Mobile Solutions and Surveying - Hardware for Handheld Surveys

With the wide range of handhelds now supported by PowerSurvey, selecting the best one for the job can be a bewildering task. The following suggestions may be some help for those participating in handheld surveys and mobile data capture:

Typical factors to consider when selecting handheld hardware are as follows:
Weight
Price
Screen Quality
Robustness
Battery Life
Input Method
Weather Resistance
Bundled Software Included
Accessories Available

The following machines are prime examples of the hardware we sell to carry out handheld surveys. Technology moves on however, so keep a watch on these pages for changes in handhelds available.

Dell Axim
With the introduction of its Dell Axim line of Pocket PCs, Dell has managed
to severely upset the competition: both of its handhelds provide features
unparalleled at this price. It is a very attractive handheld, sporting plenty of horsepower and internal storage. It also has a brilliant screen and connectivity options that easily lets users increase storage space or add a multitude of accessories. It's not the most feature-rich of Pocket PCs, but at such a low price it's a steal no matter how you look at it.

Compaq iPAQ
This is the cutest pocket sized PC you have ever seen, and it's also one of the smallest, lightest and cheapest Pocket PC machines. It does however pack a serious punch. Having Windows CE as its operating system, it comes as standard with lots of bundled software, all of which can multi-task with PowerSurvey, just like on your desktop PC.

The iPAQ's colour screen is the brightest and best we've seen on any handheld computer. Robustness and weatherproofing are not its strong points, but various protective cases are optionally available.

Battery life can be a problem for heavy users, but given sensible use of the backlight, most people will get through a working day without having to charge the battery. Those who don't can specify from a range of extra battery packs and in-car chargers.

The iPAQ is very expandable via a range of expansion jackets, including everything from CompactFlash and PCMCIA slots, via mini-keyboards to GSM and GPS cards. A fully expanded iPAQ can start to look a bit like a Christmas tree though, so those wanting broad functionality may be better looking at a machine with more built-in features.

o2 xda
Looking for the latest in PDA wizzardy to run PowerSurvey on? The O2 XDA - a mobile multimedia device equipped with a PDA, phone and Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition ™ software is the first product of its kind to support the Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition ™ software platform and GPRS (2.5G), which is aimed at high value consumers as well as business customers. Benefits include full-colour Internet access, instant messaging, e-mail, music, information, location-based services, games and commerce to mobile users.

The always on functionality of GPRS greatly enhances the performance of the mobile Internet. The O2 XDA will always be connected to the network, putting an end to dialling in to access e-mails, surfing the Web, playing games online or sending a colour photograph.

As a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), the O2 XDA offers all the benefits of Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition ™, including adapted versions of Outlook ™, Excel ™, Word ™, Internet Explorer ™ and other familiar Windows applications, including Microsoft's latest media player. Customers can also install any of the wide range of third party applications developed for the Pocket PC platform

Casio EG800
Only slightly larger than the iPAQ, but with better battery life, improved robustness, some weatherproofing, and using the same Windows CE operating system, the Casio EG800 represents a good choice for the user who may sometimes be exposed to harsh working environments. It is warranted to withstand a 750mm drop onto concrete and to be shower proof. This is not as high a specification as some machines, but then neither is its size, weight or price. A good range of expansion options is available via the built-in CompactFlash slot, and this includes a very neat integrated digital camera.

As a more specialist machine than the iPAQ, the EG800's price is understandably somewhat higher. It also lacks the ultra high quality screen of the iPAQ, and this can limit visibility in bright sunlight. The colour TFT screen is however perfectly adequate for most needs.

Psion Workabout
Now starting to look a bit dated against the latest machines, the Workabout is nevertheless a robust, weather resistant and workmanlike tool. It lacks the built-in software of the other machines, although a mini-spreadsheet, mini-database and calculator are included.

Data entry is keyboard based, so there is no prospect of sketches or signature captures. The monochrome screen, whilst having excellent contrast, is smaller than the more modern machines, but this does mean that battery life is good. Data on the Workabout is extremely secure, due to the use of removable solid state disks for storage.

For use in harsh environments, or where the users are not likely to have much sympathy for their tools, the Workabout still fills a useful niche.