BVS kicks out BumbleBee UMPC spectrum analyzer

Although UMPCs haven't exactly caught like wildfire for one reason or another, Berkeley Varitronics Systems is hoping to make a splash in the spectrum analyzer niche with its vividly colored BumbleBee. Touted as a tool for "investigating and troubleshooting corporate wireless networks," BVS' machine is capable of measuring VoIP, 802.11b/a/g, Bluetooth, WiMAX, cordless phones and video, RFID, and broadband public safety data networks. Aside from packing goods that a vast majority of average joes will have absolutely no use for, the three-pound handheld houses a 1GHz Intel Pentium M processor, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, a seven-inch WVGA touchscreen display, 1GB of DDR RAM, 40GB hard drive, Ethernet, an SMA connection port, and gets powered by four AA cells. While it's doubtful you'll be using all this hardware to check your inbox, it does give you user-selectable power triggers, three pairs of markers, spectrogram, histogram, video smoothing, and waveform averaging, and a PIP mode that allows viewing of live and recorded data. For those still with us, the BumbleBee is purportedly available in two separate forms, one with omnidirectional antennas covering 902 to 928MHz, 2.4 to 2.5GHz, and 5.15 to 5.9GHz, while the other flavor just handles 2.4 to 2.5GHz and 4.9 to 5.9GHz. Of course, all this analyzing won't run you cheap, as each unit clocks in at a whopping $4,500, and if you're thinking about interfacing with Windows XP mapping software, you'll be looking at an extra $2,500 for that luxury.

[Via Slashgear]

[Matt @ Feb 26th 2007 9:34AM]

"...if you're thinking about interfacing with Windows XP mapping software, you'll be looking at an extra $2,500 for that luxury."

Luxury? More like a pain in the ass..

[saboola @ Feb 26th 2007 10:35AM]

You would think considering its price that they would make it look less like something that I found in my babies diaper. Nice MS Publisher "Word Art" at the bottom there.

[wigby @ Feb 26th 2007 11:35AM]

so you're saying it looks like feces or do you mean like a baby's toy? what about companies like alienware that produce high tech electronics with bold, bright colors? i'll admit it looks a bit toyish but this is high-tech stuff and priced accordingly. and if you think it looks like feces well you better do us all a favor and get back to your baby.

[saboola @ Feb 26th 2007 12:41PM]

Wigby, I assume you designed this, or at least have a strong emotional attachment to this device so I will proceed with caution. I did not mean to offend you, I am just saying next time BumbleBee wants to build a consumer electronics device in this price range it might be wise to using something a little more advanced than MS Paint to design it. By the way I have used the Fluke Networks version of the same device, which does not look like complete ass, due to the fact that it does not have "SPECTRUM ANALYZER" in big red letters at the bottom of it. I am sorry to upset you, and I love you.

[Christian Martin @ Feb 26th 2007 12:30PM]

"ZOMG WTF WHY IS BUMBLEBEE NOT A VW?????////slash"

[wigby @ Feb 26th 2007 12:52PM]

love you too. let's just get that out in the open. with all this love in the air, i'll proceed with caution. no one ever said this was a consumer device and neither is the fluke networks instrument. engadget grabbed it off the web and threw it on their "consumer gadgets" blog so blame them. anyway, i missed the memo about removing basic descriptions off products and boxing them in a beige chassis with abstract model numbers. that was cool in the 80's you tool. don't forget how much i love you.

[badnegro @ Feb 27th 2007 8:09AM]

@ wigby & saboola

This is what I love about the Engadget forums, and fora all over the internets in general. Where else can we have two asssbags spew the most loving sarcasm possible at people who might be one cubicle over, might be 2 continents away? Only by the powers that are the internets! I love it!

And I love you.

[badnegro @ Feb 27th 2007 8:10AM]

@ saboola & wigby

Seriously, though, that was some funny $hit -- both of you. I actually got a smile from that.

And I've prolly just united the two of you against a common enemy. Love all around!