Rugged vehicle mount computer gets major technology and functionality upgrade
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Note: On December 10, 2012, Intermec announced that it will be acquired by Honeywell

On February 1, 2012, Intermec announced the Intermec CV41 Fixed Vehicle Mount Computer, a Windows CE-based, Intel Atom-powered touch screen device with a comprehensive keypad and integrated Vocollect voice command support.

What we have here is a rather compact 3-pound computer with a 10.6 x 8.4 inch footprint (roughly like a netbook) that is about two inches thick. It has both a nicely sized 8-inch touch screen for quick taps and an elaborate keyboard for more complex operations. It uses vehicle power and can be mounted almost anywhere via numerous RAM Mount options. To keep things simple it's running Windows CE. A 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU—the same that's used in numerous Windows tablets and devices—provides more than ample processing power.

While a device like this has very wide application potential, Intermec primarily targets the CV41 towards forklift and similar vehicle operators, helping them improve performance and productivity, and assisting warehouse operations managers contain costs and gain additional efficiencies wherever possible.

One of the things that set the CV41 apart is its backlit 64-key QWERTY keyboard with a separate number pad, 10 function keys, keyboard overlay legends that supports VT220, 3270 and 5250 emulation (the device comes with the factory-loaded Intermec Client Pack), and the ability to map almost all keys.

Another welcome feature is the unusually complete connectivity both wired (USB host and client, serial, CAN-BUS, audio) and wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth, WWAN/GPS). This allows operators to use a wide variety of peripherals such as scanners, imager, RFID readers and more. Also nice is the 800 x 480 pixel touch display that comes in indoor (400-nit backlight) and outdoor (900-nit backlight) versions. Below you can see the CV41's detachable "Smart-Dock."

The CV41 supports voice operation via Vocollect VoiceCatalyst and a wireless headset, integrated microphone and integrated speakers. This allows VoIP (Voice over IP) and push-to-talk applications. On the ruggedness front, the CV41 is sealed to IP66 specifications, which means that the device is completely sealed against dust and it can now also handle strong water jets of water from all directions, so pressure-washing is possible.

Overall, the CV41 is a small, handy vehicle-mount computer with surprising performance and connectivity, but without the complexity and size of a full Windows system.