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Handhelds Hardware

Invulnerable, Waterproof PDA 232

Posted by michael from the kid-tested-mother-approved dept.
You've probably been wishing for a large, armored, waterproof, 15-hour-battery-life, rubberized PDA, haven't you? Well, look no further.
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Invulnerable, Waterproof PDA More

Invulnerable, Waterproof PDA

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  • Preferably (Score:5, Interesting)

    by BWJones ( 18351 ) * on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:02PM (#8764255) Homepage Journal
    Actually, what I have been looking for is a PDA that would be a hybrid of small laptop and PDA kind of like the old Newtons that would allow me to have a built in wireless communication that would work with all phone/Internet networks across the world (likely with a hybrid of TCP/IP, VOIP and GSM) and a Bluetooth headset, leveraging something simple like iChat for calls with a built in calendar and address book. I am sick of having to purchase multiple phones for travel to different countries or swapping out SIM cards and then having yet still to type in all the access codes for various networks to make a simple phone call to someone. This hypothetical PDA should also be able to plug into projectors so I can give Keynote (or Powerpoint) presentations at meetings and invited talks, function as a basic word processor, note taker and sketch pad, have good battery life (8 real hours) and have a hard drive to be able to play DVDs and music on the airplane without the CD or DVD media.

    I suppose the ruggedized PDA referenced in the article is expandable for wireless networks, but it really should have built in 802.11x and Bluetooth and appears to be a sort of ruggedized iPaq. I expect it will not be a big seller and the big purchasers of this device in the article will be those folks in the GPS and GIS fields who need this sort of device, but for approx $1600 US, I would expect built in GPS as well.

    • Re:Preferably (Score:4, Interesting)

      by dolo666 ( 195584 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:11PM (#8764320) Journal
      > but for approx $1600 US, I would expect built in GPS as well.

      And for $1.6k, I would expect that I could whip it at a wall and catch it, without any damage whatsoever. That way if I was running and it fell out of my pocket, I wouldn't trigger a reset, or cause my HD to break from jarring... and with this new one if it landed in a puddle, I'd be whistling about it (scared, but sure), unlike that guy on the commercial who checked his notebook.

    • Re:Preferably (Score:2, Informative)

      by base_chakra ( 230686 )
      Have you considered the CLIE PEG-UX50 [sonystyle.com]?

      A buddy of mine swears by it (technically he has the Japanese version).

    • Re:Preferably (Score:5, Informative)

      by Aphrika ( 756248 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:46PM (#8764539)
      Slightly off topic I guess (as neither are hardened devices), but there are a couple of imminent bits of kit you might want to look at:

      First up is the Flipstart [flipstartpc.com] by one of Paul Allen's spin-off companies. I haven't seen any physical models around at all, but it looks interesting - a full XP PC based around a Transmeta chip, with a very nice (on paper) 1024 x 600 screen, and an innovative external LCD display for notifications and MP3 controls. I'd really like this to see the light of day.

      Second up is the OQO [oqo.com], which has been in vapour for a while, but hardware has been previewed at recent tech shows. Spec-wise it's similar to the Flipstart, being powered by a Transmeta, but has an innovative slide down keyboard arrangement.

      Both look pretty interesting and will probably suit your needs to a degree, although as a first generation tablet PC user, I can say that the Transmeta chip isn't up to running a lot of apps at the same time that require a lot of horsepower. That's not to say it can't run apps, it just takes a while to fire up. Once it's running - say Photoshop - it's fine.

      On a sidenote, I used a GSM card in my tablet for a while and it was awesome. Coupled with a Bluetooth card and the TC1000's built-in Wifi, it made the tablet incredibly versatile. I doubt that I'd move back to a standard laptop for size/weight/battery life reasons, so my next consideration is probably going to be a more powerful tablet, probably a TC1100. Although for ruggedised PC fans, HP are about to release the TC3000 [globalspec.com].

    • Re:Preferably (Score:5, Funny)

      by keeboo ( 724305 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @08:46PM (#8764825)
      I guess your request for a PDA design would be much like Homer Simpson's car designed by himself [headworks.net] (from an old Simpsons' episode).

