tungsten C  Toshiba e750  Intermec 700  Symbol PPT8800  Specifications  How we tested  Look out for...  Sample scenarios  Editor's choice  Final words  About RMIT

About RMIT Test Labs

RMIT IT Test Labs is an independent testing institution based in Melbourne, Victoria, performing IT product testing for clients such as IBM, Coles-Myer, and a wide variety of government bodies. In the Labs' testing for T&B, they are in direct contact with the clients supplying products and the magazine is responsible for the full cost of the testing. The findings are the Labs' own--only the specifications of the products to be tested are provided by the magazine. For more information on RMIT, please contact the Lab Manager, Steven Turvey.

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