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Handheld Computing Reality Computing Handheld Computing Col. Kenneth L. Alford, Ph.D. U.S. Army Handheld computers, especially personal digital assistants (PDAs), are increasingly being used throughout the Department of Defense. This article highlights some of the ways that PDAs are used today and are envisioned for the future. It outlines some of the considerations involved in a PDA procurement, discusses four tools for developing PDA resource materials – pro- gramming tools, hypertext markup language- and eXtensible markup language-based tools, text tools, and calendar tools – outlines some of the benefits and challenges associated with using PDAs, and shares several lessons learned. omputing power continues to increase copy of the complete daily list. Using requirement, the PDA displays detailed in capacity and decrease in cost and their PDAs, guards can also provide specifications. Officers then check off size.C Today’s low-cost handheld comput- visitors with maps and directions to whether items are found to be satisfac- ers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) their destination on base [4]. tory or are in violation of federal law. allow computing resources to be almost • The Commanders Digital Assistant is a Instead of laboring to determine ubiquitous. This article illustrates how ruggedized PDA that is being fielded whether the law requires a particular handheld computing is changing the way to combat troops; it has already seen ship to carry one of three different some Department of Defense (DoD) field use with the 82nd Airborne in types of life rafts, an inflatable buoyant organizations do business and discusses how apparatus, life float, or nothing at all, you may take advantage of the capabilities boarding officers, with PDAs in hand, that are available through this technology. “… I sat down with a now spend their energy on, for exam- ple, inspecting life rafts to ensure that Example Handheld Programs group of Marines in they are properly set up to release PDAs, which are defined in DoD should a ship sink [7]. Directive 8100.2 as “a generic term for a California who had just • In 2004, the Marine Corps awarded a class of small, easily carried electronic $2.9 million contract to purchase devices used to store and retrieve infor- returned from the Iraq rugged PDAs (RPDAs) designed to mation” [2], were at one time viewed as lit- increase tactical awareness. This fol- tle more than novelties. Yet, with approxi- war. At one point in our lows a previous $12 million award that mately 20 million PDAs shipped last year, supplied RPDAs to several branches business and government groups continue conversation, I asked the of the U.S. military. These devices to find new ways to use them. Marines in the room to offer navigation, tactical digital mes- Here are some of the many ways that saging, remote radio control, GPS, PDA technology is currently being used raise their hands if they wireless local area network (LAN) and within the DoD: Bluetooth capabilities [8]. • The Pocket-Sized Forward Entry had either a cellular • All West Point cadets purchase a PDA. Device (PFED) is a ruggedized PDA Students and faculty members use designed for forward observers, telephone or a PDA. PDAs to store schedules, class assign- artillery fire direction, and target acqui- ments, reference documents, and other sition missions. With built-in laser Every hand went up. instructional materials. PDAs have also range-finding and global positioning ” been incorporated into some senior system (GPS) hardware, PFED users —Vice Adm. Herbert A. Browne, engineering design projects. can issue a call-for-fire request in less U.S. Navy (Ret.) [1] • Army medical units in Iraq use PDAs than 10 seconds – compared to 45 sec- to collect patient information. onds or more when using other sys- • Los Alamos National Laboratory’s tems [3]. Iraq. It integrates dismounted troops researchers have developed a PDA • Security guards at Wright-Patterson into the Blue Force Tracking system, radiation detector [4]. Air Force Base use PDAs at the gates enables commanders to distribute There are many other programs and and on patrols. Prior to receiving orders, and provides several additional projects throughout the DoD that could PDAs, guards were provided thick capabilities [5, 6]. also be listed. Many service members even binders containing daily event lists • The Coast Guard uses PDAs to help receive a PDA as part of their unit’s stan- with guest and sponsor contact infor- automate the task of inspecting fishing dard issue. mation. Only three of the 10 gates on vessels. Based on answers to 16 ques- base received a binder each day. tions, the PDA generates a customized Benefits Visitors who arrived at one of the checklist of safety requirements for As the previous examples illustrate, there other seven gates had to wait for firefighting, lifesaving, and bridge are many ways to effectively incorporate someone to confirm if they were equipment appropriate to each vessel. PDAs into the