Oct/Nov 2006

The 7600, latest model to be added to Hand Held Products' Dolphin 7000-series rugged mobile computers, is described confidently as "the first to provide the functionality and versatility of a true industrial-grade mobile computing device packaged in a small, ergonomic, reliable and affordable solution".

After the consumer-style layout of the 7900, the new model appears at first sight to return to the established form factor of screen surmounting a deep keypad area. But it's a subtle evolution from previous implementations. Hand Held says it spent "an extraordinary amount of time" on understanding how users would interact with the device, and came up with a unit with a strategic weight distribution which, it says, naturally balances the device in the user's hand without additional gripping or stress.

And that's not all. There's an integrated finger saddle that is said to mirror the natural curves of the hand, creating an effortless grip with easy, one-handed access to all keys; and there's an angled barcode scanner designed to limit hand and wrist movement.

Full specifications weren't available when we closed for press, but basic details include

 

Windows CE 5.0, an IP54 rating, drop resistance to 1.5 metres, and both 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, as well as infra-red. The colour display is a 2.8in quarter VGA with touchscreen capability.

As you would expect on a Hand Held model, there is also Adaptus Imaging Technology (version 5.0), providing for linear and 2D bar code reading, plus digital image capture.