AIS' ultra-rugged PDA is so ugly it's beautiful

Windows Phone what? Dell Mini who? Forget all that fancy nonsense, this is a proper mobile device. Running Windows Mobile 6.1, the AIS ultra-rugged PDA comes with a 3.7-inch QVGA (that's a whopping 240 x 320 resolution, folks!) screen, a Marvell chip that might have been around when the wheel was invented, and the surprisingly robust WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and 3G connectivity combo. Sidetalking has never looked this badass... or involved so many rubberized components.

[Dahis Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:02AM]

"the AIS ultra-rugged PDA comes with a 3.7-inch QVGA"

Are they insane??!

[Bongo123 Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:02AM]

looks nicer than a T1, ill give it that

[Astounding Posted Feb 18th 2010 2:59PM]

Am I the only one who thinks it looks fine? I don't need shiny and thin to be happy. Guess that's just me.

[theswiss Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:11AM]

nice! and when winmo doesnt do what you want you can finally take out your anger on your device without having to buy a new one ...

[NickNick Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:23AM]

Its so 90s retro

[gblan Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:25AM]

WIndows Mobile 6.1, lol.

[psycros Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:38AM]

My Pip-Boy is jealous.

[Lahdekorpi Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:45AM]

Why do these rugged devices always come with a "non-rugged" os?

[bluith Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:47AM]

GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
and take your PDA with you...
hey, you need a rugged PDA when you fighting radioactive mutants in Chernobyl for a living.

[Chas Percodani Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:53AM]

WinDoes: SMASH YOURZ FACE

[iluvms Posted Feb 18th 2010 6:37AM]

Did any one notice the number of ports it has! Holy Cow!

[Shiprat Posted Feb 18th 2010 6:44AM]

Its based on the Advantech PWS-8033. I've been playing around with one of these lately and you CAN get it with VGA screen rez, also with Win CE 5.0. However believe you me that the basic winCE menu is not finger-friendly in 3.7" vga...

Either way, the ruggedness and overall build quality of the baby is awesomely awesome; Apocalypse friendly. Still have not tried out its potential as a blunt weapon yet, but im sure its excellent indeed.

Link to the adv.
http://www.advantech.com/products/PWS-8033M/mod_1-3HJW35.aspx

[zullnero Posted Feb 18th 2010 6:48AM]

If you don't know what you'd do with a ruggedized PDA, then any comment you'd make would be hilarious. The only question I'd have about this thing is battery life...the only reason anyone ever sold WinMo type industrial handhelds is because their infrastructure required it. If you're just checking barcodes or setting locations for logistics, or even just getting signature captures from customers or signing shipping forms, you couldn't care less about high res graphics...but you kinda have to have the resolution to make WinMo even remotely usable. It's the main reason why Aceeca keeps putting out old PalmOS Garnet industrial handhelds...doesn't burn off a lot of battery life and gives you just enough interface to get the job done without needing a color screen, or even backlight most of the time, to use. Heck, there are a lot of those systems out there still using DOS, and they work just fine for a lot of folks. These businesses frequently plonk down 2 grand for these things with custom software and they tend to use them for many years on service contracts. Since they're for people who do physical labor, they've got to run almost non-stop for 8 hours at a shift before recharge. That pretty much nixes most of your favorite modern smartphone operating systems that you might be able to eke 4 hours out of.

[Bixmen Posted Feb 18th 2010 12:37PM]

@zullnero
Yup, my company works with Accecas. Awesome hardware, you could throw that thing off a building and have it survive, but writing code for it is PAINFUL at this point. code warrior is so incredibly out of date.


These are devices to be used outside in -40 degree weather while wearing leather gloves. Think linemen/installers/utility workers. Very specialized.

[DrBlaze Posted Feb 18th 2010 6:48AM]

Will this work after an EMP?
Then ill get 2!
XD

[Mjefferson Posted Feb 18th 2010 9:23AM]

@DrBlaze Man I almost forgot about random emp I need to get me one of these before judgement day
2012
ort hey finish the goggle deathstar ( chrome logo )

[reidme Posted Feb 18th 2010 8:09AM]

Looks like a GI Joe accessory from the 60s, not that there's anything wrong with that...

[Mjefferson Posted Feb 18th 2010 9:22AM]

I need to get me one of these before judgement day
2012
orthey finish the goggle deathstar ( chrome logo )

[Zac89 Posted Feb 18th 2010 9:42AM]

I'm waiting for my all terrain e-reader thank you.

Whissssssssperrrrrrnet.

[sabretoooth Posted Feb 18th 2010 10:03AM]

Try boarding a plan with that on you.

[sabretoooth Posted Feb 18th 2010 10:04AM]

@sabretoooth
*plane

[MINANTRA Posted Feb 18th 2010 10:14AM]

@decalfx
I agree! What a hunk of junk!!!

[BSprague Posted Feb 18th 2010 1:10PM]

@decalfx

I'm gunna go ahead and say this thing is at least somewhat flame-retardant.

[LetsDoThis Posted Feb 18th 2010 12:02PM]

Chloe, I need a visual; upload the schematics to my PDA

[johdaxx Posted Feb 18th 2010 12:26PM]

Looks like something Master Chief would carry...just replace the OS with Cortana, and yer set...

[walsho Posted Feb 18th 2010 1:12PM]

Is this like space shuttle R&D - by the time they've got all the rugged engineering figured out, the device they designed it for is totally out of date?

How can anyone find a decent target zone with 320x240 rez?!

[brolin Posted Feb 18th 2010 1:26PM]

bet this wont blend...

[CJP Posted Feb 18th 2010 3:41PM]

If I had one of those, whenever I'd be walking down a flight of stairs, I'd just throwing down before me. If I was ever up high somewhere, I'd just drop that thing to the street and pick it up as I passed it.

[willyolio Posted Feb 18th 2010 4:41PM]

@decalfx i'd like to see you try.

[Drybones5 Posted Feb 18th 2010 5:50PM]

But does it blend?