Itronix T5200 H/PC Pro

Most PC Companions are reasonably sturdy, and survive daily bumps and knocks without any problems. I'm not suggesting that anyone tempt fate, I just don't think you need to worry much about damaging them under normal conditions.

But what about abnormal conditions? Mobile computers are being used by many service industries to track activities and stay in touch with home offices. These devices get bounced around more, and are sometimes subjected to extreme temperatures, humidity, dust, and more. I don't think many PC Companions would stand up to this kind of abuse. But if any would, the Itronix T5200 would be among them.

The sturdiest H/PC I've seen

I jumped at the chance to look at a pre-production version of the T5200 from Itronix ­ the sturdiest H/PC I've ever seen. It's sitting on my desk right now, about the size of one of the larger H/PCs, but twice as thick and heavy. It has a removable carrying handle attached to the top of the clamshell, with a rubberized grip ­ you're not going to drop this thing.

The T5200 is made of hard "polycarbonate" plastic that feels like it could stop a bullet. The display's reinforced hinges are so sturdy that it's actually a little hard to open its 1/2 VGA monochrome touchscreen. The T5200 sports a 74 MHz processor and comes with 16 MB of RAM and 16 MB of ROM. It has a built-in 33.6 modem, an IrDA port, serial port, and a Type III PC Card slot (which lets you use one Type III rotating disk PC Card or a Type II PC Card. The specification sheet says it comes with CompactFlash expansion memory, but I couldn't find the slot on the pre-production unit. The T5200 is powered by a high-capacity 3-cell Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery pack.

Fulfilling specialized needs

The unit I looked at was pre-production and came with the Windows CE 2.0 operating system. The production units will use Windows CE 2.1. The unit had very few of the traditional Pocket applications built into other H/PCs. Most of the software I did see on the T5200 was related to communications. The unit came with Inbox, Internet Explorer, PC Link, Remote Networking, and a terminal emulation program. It also came Speaker Phone, an application that lets you use the T5200 as a mobile phone.

Itronix works with clients to set up the T5200 to fit specialized needs, providing rugged, wireless computing systems, specialized software applications, and support for the system. They will develop custom software for their clients, partner with applications solutions providers, or help clients develop their own applications. Ameritec and Bell Atlantic are field testing the T5200, using it for dispatch and work management.

If your organization needs a rugged, specialized mobile computing solution, with built-in wireless communications capabilities, Itronix T5200 is worth looking at. Although Itronix does most of its work with larger enterprises, it will sell individual units for $1995, and customize it to your needs.

Itronix promotes the T5200 as a "rugged computing and communications platform designed to perform in the most demanding field applications." By the look and feel of it, they're not exaggerating.

For more information contact Itronix at 800-441-1309 or 509-624-6600, or visit their Web site at www.itronix.com.