PPT 8800 series - Rugged and versatile Pocket PCs
Pros:
Super-Ultra-Mega-Rugged for warehouse/outdoor use. Everything is built-into the unit.
Cons:
High entry price.
The Bottom Line:
These units are incredible when you need a higher-end Pocket PC that can take some abuse.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Walk into a Walmart or Target and take a look at what the Manager or supervisor has in his/her hand. Chances are, it's a PPT 8800 series Pocket PC made by Symbol. If Walmart has made the decision to use these units, what does that tell you?
This device is like the Lexus (or should I say Hummer) of the Pocket PC world. They are build to be extremely rugged while providing high-performance at the same time. They can also come with a high-end barcode scanner built in for added productivity.
Symbol classifies these units as Industrial Mobile Computers, and they really do live up to the billing with an Intel XScale 300 MHz processor and 32MB RAM/32MB ROM,
Many possible configurations
There are multiple possibilities for the configuration in the 8800 series. For example, 802.11b WiFi or 805.15 Bluetooth connections are available; a 9-key (standard) or 15-key (optional) pad for entering information; a 1700 mAh (standard) or 3400 mAh (optional) batter. The list goes on.
PPT 8800 series at work
I work for a software company that produces a Warehouse Management System for Windows based computers. Some of our most popular add-on modules include Handheld Pocket PC Modules for receiving, inventory count, shipping and creating sales orders.
We have found our clients have the best overall success when they use the Symbol PPT 8846 over virtually all other makes, models and configurations of all Pocket PCs on the market. The PPT 8846 is a set configuration for the general 8800 series. It comes with all the bells and whistles.
These things are beasts! They can take a licking and keep on ticking. The product specs say that you can drop one 4' to concrete without damage. I honestly have never tried to see if that is true, but it's thick plastic casing suggests that it's true. Not to mention that the built-in hand strap (or receiver for neck-strap) means that it's not likely going anywhere anyhow.
Perhaps the best feature is the built-in barcode scanner. It's a powerful class 2 laser that can easily pick up barcodes that we print up to 6' away. I think I have heard of people scanning up to 10 or 15' away, which seems crazy, but I can see the red laser line on the wall when I "zap" the wall, so it might be true.
The built-in WiFi 802.11b connection is powerful and reliable. We have no problems at all getting connected to our in-house Wireless Access Point. We have not heard any customers have problems either once they have a properly-configured access point (or more than one) in their warehouse.
These units are NOT cheap. Retail begins around the $1600 range. However, if you look around, you might be to find one that is used, surplus or refurbished for the $1000 range. Don't forget the chargers, storage racks, neck straps, extra stylis, etc.
