November/December 1995
Pen Lab Review
Symbol PPT-4600
A design review of this ergonmically shaped new portable terminal.
We did an initial preview of Symbol's new PPT 4600 rugged handheld computer
in our last issue. However, just like Telxon's wonderful PTC 1134, Symbol's
new vertical market pen computer impressed us so much that we feel obliged
to tell you more about it. Basically, the PPT 4600 is a case study in "form
follows function." What do we mean by that? Well, when you look at
most technologies, initially their packaging is determined by the sheer
accomplishment of making a product possible in the first place. It didn't
matter that the first computers were the size of a room, what mattered was
that they WERE. The first cars, telephones, TVs, and, yes, personal computers,
were clunky and unwieldy, but they worked. The first IBM PC was an underpowered,
ugly steel box full of third party components, yet it sparked a revolution.
What usually happens is that, for a while, the packaging of new technologies
follows along a curve of making the original "let's see if we can put
this all together" approach, then, at some point, someone comes along
and wonders if this marvelous new device couldn't be put into a form that
people could actually use. This is why we now have cellular phones that
fit into our pockets, and cars that run for 100,000 miles between tune-ups.
But what about computers? Most desktops continue to be just as clunky as
the original IBM PC. Laptops and notebooks pack an amazing amount of power,
but most of that amazing innovation seems to have gone into making the packaging
smaller rather than more useful.
Symbol Technologies' approach
Enter Symbol Technologies. Inc., the Bohemia, NY, based worldwide leader
in portable scanners. Symbol's first foray into pen computers, the PPT 4100,
was (and is) nice enough, a 1.4-pound handheld that could accommodate a
wireless radio. With the PPT 4600, Symbol took an entirely different approach.
You could say they reinvented the personal computer. Basically, this was
their approach: Symbol realized that PC components, from motherboards to
CPUs to peripherals to screens were readily available for just about any
purpose. The problem is not designing electronic components, it is packaging
those components in a purposeful way. Just think about it: SMOS corporation
makes a 486 computer including most peripherals in the size of a PC Card.
Size is not the problem. Packaging is.
Asking customers
So Symbol took the road less travelled and asked customers what they wanted
and needed in a mobile computer. Whenever you ask such a question, people
will respond in two ways. Some will tell you about performance, and that
is okay. But others will tell you about what it really takes to make a technology
work in the field. Those people dream about the impossible and then ask
for more.
Asking for the impossible
Remember the original Compaq 386/16 desktop that was lauded as a benchmark
achievement in computer technology back in 1986? Now imagine telling a company
that you want a much faster computer that fits comfortably into the palm
of a hand, runs for hours on end on a single battery charge, and also has
an integrated scanner? Not a question most companies would want to ask their
customers. But Symbol did, and customers told them that they wanted a 486-class
computer that their field force could hold comfortably in their hands all
day long, and that would work all day long without running out of juice.
Quite a task.
Yet, Symbol's product planners and engineers did it. The PPT 4600 is an
entirely new type of computer, one that fulfills all the performance requirements
of a big desktop, yet still fits into the palm of your hand comfortably,
AND includes all those special peripherals that are required for the job,
such as a laser scanner. A magnesium stripe reader option and all sorts
of cradles are also available.
There is no doubt that computers will continue to get smaller and smaller
until we no longer have to worry about functionality and performance at
all, and only about proper packaging for human use. Vendors are finally
able to design computers to be optimally functional for a particular task
because the size and shape of components is no longer an issue.
Functionality first
When you look at the Symbol PPT 4600, it's immediately obvious that a lot
of thinking went into the design. The unit consists of two parts, a flat
rectangular top that contains the very readable, touch-sensitive Seiko LCD
screen, and the bottom which is shaped to comfortably fit into the palm
of your hand whether you're righthanded or lefthanded. The 3 x 4.5 inch
(5.5 inch diagonal) backlit screen is slightly recessed into the unit, offering
extra protection. At the top of the screen, there are touch controls for
speaker, brightness, and backlight.The bottom part is made of smooth, rounded
gray plastic, the top and the scanner are covered with a tough gray rubbery
material. Similar to the purposeful design of a video palmcorder, a soft
strap holds the unit in your hand, with adequate adjustment to fit any size
hand. Thumb and index finger rest on two ergonomically shaped mouse buttons.
The power and reset buttoms are also reachable without even putting the
unit down, yet they offer enough resistance to preclude accidental activation.
Even the cleverly packaged Lithium-Ion battery cell fulfills a dual purpose:
it doubles up as a stand when you put the terminal down on a flat surface,
making the unit horizontal and easy to read despite the ergonomical handgrip.
Other than that, it is designed to run the unit for over seven hours doing
180 scans and 180 RF transactions per hour.
Ports and expansion
The Symbol 4600's miniature serial and keyboard ports are hidden under a
rubber boot in the same location as the AC adapter plug. The two PCMCIA
Type II (or one Type III) slots are sealed under a rubber door which is
held in place by four screws.
Passive pen
The PPT 4600's sturdy plastic pen fits into a recess at the bottom of the
unit where it becomes part of the handsome design. It can be very easily
removed by pushing on either end. Should you lose it, any piece of plastic,
or your finger, can be used to operate the terminal.
Integrated scanner
The scanner is built into a ball-like extension that can be rotated 180
degrees and may contain any one of several scanner options Symbol offers
for the PPT 4600, including the innovative PDF (Portable Data File) 417
code that can be considered a data communication protocol for paper (the
1996 Olympics will use PDF 417 coded badges).
The Symbol PPT 4600 clearly is a harbinger of the future of computing, a
future where powerful technology is packaged to unobtrusively and comfortably
fit into our lives and our work.
For further details contact:
Symbol Technologies, Inc.
116 Wilbur Place
Bohemia, NY 11716
(516) 563-2400 ·FAX: (516) 563-2831
Web site: http://www.symbol.com/
Pen Computing Issue #7