Korea's Bluebird Soft entered the U.S. market in 2009 with several Windows handhelds, ruggedized and targeting typical applications for such devices: parcel delivery, meter reading, public safety, and inventory management. At the top of the line was the BIP-6000 (pictured), sporting a 3.5-inch VGA screen and a wide range of wireless capabilities.

Now, via U.S. distributor SDG Systems, the company has announced a revamped BIP-6000Max. We weren't able to discern any differences in the device's hardware, but where the BIP-6000 was offered only with Windows Mobile 6.1, the 'Max can be had with Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows CE 6.0, Android, and Linux, too.

SDG says the BIP6000Max has also received AT&T certification. Company president Todd Blumer stated that this "opens it up to a wide range of applications and potential uses and increases customer confidence. Additionally, the Android operating system option, implemented by SDG Systems' engineering team, extends the capabilities of the BIP-6000Max making it a unique, easy-to-use device."

Like its predecessor, the BIP-6000Max (pictured) includes a wide range of wireless capabilities, including GPS, a five-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 and 2100MHz) GSM modem with HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access), 802.11b/g wireless networking, and Bluetooth 2.0. The device is also said to have a 1D/2D barcode scanner, an RFID reader, and even an IrDA reader.

Wired connectivity includes an RS232 port, plus USB 1.1 host and client ports. Meanwhile, the BIP-6000Max also connects to Ethernet via an optional cradle, and it has slots for a SIM and for a microSD memory card, Bluebird Soft says.

According to the company, the BIP-6000Max has a 3.5-inch touchscreen display with full VGA resolution, and it's available with either a numeric or QWERTY keypad. Powered by a 806MHz Marvell PXA320 processor, the handheld also sports an optional three megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, plus a 4400mAh battery, Bluebird Soft says.

The BIP-6000Max is again said to survive six-foot drops onto steel surfaces, and to be sealed against liquids and dust to the IP65 standard. Operating range has been widened from -22 to 140 deg. F, compared to the previous BIP-6000's -4 to 131 deg. F range.

Features and specifications listed by Bluebird Soft for the Pidion BIP-6000Max include the following:

• Processor -- Marvell PXA320 clocked at 806MHz
  
• Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage
  
• Display -- 3.5-inch VGA (640 x 480) touchscreen; 320 x 240 pixel version also available
  
• Camera -- 3 megapixel camera with autofocus (optional)
  
• Wireless:
  • WAN -- Five-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 and 2100MHz) GSM modem with HSDPA
    
  • GPS
    
  • LAN -- 802.11b/g (802.11a/b/g optional)
    
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
    
  • Barcode scanner -- 1D laser scanner and 1D/2D CMOS imager
    
  • RFID reader
    
• Other I/O:
  • 1 x RS232C
    
  • 1 x USB 1.1 host
    
  • 1 x USB 1.1 client
    
  • Headset jack
• Expansion -- microSD slot
  
• Battery -- 4400mAh
  
• Operating range -- -22 to 140 deg. F
  
• Dimensions -- 6.3 x 3.1 x 1.4 inches
  
• Weight -- 14.4 ounces (407g) including battery

Further information

According to SDG Systems, the Bluebird Soft BIP-6000Max is available now, for prices ranging from $1602 to $1985. More information can be found on SDG's BIP6000Max product page.

Jonathan Angel can be reached at jonathan.angel@ziffdavisenterprise.com and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.

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