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Rugged mobile computers

by Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 5/1/2007

Worldwide sales of rugged mobile computers closed in on $5 billion last year, with the majority of sales in smaller form factors, such as the handheld wireless terminals common in warehouses and distribution centers. Roughly one fifth of the mobile computers market is in the handheld, wearable and vehicle-mount units used in warehouse environments. Others are used in the field by police officers, salespeople and delivery truck drivers. Brand names on many of these devices have changed in recent years as evidence of the convergence happening in the rugged mobile computer market.

Recent supplier shakeups
Date Announcement
April 2007 Datalogic restructures, completing its integration of PSC
Jan. 2007 Motorola completes its acquisition of Symbol Technologies
Sept. 2006 Metrologic Instruments goes private

Operating system used
By unit volume
Large form factors 2005 2010 CAGR*
Windows XP/Future Derivative 492,948 874,447 12.1%
Windows CE.Net 84,224 187,732 17.4%
Windows Tablet/XP Tablet 73,673 155,851 16.2%
DOS 33,370 0 -100.0%
Linux 6,558 42,488 45.3%
Other 0 0
Total 690,774 1,260,518 12.8%
Small form factors 2005 2010 CAGR*
Windows CE.Net 1,272,175 2,594,179 15.3%
Windows Mobile 463,962 1,392,464 24.6%
DOS 308,086 0 -100.0%
Palm OS 69,450 0 -100.0%
Other 54,103 75,689 6.9%
Linux 46,594 165,114 28.8%
Total 2,214,370 4,227,447 13.8%
*Compound annual growth rate
Source: Venture Development Corp.

 

New Products

Tiny

CN3 from Intermec: It's a cell phone, a GPS unit and a 2D imager—and it's small enough to slip in your pocket.

Affordable

Dolphin 7600 from Hand Held Products: Entry-level rugged computer reads linear or 2D bar codes and captures digital images.

Versatile

8515 Vehicle-Mount Computer from Psion Teklogix: Full-featured computer works as a stationary terminal on the shop floor or as a mobile unit on a lift truck.

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