Less industrial-looking than most handhelds, J2's Wave (right) appears to have been designed so it can harmonize with elegant restaurant and retail environments. The device's larger-than-average (4.3-inch) touchscreen offers automatic rotation and a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels, the company says.

The Wave is also said to include four programmable buttons, a mono speaker, and an internal vibrator (so that alerts may be received when an order is ready, perhaps). Optional equipment includes a headphone output, a three-track MSR, and a 1D/2D laser barcode scanner, according to J2.

J2 says the Wave runs Windows CE 5.0 or 6.0 on a 416MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, equipped with 128MB of RAM and 1GB of flash storage. An SD slot that supports an additional 2GB of RAM is also included, and is apparently concealed within the device, requiring battery removal for access.

Speaking of the latter, the battery is said to provide more than eight hours of operation. The Wave can survive five-foot drops and has a front panel that meets the IP65 standard for resistance to liquids and dust, according to J2. (Overall the device bears a slightly less stringent IP64 rating, the company adds.)

According to J2, the Wave includes both 802.11a and 802.11b wireless networking, plus Bluetooth 2.0 and USB host/client interfaces.

Features and specifications listed by J2 Retail Systems for the Wave include:

• Processor -- Marvell PXA270 clocked at 416MHz
• Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 1GB of flash storage
• Display -- 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen with 480 x 272 pixel resolution
• Expansion -- SD slot
• Networking:
  • WLAN -- 802.11a/b
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
• Other I/O -- USB host/client
• Battery -- capacity n/s, but lasts longer than eight hours
• Operating range -- 32 to 104 deg. C (0 to 40 deg. C)
• Dimensions -- 6.5 x 3.3 x 1.1 (166 x 84 x 27mm)
• Weight -- 0.7 pounds (320g)

Moray Boyd, managing director and co-founder of J2 Retail Systems, stated, "The J2 Wave sets a new standard for mobile solutions in the often-harsh environments of hospitality and retail. It is cost-effective to buy and gives a rapid return on investment. It increases staff productivity through faster and virtually error-free order-taking, and its showing its worth too in terms of better-served customers who spend more."

Further information

Pricing and availability for the J2 Wave were not cited, but the device appears to be on sale now. More information may be found on the J2 Retail Systems website, here.

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