    • Sure... (Score:3, Funny)

      by Electrawn ( 321224 )
      That can be done. The problem is the battery has to be a nuclear reactor.

    • Projector for Keynote? Hard drive? Wi-Fi? You're starting to get into iBook + Tungsten zone there.

    • GPS usage (Score:3, Informative)

      by bavander ( 316929 )
      The intended use of these is really for folks in the field. We use about a dozen we bought from Trimble to drive Pro XR GPS units. We use them to map endangered species nests on the Missouri River, collect all the pertinent info, and sync up to a central database. The info is used for making water management decisions for over a thousand miles of river, so we needed a reliable system to collect near real-time data.

      The recon has really exceeded our expectations, conditions in the field can be brutal, tem
    • Intermec 700 series rugged PocketPC. Integrated GSM-GPRS or CDMA along with BT and 802.11b all in the same package.

      http://www.intermec.com/

  • dope! (Score:5, Funny)

    by blackmonday ( 607916 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:02PM (#8764257) Homepage
    finally I can play dopewars in the shower!

    • Re:dope! (Score:5, Funny)

      by KageMonkey ( 740043 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:16PM (#8764357)
      Replace "play dopewars" with "watch porn", then I think you have described the targetted market.

      • Re:dope! (Score:2, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Bleh, in my shower I have a 42" plasma screen behind a glass pane for this sort of thing....

    • Re:dope! (Score:3, Informative)

      by extra the woos ( 601736 )
      omg.... thats hilarious. The first thing I thought of was "i can play dope wars anywhere now!"... It's like the only game I ever play on my little ipaq.. Its perfect because you can make a few trades here and there between classes... At a stop light? The perfect time to make a few trades... Annoying chick your sitting by on the couch wont shut up while your "doing your homework"? Buy a little coke, buy a little weed! Dope wars is the shit. Anyone wanna buy a bigger trench coat for $216?

  • not quite (Score:4, Funny)

    by evenprime ( 324363 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:04PM (#8764271) Homepage Journal
    You've probably been wishing for a large, You've probably been wishing for a large, armored, waterproof, 15-hour-battery-life, rubberized PDA, haven't you? , haven't you?

    Nope, I'm waiting for the small You've probably been wishing for a large, armored, waterproof, 15-hour-battery-life, rubberized PDA...with lasers!

    • Lasers? (Score:5, Funny)

      by MachDelta ( 704883 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:36PM (#8764475)
      Just any old laser? You really should specify a brand you know. I suggest you go with "Frickin" (must be a German company...) since their laser technology seems to be quite popular as of late. Everywhere I go, I hear talk of attatching "Frickin laser beams" to things... I assume their stellar reputation is a reflection of their quality products.

      Cheers! (and good like finding that small PDA)

  • Zing! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Faust7 ( 314817 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:05PM (#8764273) Homepage
    Well, look no further.

    Seeing as how it's been Slashdotted... I guess I won't.

  • Armour (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:05PM (#8764279)
    So it deflects bullets, AND you can batter people over the head with it, underwater!? GENIUS!

  • I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by JaxWeb ( 715417 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:05PM (#8764280) Homepage Journal
    Either I cannot pick up sarcasm, or the poster seems to think this is something we all indeed do want. Why exactly?

    I mean, yes, it sounds nice. The spec's aren't bad. For those too lazy to look, the most interesting general point was:

    "Specification wise, there are two flavours of the Recon available, the first running a 200MHz Intel XScale processor with 64MB of internal non-volatile Flash storage, the second an upgraded 400MHz version with 128MB of storage available"

    Right, not bad, but Waterproof? I very rarely come across more water than that which comes out of my tap, and even then I don't put anything electric under it! Who, exactly, is the target audience? Or is just one of those "Cool" things?

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by josh3736 ( 745265 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:11PM (#8764315) Homepage
      Who, exactly, is the target audience?

