In late 2007, Hand Held Products became Honeywell Imaging and Mobility, a Honeywell Automation & Control Solutions Business that as of July 2008 also incorporates Metrologic.
The corporate rearrangements resulted in a brand name change as well, as the latest Dolphin handheld now carries the Honeywell name. The Honeywell Dolphin 9900 Series is stylistically a close relative of the existing 7500 Series which combined full Windows Mobile/Pocket PC capabilities with a traditional flashlight form factor.
The new device, however, is built around updated hardware and software. The Dolphin 9900 Series is powered by a speedy 624MHz Marvell PXA270 processor and runs Windows Mobile 6.1. This means developers can use all the Windows Mobile development tools for complex applications, and there are two in-mold, hard-top keyboard options: a 43-key alpha-shifted numeric and 56-key full alpha/numeric. A handy pistol grip is available as well.
On the storage side of things, the Dolphin 9900 has a generous 256MB of RAM and a full gigabyte of Flash. There is also a SDIO slot for expansion. Communication is via an industrial I/O connector that supports USB 1.1 and RS-232. There is also an IR port. On the wireless side, you can get Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, as well as quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE. Should GPS be required, you can get that as well.
Despite being a bit larger (3.4 x 9.6 x 2.1 inches) and heavier (22 ounces) than the company's PDA-style devices, the 9900 Series carries the same IP64 rating and 5-foot-onto-concrete drop spec. The very wide operating temperature range of 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit means the device can be used in freezers.
For scanning, the 9900 uses Adaptus Imaging Technology 5.0 to read linear and 2D codes via a 5300 Standard Range imager/scanner with High-Vis laser aimer, or a 5100 Standard Range "Smart Focus" imager/scanner with green aimer.
Since terminals are tools for jobs, their batteries need to last through a full shift, and the 9900 Series runs up to over ten hours on a charge.
1D symbologies read include Codabar, Code 3 of 9, Code 11, Code 32 Pharmaceutical (PARAF), Code 93, Code 128, EAN with Add-On and EAN with Extended Coupon Code, EAN-13, Interleaved 2 or 5, Matrix 2 of 5, Plessey, PosiCode, GS1 Databar, Straight 2 of 5 IATA, Straight 2 of 5 Industrial, Telepen, Trioptic Code, UCC/EAN-128, UPC & UPC-A. 2D Symbologies include Aztec, Code 16K, Composite, Data Matrix, MaxiCode, OCR, PDF417, QR Code, GS1 Databar
Composite and OCR Codes: Aztec Mesa, Codablock F, EAN·UCC, GS1 Databar-14 and OCR-A and OCR-B. Postal Codes include Postnet, Australian, British, Canadian, China, Japanese, KIX (Netherlands), and Korea Post, Planet Code.
Overall, the Honeywell Dolphin 9900 Mobile Computer is a rugged productivity-enhancing handheld computer designed for maximum reliability and ease of use in frontline applications.
Note that the Dolphin 9900 also comes in a healtcare version (Dolphin 9900HC) and a non-incendive version (Dolphin 9900NI). The former has "disinfectant-ready" housing that can handle frequent exposure to the cleaning agents commonly used in healthcare environments. The latter is UL certified to be non-incendive, ensuring safe operation in hazardous industries including chemical, oil and gas, life sciences and utilities.
