Review: Symbol MC70 Rugged Digital Assistant

These days, computing capabilities and remote access are required on the spot in nearly all industries and job functions -- service repair, sales, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, health care, government, retailing, financial services, parcel delivery and fleet management, just to name a few. Handhelds and mobile devices, too, must be able to withstand the elements and knocks and dings that come with being out in the field.

Workers in all fields can benefit from the Symbol Technologies MC70 Rugged Digital Assistant.

The MC70 is basically a rugged PDA, yet Symbol describes it as an Enterprise Digital Assistant, or EDA. The mobile computer features data capture and wide-area connectivity for voice and data, including cellular voice/data communications, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

In addition, the MC70 supports high-speed EDGE networks based on the GSM standard. Everything is contained in a rugged handheld that makes it easy to capture, move and manage information on the road, on the factory floor, outdoors or in the hallway.

The MC70 runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system which, among other things, provides memory management, security and e-mail capabilities. The unit is lightweight yet ruggedly designed to withstand exposure to water and dust -- and even 4-foot drops onto concrete.

The 12-ounce unit measures 6 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches high. It features a 3.5-inch, transflective color screen with an LED backlight. The screen has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

Connectivity ports include Ethernet, via the included cradle, and USB 2.0. A user-accessible SDIO expansion slot accommodates extension cards.

Other features on the MC70 include vibration and LED ring notification; two keyboard options; speaker, microphone and headset jacks; and software support for audio recording and playback.

Solution providers can manage multiple MC70s using Symbol's Mobility Services Platform. The management architecture helps speed the setup of MC70s and enables remote monitoring.

List prices for the MC70 range from $2,195 to $2,845, depending on the configuration. All in all, it's an ideal tool for managing data in the field when notebook computers are simply too big for the task at hand.