      I'd say people like the military, ship crewmen, and maybe the USGS. Limited, perhaps, but very useful for people who don't work in the friendliest of enviornments.

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by kobaz ( 107760 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:11PM (#8764316)
      When doing land surveying with laser measuring tools and electronic data collectors in the pouring rain, its really good when your equipment is waterpoof.

      Although not everyone does that, but the target audience would be people in jobs like that tend to be working in conditions potentially very hazarous to electronic devices.
    • Have you never been fishing man? Or just boating for that matter? Or to the beach? (Yes sand and salt might scratch up the best PDA at the beach but still at least a little drop wouldn't send all your geek gadget dollars to geek gadget heaven).
      • It may be waterproof, but does it float? If it didn't I wouldn't take this thing fishing.
        • I own a digital camera and bought the underwater diving case for it because I was too worried about it taking a swim to take it boating. I've attached floats and a strap to the case in case it ever does go overboard. I look like a dork, and it is harder to use with the case and floats but I already have some spectacular nature shots and my blood pressure isn't as high as it would be if I just took the camera and risked it.

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by gardyloo ( 512791 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:14PM (#8764343)
      I work in an environment (acoustics lab, where we have nice big water tanks) where one of these would come in really handy to drive stepper motors, etc. My thermocouples are waterproof, my contact meters are waterproof... it'd be nice to have a waterproof way to move things around!

      Besides which, can you surf pr0n on it? Somehow, a waterproof case would be nice for that, too...

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      It would be a great device for contruction companies. Imagine putting AutoCAD for handhelds on there - you suddenly have all of the building plans at your fingertips. Now if that price comes with a guarantee that it cannot be broken, then I can really see using it.

      Maybe underwater welders would like it too, or that guy who sits at the top of those big building cranes. Finally he can play Tetris without worrying about dropping it!

      That and every geek who has a child... go ahead sweetie, you can slobber o

    • GIS! (Score:4, Insightful)

      by terraformer ( 617565 ) <tpb@pervici.com> on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:28PM (#8764431) Journal
      This is perfect to run GIS software from ESRI on it. They make software to allow field people like archaeologists, LSP (licensed site professionals), etc to do surveying/field mapping with an attached GPS unit. The software runs on WinCE. Also, delorme makes a palm capable software that could also likely interface with their GIS package, although I can't say for sure since I use their personal use software.

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Funny)

      by tverbeek ( 457094 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:29PM (#8764445) Homepage
      Who, exactly, is the target audience?

      I know a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper who could really use an invulnerable PDA. His PDAs keep getting wrecked by speeding bullets, powerful locomotives, death rays, kryptonite-powered robots, atomic blasts, crushing ocean depths, and the occasional flight through the fiery core of the sun.

      • Why was it that Superman always stood there and let the bad guys shoot their guns at them, but when they ran out of bullets and threw their guns at him, he ducked?

        Perhaps Superman knew something we don't in this day and age. Instead of firing your gun at someone, just throw it!

        Give it a try...
        • Why was it that Superman always stood there and let the bad guys shoot their guns at them, but when they ran out of bullets and threw their guns at him, he ducked?
          The mods are going to burn my karma with their heat vision for being offtopic, but perhaps it's just reflex. Like when someone fakes throwing something at you and you jump. Then again, perhaps he doesn't exist and it's merely a dramatic element to tell a story... nah.
        • Because the bullets were just special effects. The gun was real and could have injured Mr. Reeve/Reeves/Cain/etc.
    • My ideal (non-gaming) computer would be a folding/swivel-screen tablet-pc/laptop (here are some more slashes for good measure: ///////) which was waterproof, impact-resistant (I'm thinking neoprene over titanium) and which had gps, gprs, 802.11g, IRdA, USB 2.0, IEEE1394b, have I left anything out? Anyway all of which (except possibly some of the ports) must be usable without compromising the water resistance. I don't need to submerge it but I want to be able to use it in environments in which the wind is bl
    • I live on an island. I do underwater photography. I have a waterproof enclosure for my camera, but the only other waterproof thing I have is a watch. I wouldn't at all mind having more truly waterproof (not just water-resistant) stuff. It'd save me the trouble of remembering to put things down before I dive in... ;)
    • *Right, not bad, but Waterproof? I very rarely come across more water than that which comes out of my tap, and even then I don't put anything electric under it! Who, exactly, is the target audience? Or is just one of those "Cool" things?*

      you know, you could go OUT sometimes.
      or just have a bath for starters.

