Windows Mobile 5.0 GIS data collection PDA
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

There are a number of Pocket PCs with built-in GPS, but the GPS system is often poorly integrated. The Trimble Juno ST is built from the ground up to be a GIS data collection system by GPS specialist Trimble. As far as hardware goes, the Juno ST combines tried and proven Pocket PC components such as a 300MHz Samsung processor, 64MB of RAM and 18MB of Flash, a 2.8-inch QVGA display, a SD Card slot, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g wireless LAN and the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating platform with an integrated high-sensitivity GPS/WAAS receiver and antenna that support the NMEA and SiRF protocols.

The device is handsome and very compact (2.4 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches) and lightweight (five ounces). It comes with the standard complement of Windows Mobile software, TrimPix software for wireless camera support, and GPS Controller software for controlling NMEW outpur and in-field mission planning. There is plenty of optional GPS software available for the Junos ST, among it TerraSync, the Trimble GPScorrect extension for ESRI's ArcPad and GPS Analyst extension for ESRI's ArcGIS, GPS Pathfinder Office software and a SDK for it.

Though well-made and durable, Trimble does not advertise the Juno as a rugged device. It can operate in a wide temperature range of 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The Juno ST is priced a bit higher than some Pocket PCs with GPS, but that's because its GPS implementation is professional quality and meant to be used for real field work more than car navigation and such.