14 DAY TRIAL // Trimble, best known for GPS technology, has just announced the launch of its next generation Trimble Ranger rugged handheld computer. The Ranger 3 series is the company's fourth lineup, after previously launching the Nomad, Recon, and Yuma outdoor rugged handheld computers
The Trimble Ranger 3 is built for surveying, construction, field service, forestry, mapping, public safety, utilities and other outdoor or service-related applications.
The device features a large 4.2-inch VGA resistive touchscreen perfectly readable in strong sunlight. Ranger 3 is powered by a TI AM3715 Sitara ARM Cortex-A8 processor operating at 800 MHz and runs on Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional platform.
It features IP67 certification, as the device is sealed against dust and it can survive immersion in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The handheld computer also meets military standards for temperature extremes, drops, vibration, humidity and altitude.
“The Ranger 3 is the most highly integrated, full featured and reliable generation of Ranger we have built,” said Bill Martin, general manager of Trimble's Mobile Computing Solutions Division.
“A great deal of experience and teamwork created the Ranger 3. Not only is it the ultimate device for mobile worker productivity, our SDK makes it easy for software developers to quickly take a solution to market,” added Martin.
Different input methods are supported with the QWERTY alphanumeric keypad, as well as the large touchscreen.
Other highlights of the rugged handheld computer include: integrated GPS receiver, 5-megapixel camera and 1D laser barcode scanner 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, 256 MB of RAM and 8 GB of Flash memory
In addition, Trimble stated that it provided a comprehensive Ranger 3 Software Development Kit with a hardware-specific API that could be used in conjunction with Microsoft development tools and resources.
The Ranger 3 series is expected to be available in February of 2011.