      (yes i'm trying to be funny, I've already irc'd with my phone from the shower once I put the phone in a plastic bag)

    • Re:I don't need one, do you? (Score:5, Informative)

      by identity0 ( 77976 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @08:24PM (#8764735) Journal
      I just went to Lowe's, a hardware/home improvement store similar to Home Depot. There I noticed that the garden center, which is outside the store but fenced off, has a separate security alarm system.

      The control panel for the security system was, believe it or not, some kind of Palm device, complete with Graffiti area. It was in a metal box with a locking metal lid which would normally be closed, but was open for maintenence or something when I was there. Although it was sheltered, I'm sure some moisture and temprature extremes do get in there.

      So, people do use handhelds in places you wouldn't expect, including some odd "embedded" uses.
    • I was standing on the El platform in Chicago on a fine February morning, waiting for my train, when my PDA stoped working. It took me a minute to realize that it was 18 degrees outside - well below what the Palm could handle. I tucked it in my armpit for a while and it started working again. Working on a PDA allowed me to utilize the 1.5 hours/day I spent on trains in Chicago (writing, answering email, etc), but I went through three PDA's in three years. makes $1600 seem pretty reasonable...
      • I was standing on the El platform in Chicago on a fine February morning, waiting for my train, when my PDA stoped working. It took me a minute to realize that it was 18 degrees outside - well below what the Palm could handle.

        One thing I've discovered through my research for a device I'm considering building is that LCDs come in "regular" and "extended temperature" versions. The regular ones fade out when the temp drops below 32F. The extended temp ones have a special fluid that can go down to 0F before thi

    • 2 uses: first, I am in the army. this would be great for use in desert regions where equipment is subjected to sand, dust, wind and rain. Also, I tend to drop things in the field. In the desert electronics have a very short lifespan. I saw plenty of TVs and playstations stop working in Afghanistan, and my laptop has numerous problems. Second, I am an artist. My PDA never enters my studio out of fear of contact with oil paint, water, and turpentine, it would be great to have a PDA that I could jot down notes
    • Who, exactly, is the target audience?

      My 6 year old left his HP PDA out in the rain last week. Luckily, I managed to dry it out and get it working.

      This looks like just the thing for him!

      (It's an older PDA I got at a garage sale for $20. He love's that thing, especially the voice recorder)

    • Either I cannot pick up sarcasm, or the poster seems to think this is something we all indeed do want. Why exactly?

      In my case, I'm supplying a major law enforcement agency with an application running on PDAs. Those guys fall down hills, drop from helicopters, crawl through the mud, dive for cover, and generally beat the living hell out of whatever they're carrying. Nothing less than this would survive. Currently we're using the Panasonic Toughbook 01 [panasonic.com]. Amazingly tough device. I think it's even cheaper than

    • Funny enough, yes (Score:3, Informative)

      by DJGreg ( 28663 )

      Until 2 weeks ago, I used to work at a forestry consultancy in central British Columbia, Canada. I haven't had the chance to see the site yet(slashdotted), but from your little quote I see that it was about the TDS Recon. My previous employer has a few of these for field work. They use the TDS Recon with small application for timber cruising. This replaces a very error-prone system of little field cards with cryptic scribblings on them, and cuts labour involved in half.

      Pouring rain to -20C middle of winter

  • PDA's == brains (Score:5, Funny)

    by ihatewinXP ( 638000 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:07PM (#8764287)
    PDA's are getting more like the brain every day.

    Large - no pillow big enough for me
    Armored - just like my skull
    Waterproof - except my ears sometimes
    15 hour battery - I admit it, I don't get much better battery life without a charge.

