Chossing Between a Rugged PDA or Industrial Grade Handheld?

My sales team is asked hourly for recommendations for mobile handheld computers, smartphones and PDAs. The customer is always looking for the most cost effective solution. Cost effective must include value, reliability, usability, flexibility, expandability and much more - the total cost of ownership. There is a document you can download here that lists all the questions you need to ask before making the purchase.

I was reading about the industrial grade handheld PDA M3 today and their description points to some of the rugged features that users need to consider.

M3 Industrial PDA M3’s rugged design and IP54-rated sealing ensures continued use and uptime by protecting against dust, moisture and extreme temperatures (-20°C ~ 50°C), And, whether working inside or out, it has a drop spec of 1.5m to concrete across vast temperature ranges, reducing equipment and maintenance costs.More...

A lot of your decision needs to be based upon what kind of mobile software application you are going to use and what operating system it requires. Do you need a large screen to read drawings, blueprints and maps, or a simple data form?