Why You Need (And How To Select) Purpose-Built, Value-Driven Rugged Handhelds

Developed soon after the introduction of mobile computers, rugged handheld computers grew in popularity as businesses quickly realized their advantages for improved customer service, accuracy, and workforce productivity in challenging physical environments. As rugged handheld computers have evolved, the tendency became to simplify designs and pack as much performance as possible into a single unit. While this approach streamlined manufacturing, support, and marketing, it skewed away from the specific needs of the vast numbers of users who have very different applications. Today, the trend is to select a cost-effective solution with the best match of features – moving beyond the ‘one-size fits all’ philosophy of rugged mobility to a new era with an emphasis on purpose-built technology and value-driven mobility.

HISTORY OF MOBILE COMPUTING

The evolution of mobile computing can be traced back to the fi rst ‘portable’ computer1, which was introduced in 1979 and patented by James Murez of GM Research2 in 1981. Other designs quickly followed, with the fi rst IBM portable in 1983, and the fi rst full-color portable, the Commodore SX-64, in 1984. Apple joined the market in 1984 with the portable Apple IIc, and the Macintosh portable in 1989 (although the original Macintosh is arguably also portable). These early portable computers took productivity out of the offi ce, but they did not have the size, ruggedness, or technological capabilities that were required for fi eld work.