    I always describe my PDA as "my second brain" - becoming more true everyday..

  • Awesome description (Score:5, Funny)

    by Faust7 ( 314817 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:07PM (#8764291) Homepage
    You've probably been wishing for a large, armored, waterproof, 15-hour-battery-life, rubberized...

    Ohhh yeah baby... ...PDA ...Nnnngh.

    (Now if PDA stood for Personal Device of Affection, there might be something there.)

  • Slashdottted text (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:08PM (#8764295)
    (Sorry, no pictures)

    TDS Recon
    Computer hardware is becoming faster, lighter and more advanced with every passing day, but it's not really getting tougher. In fact, should we drop our newly purchased, cutting edge equipment, the look of resignation and horror on our faces tells us that we expect it to be broken. Of course, we try not to deliberately put ourselves in situations that could damage our prized equipment, but for some people this is a daily hazard that can't be avoided.

    To this end, TDS has stepped forward with the Recon, the industry's very first rugged Pocket PC which it claims will meet not just consumer requirements, but even military specifications for durability.

    Now, straight out the box, it's not difficult to see that this is one heavily reinforced machine. The top and bottom of the device has been moulded with thick rubber caps to absorb impact, the yellow body is made from a specially stiffened plastic, it features a deeply sunken screen with reinforced glass, and all the seals are watertight.

    As you would expect, these modifications do add to the size of the Recon, and at 165 x 95 x 45mm (WxHxD) and 490g it is much larger than a standard Pocket PC. Having said that, the device feels comfortable in hand and not overly weighty for its bulk. It's not going to fit smoothly into anyone's inside jacket pocket, but the Recon was designed for overalls not suits anyway.

    Specification wise, there are two flavours of the Recon available, the first running a 200MHz Intel XScale processor with 64MB of internal non-volatile Flash storage, the second an upgraded 400MHz version with 128MB of storage available. We got to test the latter, meatier variant, but note that beyond these primary differences both machines are exactly the same. Each comprises two CompactFlash slots, a 3.5in colour TFT display that runs at the standard Pocket PC resolution of 240 x 320. The screen is viewable in direct sunlight which is obviously a necessity with a device like this. Power comes from a huge 3800mAh battery in a rechargeable boot module with serial, USB and power connectors on the bottom and a massive battery life of up to 15 hours. And both devices run the latest version of Windows Mobile 2003. On top of this, our review model also came with an optional AA rechargeable battery module, which can be bought for just under 65.

    So, just what can this machine handle? Well, the answer is just about everything. To list the full array of certifications and specifications is truly mind numbing, but highlights include the ability to operate in temperatures anywhere between -30 to 60 degrees C, and altitudes of 15,000 feet. To withstand 26 consecutive drops from over four feet, and total immersion in up to one metre of water for up to 30 minutes.

    You'd be scared of dropping any other PDA, but the Recon shrugs off such abuse.

    Now, being a hardware tester, these are not the usual kind of standards I have to test out, and a full lab of high tech equipment isn't really going to help me put this little tough nut through its paces. But using a little ingenuity, from stuffing it into freezers and putting thermometers on heated plates then sitting the Recon on them, from popping it in a sink full of water to quite simply dropping it a lot, I was able to get through just about all of them. And the Recon passed with flying colours, all the while playing the supplied Mozart's Symphony Number 9 out of its sharp little speakers. I wasn't able to check the altitude claim, but if anyone gets up the side of Mount Kilimanjaro and finds that the Recon claps out, please feel free to tell me about it.

  • Oh, no... (Score:5, Funny)

    by gmaestro ( 316742 ) <jason.guidry@gma3.1415926il.com minus pi> on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:09PM (#8764305)
    from the kid-tested-mother-approved dept.

    I think we're about to find out what kind of lawyers are over at general mills [generalmills.com].

  • Not EMP shielded... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:10PM (#8764309)
    so it's no good for my line of work. Uh, FBI, you can just ignore that.

