Review: Motorola MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Motorola's MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant is a ruggedised handheld computer designed for enterprise applications such as field service operations, warehouses and healthcare. As such it is larger and heavier than consumer-grade devices, but is designed for a longer lifecycle and ships with vertical-oriented features such as a barcode scanner.

Launched in March, the MC55 is based on version 6.1 of Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform, and has a 3.5in 240 x 320 touch-screen similar to early Pocket PC devices. It has a 520MHz XScale PXA 270 processor coupled with 128MB Ram and 256MB Flash storage.

The MC55 is split into two basic models: the 5590 with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for communications; and the 5574 which additionally features a cellular radio for wide-area networks and a GPS receiver.

Both models are available with a Qwerty or numeric keypad, and a 1D laser barcode scanner or a 2D imager. Both options are available with or without a 2-megapixel camera with flash.

We looked at the MC5590 model, which makes up for its lack of cellular capability with a more capable Wi-Fi adapter that covers 802.11a/b/g specifications. Our review unit also had the Qwerty keypad, the camera (at the rear of the case) and 2D imager (pointing out from the top of the case).

The MC55 is considerably heavier than most smartphones and PDAs at 315g, but it is designed for greater ruggedness. It exceeds the US military's MIL-STD 810F standards, which means it can survive a drop on to concrete from 1.2m. It is also sealed to IP54 environmental protection specifications.

The device has a 2400mAh lithium ion battery pack, which is roughly double the capacity you would see on a consumer device, intended to provide enough power for all-day use. Behind the battery is a combined holder for a SIM card and Micro SD Flash card, protected by a rubber cover.

For customers not so concerned with ruggedness, rival models such as the SoMo 650 from Socket Communications offer similar capabilities, but at a lower purchase price.

Despite its size and weight, we found the MC55 fairly easy to carry around thanks to a simple hand strap stretched across the rear that means you do not have to keep a constant tight grip on it.

In use, the MC55 behaves pretty much like a standard Windows Mobile device. It has the familiar Windows Mobile interface accessed via a stylus that clips into a recess on the right of the case and is attached by a tether. The touch-screen, which has a protective covering, can also be activated by fingertip, and seemed bright and clear enough to be viewed in a variety of lighting conditions.

The device has much of the software found on a Windows Mobile handset, including the Office Mobile suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) and Microsoft's email client, enabling users to hook up to corporate Exchange mail servers.

It also has specialist Motorola tools including an AirBeam client, a Mobility Services Platform agent and a Rapid Deployment Client used to provision and manage a fleet of Motorola handhelds. The Rapid Deployment Client can provision the device by scanning bar codes distributed by an administrator, or by looking for a deployment server on the network, for example.

The MC55 is also supposed to ship with Motorola's Total Enterprise Access and Mobility (Team) voice-over-Wi-Fi client, but this was missing from our review unit.

Unlike consumer devices, we found the MC55 tricky to configure. Its Wi-Fi client, for example, requires a myriad of settings, including options for certificates and 802.11d configuration for countries where other 802.11 standards are not permitted to operate. In reality this is unlikely to be a problem for most users, as these settings should be controlled by an administrator.

Our MC55 also shipped with some sample applications, including an image capture tool, barcode scanner and print tool. The barcode scanner can use either the 2D imager or the camera to scan and decode barcodes, while the image capture tool uses the 2D imager to produce a black-and-white image. The standard Windows Mobile Camera tool can be used to snap colour images using the 2-megapixel camera instead.

The MC55 model we looked at had a full Qwerty keypad, similar to those seen on smartphones such as Palm's Treo Pro. Although small, the keys have a positive action and make it fairly easy to key in text using thumbs to type. Orange and blue modifier keys provide access to numbers and other symbols, which are likewise colour-coded.

A variety of accessories are available for the MC55, including spare batteries, belt holsters and cradles that can charge the unit and a spare battery at the same time. Our review unit shipped with a USB docking cable and mains charger.

Overall, the MC5590 is well suited for applications requiring a handheld computer with image capture or barcode reading capabilities, but companies may have to invest in other Motorola products such as management tools to get the best out of the unit.