November 2002

What could turn out to be the nearest thing yet to a hybrid PDA/handheld terminal is due from Casio in the first part of next year. Its IT-500 weighs just 250g, and with its metallic finish and slim case looks remarkably like a consumer PDA; yet it is dust- and splash-resistant to IP54 standard, and is built to withstand a drop from 1 metre.

The IT-500 will be built round an Intel 400MHz processor, and will have 32MB of RAM and 32MB of ROM as standard. It will run under Windows CE .NET. Various options will be offered, including Bluetooth or 802.11b wireless networking capability and a built-in digital camera. It will also have barcode-reading capabilities and an infra-red interface.

Already available from Casio is the CT-X10, another new handheld running Windows CE .NET and offering photographic capabilities. This has the "form factor" of an industrial terminal, with large 3.5in TFT colour display surmounting a handgrip keyboard, and shares many features with the forthcoming IT-500, including processor and memory specifications and IP54 rating.

It has a built-in CMOS imager providing not only two-dimensional barcode reading, but also image capture and optical character recognition. This model has Bluetooth networking built in, with 802.11b an option.