New Handhelds For Apple Store Employees
So I was in the Apple Store last night to pick up some stuff and the woman that was helping us offered to check us out. I said sure, thinking we would walk up to the register with her, but she then pulls out a handheld device that was manufactured by Symbol. She had a big holster and the device was kinda tall. Maybe about 3" X 5.5".
The intriguing thing here though is that the OS was one completely created by Apple and it had the same kinda blue color scheme and interface elements that all Apple software has. Well, I say OS but it may have been just one big application for all I know because I really didn't get to see enoughof it to know. But one would think they might rehash some of the old Newton stuff.
I didn't get to look at it for any lengthy period of time because the screen didn't have a wide viewing angle, but I did see what she was working through on screen several times for about 4 or 5 seconds at a time. She even stopped to show me the progress bar after she was done entering some information ? presumably we were waiting for it to wirelessly send the info to the main system.
So, Apple is back in the handheld business ? in some capacity anyway.
The intriguing thing here though is that the OS was one completely created by Apple and it had the same kinda blue color scheme and interface elements that all Apple software has. Well, I say OS but it may have been just one big application for all I know because I really didn't get to see enoughof it to know. But one would think they might rehash some of the old Newton stuff.
I didn't get to look at it for any lengthy period of time because the screen didn't have a wide viewing angle, but I did see what she was working through on screen several times for about 4 or 5 seconds at a time. She even stopped to show me the progress bar after she was done entering some information ? presumably we were waiting for it to wirelessly send the info to the main system.
So, Apple is back in the handheld business ? in some capacity anyway.
Comments
Just a simple GUI front end for the database, so it was probably trivial for Apple to make something that could run on a handheld.
It's just a portable POS application, with an Apple face, that runs on WinCE.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
It's just a portable POS application, with an Apple face, that runs on WinCE.
Yeah, like FileMaker Mobile.
Ummm... by the way, what "isn't conclusive at all." ?
Originally posted by rongold
Yeah, like FileMaker Mobile.
Ummm... by the way, what "isn't conclusive at all." ?
That it's an Apple OS running on the PocketPC, as you noted originally. I very much doubt that Apple wrote an OS for PocketPC. I sounds like they just made a pretty face to their app.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
That it's an Apple OS running on the PocketPC, as you noted originally. I very much doubt that Apple wrote an OS for PocketPC. I sounds like they just made a pretty face to their app.
Originally posted by dfiler
I've made quite a few custom apps for symbol handhelds... it's doubtful that apple would write an entire OS when a simple app would suffice.
Going back to the original post, I said...
Originally posted by rongold
Well, I say OS but it may have been just one big application...
I can see where the confusion would come in if you didn't read past my first sentence.
We're asserting it clearly wasn't an OS.
No confusion here.
So... I just have one question. How can you declare that it clearly was not an OS? Did you design it? Do you work for the Apple Store? Do you know for sure it is even a Microsoft OS? Did you even see it?
edit addition:OK, I have more than one question.
I've written a database for the Palm OS 3 years ago, that doesn't mean that Apple can't possibly have an operating system for a handheld other than the iPod. Your correlation makes as much sense as tying your shoe then declaring the president's socks must be on fire.
By the way Symbol also licenses the Palm OS and makes hardware for that.
What if Apple is making the next OS for Palm products? While we are jumping to conclusions and making wild declarations.
OH! Almost forgot, Symbol Technologies is an Original Equipment Manufacturer so it is entirely possible that Apple had these things specifically manufactured for them. Just saying...
Still, I honestly would like to know what makes you think... what you think.
Apple could also have secret mines and ore processing fascilities for producing their own copper...
It's remotely possible that Apple is using it's own OS and application suite. . . and this would be entirely without Symbol's co-operation because they don't care. This would mean that the business case of PDAs in Apple Stores is big enough to merit the development of all that software. Unfortunately, I just don't see this as the case.
It's conceivable that Apple found a way to get Linux on the Symbols and ported over an Aqua-eque X Server. But that's still a lot of work.
It's likely that Apple wrote a WinCE app that does what they need to do. Hell, they've written Windows apps before. This is by far the cheapest of the three mentioned options, and it's not really any worse other than the fact that it involves Microsoft.
reg
Don't believe me? Just go on down to the Apple Store and ask. Pretty easy.