Symbol's MC50 ruggedized Pocket PC with keyboard

[Bob Russell]

Business Week has reviewed a Pocket PC that is rough enough to stand up to plenty of abuse. I've handled some of those "hardened" Symbol pda models, and believe me when I say you can throw it across the room and expect it to be none the worse for the experience. They are described as not being pretty, but as a hardcore techie I think they are beautiful.

The MC50 weighs 6.8 ounces and "includes a 3.5-inch QVGA color touchscreen, your choice of a model with a keyboard or a unit optimized for making phone calls, built-in 801.11b wireless fidelity, and the ability to make voice over IP (VoIP) calls. There are options for push-to-talk, a 1.1-megapixel digital camera, and a bar-code reader."

It costs $1,200, but if you beat it up in the field, then that's sure a lot cheaper than buying a new one every week for year!

Via BusinessWeek