According to Casio, its new DT-5300 (right) will ship with Windows Mobile 6.5 on Oct. 25th, making it the first rugged PDA we've seen to be so equipped (the unit will be available next week with Windows CE 6.0). The device withstands five-foot drops, meets the IP54 standard for resistance to dust and liquids, and operates down to -4 deg. F (-20 deg. C), the company says.

Casio says the DT-5300 reads smart cards in FeliCa and Mifare formats, one suggested use for these being secure logins. In the case of loss or theft, and subsequent unsuccessful attempts to log in, the device can wipe all the data stored on it automatically, the company says.

All versions of the DT-5300 are said to include the smart card reader, along with 802.11b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.0, and an IrDA infrared port, the latter relatively rare these days. Optionally, the PDA is also available with just a 1D barcode reader, with 1D and 2D barcode readers, and with a two megapixel camera, says Casio.

The DT-5200 has a 3.7-inch touchscreen display with VGA resolution, a 624MHz Marvell PXA320 processor, 128MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash storage. Versions "M30SC" and "M30S," which will feature Windows Mobile 6.5, are said to include SD expansion slots, whereas the Windows CE 6.0 configurations have microSD slots instead, according to Casio. All are said to be equipped with microphones and speakers for making VoIP phone calls.

Features and specifications listed by Casio for the Cassiopeia DT-5300 include the following:

• Processor -- Marvell PXA320 clocked at 624MHz
• Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage
• Display -- 3.7-inch touchscreen with VGA (640 x 480) resolution
• Keys -- Numeric keypad, five-way controller, four function keys
• Camera -- 2 megapixel (optional)
• Wireless:
  • LAN -- 802.11b/g
  • PAN -- Bluetooth
  • IrDA
  • Smart card reader
  • 1D or 1D/2D barcode scanner (optional)
• Other I/O -- n/s in English but likely includes USB port and headphone jack
• Expansion - microSD slot (most versions)SD slot (on M30SC and M30S)
• Dimensions -- 6.25 x 3.07 x 0.98 inches (159 x 78 x 25mm)
• Weight -- 9.87 ounces (280g)
  

Casio says the Cassiopeia DT-5300 will be available in Japan starting on September 25th, with the Windows Mobile 6.5 version becoming available on October 30th. Pricing was not specified.

More information on the DT-5300 may be found on the company's website, here.

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