Aceeca is a privately owned New Zealand company that sells a variety of instruments and mobile handheld devices all over the world.
The Meazura platform started out as one of very few ruggedized Palm devices, and the Palm-based MEZ1000 is still available running a classic version of the Palm OS on a classic processor once used in millions of Palms.
With the Palm OS and platform no longer what they once were, Aceeca had to shift gears and planned on releasing a PXA270-based MEZ1500 model and a PXA320-based MEZ2000 model, both running either Windows CE or Linux (see comparison of all Meazura models). The original product plans had to be revised and as of early 2009, Aceeca announced it will release a redesigned version of the US$499 MEZ1500 with a Samsung instead of a Marvell chip, and also add a second new model in the US$399 RDA1500.
The MEZ1500 uses the same tried-and-true design of the original Meazura, but has vastly updated electronics. The device now uses a Samsung S3C2440 processor running at 400 MHz, and it can run either Windows CE 5.0/6.0 or Linux.
To easily interface with virtually any kind of sensor signal conditioning circuitry the Meazura MEZ models have a proprietary "MZIO" expansion slot for third-party add-on modules. In the MEZ1500, you also find a SD Card slot. The device has 64MB of SDRAM, 64MB of Flash memory and a powerful 13 watt-hour Li-Ion battery. Communication is via IrDA, serial or USB. Bluetooth and 802.11b/g WiFi are optionally available. The RDA1500 will have identical specs as the MEZ1500, except for the MZIO expansion feature.
The Meazura models offers superb IP67 sealing, which means it is totally protected against dust and can actually survive immersion into water. Based on the look of the device and the inherent simplicity of its design, as well as the tried-and-true hardware, the Meazura ought to hold up well in the field.
