For SCKTeers from the EDIG thread via, me....
To: Frank Brisebois who wrote (9446)
From: Christopher Hinton Thursday, Jan 20, 2000 1:41 PM ET
Reply # of 9455
TRGpro vies for enterprise handheld title
By Jason Brooks, PC Week Labs
January 17, 2000 12:00 AM ET
zdnet.com
With all the best attributes of the popular Palm IIIx personal digital assistant ? coupled with CompactFlash support for industry-standard expandability ? TRG Products Inc.'s TRGpro rises to the top of the enterprise handheld computing market and earns a PC Week Labs Analyst's Choice award.
The TRGpro is basically a modified 3Com Corp. Palm IIIx with a CompactFlash slot ? a feature long overdue among Palm OS-based devices. As a result, the TRGpro retains compatibility with the wide range of third-party hardware designed for Palm OS and adds support for CompactFlash hardware.
The TRGpro also boasts 8MB of RAM and an improved speaker capable of sounding louder alarms, playing WAV files and producing DTMF tones with included software.
The TRGpro, which shipped last month, is priced at $329 ? a mere $30 more than the 4MB Palm IIIx. Volume pricing is also available. The TRGpro runs Palm OS 3.3, enhanced with extensions for accessing CompactFlash cards. Palm OS 3.3 speeds synchronization and offers system performance gains over earlier Palm OS releases and is the same version that ships with the Palm Vx.
The feature that most sets the TRGpro apart from its Palm OS brethren is its expansion slot, which accepts Type 1 and Type 2 CompactFlash cards.
The CompactFlash slot adds a bulge of approximately 1mm to the back of the TRGpro and occupies the area reserved on the Palm IIIx for a memory upgrade card. CompactFlash devices include modems, serial cards, bar-code wands, memory cards and IBM's 340MB Microdrive.
With the memory card and Microdrive options, it is possible to expand the data capacity of the TRGpro far beyond what has so far been possible in Palm OS devices.
In addition, because CompactFlash memory cards are industry-standard, they cost much less than other options. For example, for the same price as Handspring, Inc.'s 8MB Springboard memory module, you could buy a 32MB CompactFlash memory card.
Transfers made easy
Users can access standard file allocation table-formatted CompactFlash memory cards using the CFpro application in cluded with the TRGpro. With this software, we were able to transfer applications from a memory card into RAM, as well as play WAV files through the TRGpro's nicely augmented speaker.
In tests, we found that unlike devices running the Windows CE or EPOC operating system, the TRGpro cannot run applications directly from the CompactFlash card. Applications running from RAM, however, can access data on the card.
Also included with the unit is TRG's Flashpro software, which allows users to store data and applications in nonvolatile flash memory, where it remains accessible in the event of a hard reset due to battery failure or software problems.
The TRGpro ships with 2MB of flash memory. In the device, Palm OS 3.3 and TRG's default programs occupy approximately 1.5MB. TRG, however, can build units for enterprise customers with as much as 16MB of flash memory.
In addition, the TRGpro includes an application called CFBackup, which allows users to back up the contents of their TRGpro's RAM to a CompactFlash memory card. In tests, we were able to back up quickly the data and applications on our unit and just as easily to restore it.
The company lists the TRGpro's battery life at eight weeks on two standard AAA alkaline batteries, based on a typical user profile. Individual battery performance will vary depending on the CompactFlash card used.
Although CompactFlash memory cards have modest power needs, cards with greater consumption needs, such as the Microdrive, will shorten battery life considerably.
Technical Analyst Jason Brooks can be reached at jason_brooks@zd.com.
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Executive Summary: TRGpro
USABILITY A
CAPABILITY A
PERFORMANCE A
INTEROPERABILITY C
MANAGEABILITY B
Enterprises evaluating Palm OS devices for mobile solutions should take a hard look at the TRGpro, whose features and CompactFlash flexibility eclipse competing devices from 3Com and Handspring.
Short-term Business Impact: Modules for Handspring's Visor IT are yet to materialize, but sites deploying the TRGpro can take immediate advantage of CompactFlash technology. Given the wide familiarity with Palm OS-based devices ? at both the user and administrative levels ? corporate IT staffs should expect to see smooth and quick adoption of TRGpro units.
Long-term Business Impact: With the greatly ex panded memory capabilities afforded by the TRGpro, companies can go mobile with databases with large memory footprints, further empowering workers in the field.
CompactFlash support; improved speaker; maintains hardware compatibility.
Cannot run applications directly from CompactFlash memory card. |