  • Just when you thoughts... (Score:3, Funny)

    by odano ( 735445 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:12PM (#8764325)
    Just when you thought they had already made the most useless and overpriced product (segway), they come out with this. Well done engineers.

  • Erg! Slashdotted already?? (Score:4, Funny)

    by ericdano ( 113424 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:13PM (#8764333) Homepage
    They need a slashdot proof webserver instead!

  • Great for ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by LazyBoy ( 128384 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:13PM (#8764335)
    ...when it falls out of your pocket and into the toilet!

  • price? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ForestGrump ( 644805 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:14PM (#8764344) Homepage Journal
    1200 pounds is about 1600 us dollars.
    I can get a (almost top of the line) palm Tungsten T3 off store.palmone.com for 400 bucks.

    Thats 1/4 the cost of this "rugged" pda.
    Considering my past 2 palms have lasted about a year before they start to "fall appart"...
    Palms are dispolsable right?
    If yes, Screw the 1600 and i'll just upgrade once per year.

    -Grump
    • You wouldn't be the target audience, then. This PDA is meant to withstand more than just normal wear and tear...
    • look, if work or play takes you into extreme or hazardous environments this is something you may want or need. and the price isn't out of line with a GPS or marine radio, a transceiver, built to take the same punishment.
    • Just be glad it's not weight.
  • * Waterproof, as this one is.
    * Great battery life.
    * REAL digital camera with 10x optical zoom and 4 megapixel or more resolution plus fully manual controls.
    * Built-in mobile phones.
    * Inbuilt TV tuner and radio.
    * Runs off 4-8 AAA batteries.
    * Real audio and video in.
    * An OS with plenty of loadable software.
    * Wifi.

    Then I could be rid of my laptop, mobile phone, digital camera, and maybe my tele....And several thousand dollars. Oh and if anything did go wrong I could groan for weeks while I missed all of those

  • Ruggedized handhelds? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Kobal ( 597997 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:23PM (#8764402)
    Most people don't need military-grade ruggedized tools. I'm working in forest management, and our field agents use Psion Workabouts (not the same function as the Recon, I know.)
    Those can already take more than enough punishment. Actually, I've yet to see a thouroughly broken one, even through field use.

  • Really too pricy? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:25PM (#8764418)
    I see a lot of people complaining about price. This unit isn't aimed people who need to scrape together cash, it is aimed at businesses who can't afford to have their data collection units break in the field. I've seen these units dropped from a second story building, kicked across a room & immersed in a fish tank for 15 hours - try that with your average PDA.

    I've heard of businesses buying iPaqs for all their staff & then buying 20% more to account for failures. It doesn't take long to make up the price difference if you lose a weeks (or more) worth of data because your iPaq gets a little wet.
    This is aimed at people where the data is important, not the unit cost.

  • Manufacturer's Website (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anm ( 18575 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:27PM (#8764422)
    Well.. the review server is slow, but I able to get the manufacturer out of it: http://www.tdsway.com/ [tdsway.com]

    Priced at UKP 1,243, it is a bit of a specialty item.

    Anm
  • "sealed against accidental immersion (1 m for 30 min.)"

    30 mins? at one meter?

    yeah *thats* ruggedised. NOT.
    • Well, a the average washing machine basin is only about a meter deep, and a wash cycle is usually around 25 minutes or so... think it could make it?

      So the question then becomes, are dryers hotter than 60C?

      If so, this just might be the PDA for someone who lives with one of those people who just has to wash everything they see.
    • Oh, I'm so going to get modded down for this...
      sealed against accidental immersion (1 m for 30 min.)
      30 mins? at one meter? yeah *thats* ruggedised. NOT.

      That's Windows Security for you. 30 minutes at 1 meter. How appropriate. :-)

    • The local university here is big on marine biology... make it go for 3 hours at 30 meters, and maybe we can talk. 30 minutes at one meter? Nah, folks will keep using those waterproof clipboard thingies.

