How to choose the operating system for data collector PDA
Edit： Click： Times Date：2025-12-30
The English name of the data collector PDA is Personal Digital Assistant. According to their usage, they can be divided into industrial grade PDAs and consumer grade PDAs. When we make a purchase, we may encounter this question: should we choose the Android operating system or the Windows CE system? How to choose the PDA that is suitable for your own use among numerous PDAs?
1、 Application areas of PDA
Industrial grade PDAs are mainly used in fields such as factory manufacturing, logistics warehousing, outdoor material inspection, etc. Common ones include barcode scanners, RFID readers, POS machines, etc., all of which can be called PDAs; Including barcode scanners, RFID readers, etc; There are many consumer goods PDAs, including smartphones, tablets, handheld game consoles, etc. The characteristics of industrial grade PDAs are durability and sturdiness, which can be used in many harsh environments. At the same time, many optimizations have been made for industrial use, supporting RFID reading and writing and barcode scanning functions, and having an industrial grade of IP54 or above, which are not available in consumer handheld terminals.
The main market for industrial grade PDAs is still in some special fields, and there are usually some customized PDA software or hardware, which needs to be defined according to the software developers and the platform on which the company's system is developed.
2、 Android system
The main advantage of Android is its open source nature, as the development platform allows any mobile terminal manufacturer to join Android; The second is that the Android system has rich hardware. Due to the openness of Android, many manufacturers will launch various products with unique features and functions. The differences and characteristics in functionality will not affect data synchronization or even software compatibility issues; The third is convenience for development. Android provides third-party developers with a very broad and free environment, which will not be obstructed by various rules and regulations. Mainly suitable for PDAs using JAVA language.
Advantages: The system is mature, capable of supporting secure operations, and has excellent traffic performance. There are many resources for secondary development, and the development intention provides rich support for various business functions, with higher compatibility with industrial applications, such as touch screen technology, 3G communication technology, GPS positioning technology, stable wireless communication technology, multimedia playback and collection technology, etc. Simultaneously integrating with third-party hardware such as scanning heads and RFID, the driver program based on this system can effectively maximize hardware performance. The industrial chain is mature and has good continuity in later evolution. Using open source code with low development costs.
Disadvantages: The application software is complex and complex, and there is little compatibility testing between software. Installing too many software can have an impact on stability. In practical use, it is necessary to restrict software installation and conduct compatibility stability testing on the installation program to ensure stability. However, due to the relatively simple functions and low software complexity of PDA applications in the express delivery industry compared to civilian use, it is easy to achieve stability.
How to choose the operating system for PDA? Android OR WINCE？
3、 CE system
The Windows CE operating system is a member of the Windows family, specifically designed as a system environment for handheld computers (HPCs) and embedded devices. This operating system enables the integration of complete mobile technology with existing Windows desktop technology. If it is used for the development of CE systems, this type of software generally uses PDAs with the Wince operating system.
WinCE PDA integrates barcode scanning device with data terminal, and is a terminal computer device with battery for offline operation. It has functions such as real-time collection, automatic storage, instant display, instant feedback, automatic processing, and automatic transmission. Provided assurance for the authenticity, validity, real-time performance, and availability of on-site data. It has the characteristics of integration, maneuverability, small size, light weight, high performance, and is suitable for handheld use. It is mainly used in industrial data collection.
Advantages: Good closure, good security, mature system, industry business software currently in use for a long time, relatively stable, and easy to integrate with Windows system.
Disadvantages: The industrial chain is broken, and chip manufacturers will no longer ship in the future. Equipment using WinCE system has no solution for after-sales or replacement; Poor support for voice function, resulting in inability to perform voice communication; Poor support for wireless communication technologies such as 3G, WIFI, Bluetooth, etc., and insufficient communication bandwidth result in ineffective real-time communication of information; Unable to support AGPS function, unable to quickly and accurately locate.
4、 Comparison
The Windows CE system is an electronic device operating system based on handheld computers. It is designed for a small mobile computer, while the Android operating system is designed for mobile phones and is more like a small mobile computer with wireless communication capabilities. The handheld devices currently used in the express delivery and logistics industries require not only computer functions, but also strong mobile communication capabilities to extend computer functions to every corner outdoors. From the application maturity and popularity of the operating system, Android has the highest market share and the most development support among current smartphone systems.
In general, it is unlikely for CE software to switch to Android software because switching to the Android system requires hardware platform adaptation, software modification, user interface redesign, and other work, which comes at a relatively high cost and may not necessarily bring any benefits.
The interface standard of CE's collector does not have fancy text icons, and the operation mode is relatively outdated, which is Microsoft's consistent style. But some companies that need to develop software based on the CE operating system PDA are accustomed to such tedious operations. Because the fast and tedious computing power it brings can greatly reduce the workload of staff and achieve more efficient completion of work.
For the current market, Android machines have brought a wave of usage enthusiasm, with multi-element operations and strong adaptability and usability. However, an inevitable and serious problem is that Android operating system PDAs will experience card jamming over time, which is a common problem for all Android system machines. No matter what brand, as long as it is an Android system PDA, it will definitely get stuck over time, resulting in slow response speed, delayed screen operation, and other issues.
However, this does not reduce people's enthusiasm for Android machines. In any case, market demand will not stop just because of a slight flaw. Just like Android and CE systems, both operating systems have their own advantages and a fixed customer base.
5. Summary
So, whether to buy a PDA with Android operating system or a PDA with WinCE operating system, the two are almost 50-50, mainly depending on the customer's choice and factors such as future changes to the customer's company. Choose the collector according to your own needs.
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