Research in a mobile world

In the world of mobile surveys there is a high demand for a rugged device that can withstand the many changing conditions and environments surveys are conducted in. Finding that perfect device at the right price point is no easy task. Add in the fact that it must have a full keyboard be lightweight and provide a touch screen narrows your choices down even more.

Well just so happened that a client was on the hunt for such a device. At first I was not very optimistic this devices existed, but after some Googling and talking with my colleagues I found just the device. The CTL 2GO Convertible Classmate PC!

It’s a touchscreen Netbook with Intel’s latest Atom processor and comes with two modes, tablet mode and traditional laptop mode. Built with carrying handle that is lightweight and a durable construction with a rugged outer case. Certified drop test of 50cm and a Water-resistant keyboard allowing for maximum protection. All of this for under $600 U.S. with a 6 cell battery and Windows XP.

If you are looking for a low cost tablet pc that can take a beating for your survey needs look no further!

Of the 234 million mobile users in the U.S., around 30 million are now using Smartphones. With the sky rocking sales of Smartphones its worth looking into which OS platforms are gaining steam. Since Techneos is built around the ability to integrate on multiple platforms (WM, Palm, Palm OS etc) it’s good to know where the trends are going. Thanks to a report published by FierceWireless we have the numbers. This list, which compares May Smartphone OS statistics with those from February, does not reflect the introduction of the Palm Pre or the iPhone 3GS.


Android

797,633 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 427,914 in February).
Android stats

• Introduced: Announced in Oct. 2007. First Android device available in Oct. 2008
• Number of applications available: Android Market currently has more than 6,300 free and priced applications.
• Number of handset makers supporting it: 10
• Iconic device: HTC Magic

Symbian

889,232 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 888,532 in February).
Symbian stats

• Introduced: 2001
• Number of applications available: Symbian does not have its own app store, but supports the app stores of its many OEM and operator partners.
• Number of handset makers supporting it: 7
• Iconic device: Nokia N97

Palm OS (Access)

2,406,244 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 2,398,755 in February).
Palm OS stats

• Introduced: 1996
• Number of handset makers supporting it: 20, over the course of its lifespan
• -conic device: Palm Centro

iPhone (Apple)

5,744,018 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 5,258,504 in February).
iPhone stats

• Introduced: Jan. 2007
• Number of applications available: More than 65,000 in the App Store.
• Iconic device: iPhone 3GS

Windows Mobile (Microsoft)

7,040,584 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 6,807,554 in February).
Windows Mobile stats

• Introduced: June 2003
• Number of handset makers supporting it: 56
• Iconic device: Touch Pro 2

BlackBerry (RIM)

12,202,058 U.S. users in May, according to comScore (up from 9,668,977 in February).
BlackBerry stats

• Introduced: The Java BlackBerry OS was introduced in 2000.
• Number of applications available: More than 2,000 apps available the BlackBerry App World.
• Iconic device: BlackBerry Tour