workplace and many rea- allowed on base. Now each guard has a As boarding officers click on each sons for doing so. PDAs offer a variety of 4 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering June 2005 Handheld Computing advantages over other automated solu- “Use of Commercial Wireless Devices, operating systems: tions. For example, given the right work Services, and Technologies in the 1. Palm OS (the latest version is Palm environment, PDAs can do the following: Department of Defense (DoD) Global OS Cobalt, previously known as Palm • Increase worker productivity. Information Grid (GIG)” [2]. The direc- OS 6). • Improve customer support. tive’s guidelines apply to all commercial 2. Windows Mobile (which comes in • Reduce time spent searching for infor- wireless devices (including PDAs). It three profiles: Pocket PCs, Pocket PC mation. establishes “policy and assigns responsi- Phone Edition, and Windows Mobile • Allow users to take computing power bilities for the use of commercial wireless for Smartphones). and large amounts of information to devices, services, and technologies in the 3. Symbian OS (the leading operating places where they could not previous- DoD GIG.” system for Smartphones). ly go. 4. RIM (used in Blackberry devices). • Increase accuracy. Hardware Considerations • Save lives. The use of business and government Wireless Technologies This is because PDAs are versatile, (enterprise) PDAs has been on the rise for An increasing number of PDAs are being portable, inexpensive, and easy to use. the past several years. The Gartner sold with one or more of these wireless Retired Vice Adm. Herbert A. Browne Group’s research estimates that more than technologies [10]: recently noted the following: 4 million enterprise PDAs were in service 1. Bluetooth. This is an industry specifi- during 2004, and they estimate that num- cation for wireless communications Virtually all of the lessons learned ber will rise to 6 million by 2008. At the that uses short-range radio technology. from Operation Iraqi Freedom same time, the total cost of ownership Bluetooth version 1.2 throughput is include comments about the speed (TCO) per year of a business PDA has typically in the 400-500 kilobytes per of the forces’ advance exceeding dropped 28 percent – from almost $2,700 second (Kbps) range. Bluetooth does the speed with which line-of-sight in 1999 to $1,946 in 2004 [9]. (These fig- not have any native support for communications could keep up. ures are based on a two-year amortization Internet Protocol (IP) that means it Command and control (C2) of our rate.) does not currently support tactical forces was challenged by this rapid computer processor (TCP)/IP or mobility, and wireless technology is The Commanders wireless LAN applications very well. It viewed as the most likely solution “ is better suited for connecting PDAs, to getting collected information Digital Assistant is a cell phones, and PCs during short and C2 down to the tactical, trigger- intervals. Bluetooth certification pulling level. [1] ruggedized PDA that means that an individual product has been tested for compliance with the PDAs can offer solutions to some of is being fielded to Bluetooth specification; it does not those challenges. guarantee that it will be compatible combat troops; it has with other Bluetooth-enabled prod- Concerns ucts. Like other forms of automation, intro- already seen field use 2. 802.11/ Wireless LAN (WLAN). On ducing PDAs into the work environment an 802.11 WLAN, most PDAs adhere comes with a potential downside as well. with the 82nd to the 802.11b specification that pro- Here are some of the concerns associated vides 11 megabytes per second (Mbps) with using PDAs: Airborne in Iraq. transmission rates and throughput in • PDAs have limited data input capabili- ” the 4-6 Mbps range. ties, especially for typing-intensive 3. Global System for Mobile commu- work. The popularity of PDAs has resulted nications (GSM), General Packet • There are additional maintenance and in a wide variety of devices being offered Radio Service (GPRS), and GSM cost requirements. in the marketplace. Government users Evolution. The GSM is a European • Non-ruggedized PDAs can be easily considering PDA purchases have several digital cellular phone standard. GSM broken. decisions they must make regarding the 1900, the North American version of • PDAs may introduce additional train- device they will use. Decisions must be GSM, generally provides throughput ing costs in both time and dollars. made regarding the processor, operating in the 56 Kbps (or less) range. GPRS is • It is difficult for many users to separate system, wireless technologies, screen char- an overlay to GSM networks; the max- business and personal use of PDAs. acteristics, battery life, expansion memory, imum speed is theoretically 171.2 • There are numerous security concerns. input options, and durability (business ver- Kbps, but actual user experience is sus ruggedized models), among other usually limited to 56 Kbps or less.
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