A Pocket PC designed specifically for healthcare applications
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Socket Mobile, Inc., a longtime provider of mobile productivity solutions, has been selling the Somo 650 handheld computer for a couple of years now. It's a conventional, semi-rugged Pocket PC, the kind millions of people had before the telcos convinced us that every mobile device also needed to be a phone. Well, that is not the case, and Socket has been selling a good number of their 650 Series handheld computer. In April of 2009 they announced the availability of an additional version as part of its first antimicrobial suite of healthcare products for medical mobility that includes the Socket SoMo 650Rx and their line of barcode scanners with the Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanners CHS 7NRx and CHS 7XRx and the plug-in CompactFlash Scan Card 5XRx.

The antimicrobial products are encased in plastic that's been infused with antimicrobial materials that provide an extra layer of protection against the multiplication and spread of potentially harmful bacteria and microbes. The Socket Rx suite is geared toward healthcare providers who need durable and easily cleaned and disinfected products to use bedside point of care applications (BPOC), medication administration, e-prescribing, asset tracking and implementing electronic medical records (EMRs). With the current push towards establishing electronic patient records and a general shift to enforcing better care and counsel for patients, healthcare providers are seeking new mobile solutions that will help improve efficiencies in the gathering and accuracy of their data.

The new 650rx adds a layer of antimicrobial protection. Socket enlisted the services of Antimicrobial Test Laboratories, LLC to conduct the industry standard JIS Z 2801 test that quantitatively measures the ability of antimicrobial surfaces to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. According to Socket, the tests showed that the antimicrobial casing reduced Staph bacteria on the surface by 99% over a 24 hour period. Used in conjuntion with Sani-Cloth, the antimicrobial properties are more than doubled. [Read the Antimicrobial Lab Test Report]

As far as the underlying platform goes, the Socket Mobile 650 is a "traditional" handheld computer that still looks like a PDA and not like a phone on steroids. It measures 5 x 2.95 x 1.0 inches and weighs just over seven ounces. It has a nice-sized 3.5-inch LCD display so you can actually read what is on the display. The body is made of tough plastic that's clinical-white instead of the dark plastics used for standard Somos. The overall design is rectangular, but corners are rounded and edges smoothed both for impact protection and ergonomic reasons. The sides are protected with seamlessly integrated light-gray rubber strips.

Taking a look from all sides, the front of the 650rx sports a 5-way navigation button flanked by two application bottons on each side -- Calendar and Messaging on the left and Contacts and Today on the right. At the bottom right is a small hole for the microphone (placed so that the 650 can be used as a VoIP communicator). The power bottom is on the right above the screen. On the upper left is a blue/green LED that shows Bluetooth and WiFi operation, and a red/green one that signals alarms and battery charging.

Turn the unit around and find a smooth backside with a large user-accessible compartment for the 650rx's extended 3.7 Volt/2,600mAH Li-Ion battery pack that adds about a fifth of an inch in thickness and an ounce of weight, but greatly increases battery life. To the right of it is the speaker, and that's it for the backside.

Along the left side, from top to bottom, you find a hands-free headset microphone connector, a programmable application button, a "hold" switch, and the DC power connector at the bottom. The right side is unadorned except for a single programmable application button.

On the bottom is the USB synchronization/host cable connector for the dock. On top there is a tight-fitting rubber cover below which you find a Compact Flash Type II slot and a SDIO card slot. To the right of the cover is the garage for the nicely integrated stylus.

Under the hood