  • Much cheaper alternative (Score:4, Interesting)

    by terrymark ( 768454 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:33PM (#8764460)
    The Aceeca Meazura is waterproof, ruggedized, runs Palm OS, and is very inexpensive at US $349. It is designed for industrial applications and uses plug-in modules for customer hardware. I've been designing test equipment, and looked a long time at all the alternatives. The Aceeca was hands-down the most inexpensive. It is -very- easy to develop custom hardware for this unit.
  • Not even trying to look like an article, just direct advertisement instead?

    Give me a break Michael, you can at least write a little bit so we don't have to read the article ourselves!

  • hmm (Score:4, Funny)

    by tejarz ( 587736 ) <slashdotmenot@tejarz.cjb.net> on Sunday April 04, 2004 @07:39PM (#8764494)
    large...waterproof...rubber... Yep, seems like something CowboyNeal would like. ;-)
  • If they really are invulnerable, they'd be perfect to build body armour out of.

    With the added bonus that you could get them to display different
    camoflague patterns, depending upon the terrain.
  • Really impressive looking piece of engineering.

    "Invulnerable" and "Outlook" are not words I would associate with each other however...
  • Just posting a shameless plug for a local company : Itronix PDA [itronix.com] ... don't forget to say who told you about it when you call to order :-)
  • Makes you wonder if theyre running on these things.

  • Have seen one... (Score:2, Informative)

    by dchamp ( 89216 )
    I've seen the Recon PDA's. They are a nice ruggedized PDA - essentially a Compaq Ipaq with a shock-proof & water resistant case.

    I think these are being marketed to industrial users who need a very stury handheld. They are a lot heavier and bulkier than an Ipaq. You wouldn't be carrying one of these around in your shirt pocket.

    IMHO, you would be better off buying a standard Ipaq, with a ruggedized sleeve if you'd like. You could break 2 or 3 Ipaqs and still be money ahead of someone who bought the Reco
  • can it weather a good slashdotting? Hmmmm...apparently not...
  • Finally a PDA that I can store in the bath with my

    * Nokia 6250 Phone
    * Pentax Optio 33WR Camera
    * Garmin Etrex Summit GPS

    Pity I just got a new Ipaq 5550 anyway. ;/
  • It's what happens every time I swallow my Palm Pilot.

  • Google Cache & Google Pix (Score:3, Informative)

    by santos_douglas ( 633335 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @08:52PM (#8764852) Journal
    Still slow, so here's:

    Google's Cache [216.239.41.104]

    Google Images [google.com]

  • waterproof not completely necessary (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Space ( 13455 ) on Sunday April 04, 2004 @08:53PM (#8764857) Homepage
    I have personally used a Palm handheld in a Jacuzzi. I just enclosed it within two ziploc bags, two just in case on leaks. It works out fine, read many an ebook that way
  • "Invulnerable" and "waterproof," eh? That reminds me of another technological marvel that made headlines.

    It was called the Titanic.

    ~UP
  • A ruggedized PDA isn't necessary for most civilian jobs? And it's too expensive?

    Are you kidding? It'll go perfectly with my Hummer!

    If only it came in olive green, and had a gun turret on back...

  • Will it survive the "downsizin" test, the Enron test, the "oops, I pressed the red button" test, the "Bush/Cheney" test, the "Mr. Garrison/Lemiwinks" test, etc.?

    What about liquid nitrogen/"Hasta la vista, baby" test?
  • I would buy a load of condoms to cover my not waterproof PDA. If it was ever necessary. And lubricate the pen, to help it slides on the latex surface...

  • What's with that? Do computer-type devices tend to not work at higher altitudes?

    I've used my digital camera (which is sort of a computer and has a compact flash card) at 16000 feet. No problems.
  • This thing looks great. Right up to the picture where they show the interface connectors. a DB9 and a standard USB port? Those are some of the most fragile connectors out there. While they are convenient and cheap they are the weakest link in the system.

    If you look at a professional Motorola radio or a military radio handset connector you'll see the connectors are sealed with surface contacts and a locking mechanism. Any opening with depth and sliding contacts is going to get full of gunk and the pins
  • Sounds like a challenge to me.

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