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RAMPAGE 6 notepad runs Android 2.3 in a rugged package
The last time we heard from SDG Systems, it was shilling its Trimble Nomad with Android 1.5. The company's new device, the RAMPAGE 6 (confusingly, it's also known as the Mesa Rugged Notepad), thankfully includes a less prehistoric build of the OS. The notepad runs a customized version of Android 2.3 on a 5.7-inch display, and it lives up to the "rugged" in its name with IP67 protection ratings for water and dust. Other specs, however, are less heavy-duty: the RAMPAGE 6 packs an 806MHz processor, 256MB of RAM and 4GB of Flash memory. An SD card slot, USB host and client ports, a headphone jack and a 9-pin connector are also on board. The standard model will offer Bluetooth and WiFi, while a Geo configuration adds in GPS and a 3.2MP camera. When the devices launch later this year, SDG will also sell a Geo 3G version, which includes that third connectivity option. Considering that the Trimble Nomad went for a steep $1,200 -- and that SDG's devices are targeted more toward developers than consumers -- it's safe to assume that the RAMPAGE 6 won't be the slate you take along on your morning commute (unless that commute involves crossing the desert on camel).
Trimble Nomad handheld gets Android 1.5 upgrade
It's not exactly one of the first places you'd expect to see Cupcake popping up, but SDG Systems has announced that the Android update (or a developer build of it, specifically) is now available on its Trimble Nomad rugged handheld. That device, in case you missed it, has primarily relied on Windows Mobile for an OS to date, and packs an 806 MHz Marvell PXA320 XScale processor, 128MB of RAM, up to 2GB of storage, CompactFlash and SD card slots for expansion, built-in GPS, and a hot swappable lithium-ion battery that supposedly lasts a whole day on a charge. Anyone looking for an alternative to the G1 will likely want to look elsewhere though, as the Nomad isn't actually a phone, and this particular $1,200+ Android-equipped device is apparently intended specifically for developers looking to test out Android apps on a rugged device.
