ITScriptNet 3.1b has been release. This is a maintenance update, which adds support for a few more devices. It also has some bug fixes and a few new features.

New clients include:

Honeywell Dolphin 6500

AML M8050 and KDT900

Motorola MT2000 series

New features include:

Added an option to Image Capture to allow selecting the Imager or Camera for device equipped with multiple cameras.

Added the Deployment Override utility for creating and managing Override INI files.

Added SetRemoteClock function to set the device clock from the server clock.

Added support for the Prox Reader in the Unitech MT-380 Utilities DLL.

You can find all of the details in our Knowledge Base, and download the new version right now!

With the release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, 64-bit is becoming more popular. However, at this time we do not have any plans to release a 64-bit verison of ITScriptNet. Why?

First of all, the 32-bit version runs fine on all 64-bit Windows operating systems. Windows has a 32-bit subsystem for running on ^4-bit machines.

Secondly, there isn't any advantage (yet) to moving to 64-bit. The primary advantage of a 64-bit OS over 32-Bit is the larger memory size. However, as of now we are not having any trouble fitting into a 4GB address space.

Third, there are actually disadvantages to moving to 64-Bit. There is actually a small performance penalty associated with the larger register size using more of the processor cache. There is also the time associated with actually performing the conversion. Right now, we feel our time is better spent adding new features and improving ITScriptNet. For a slightly technical discussion of this topic, here is a blog entry about why Microsoft has not yet ported Visual Studio to 64-bit either.

This isn't to say that there are no issues to be aware of. In fact, we have posted a Knowledge Base article about two of the 64-bit concerns, ODBC Data Sources and .Net Assemblies.

We will continue to monitor progress in this area, and in the long run a 64-Bit port will probably need to be done. However, in the short term you can continue to use ITScriptNet safely on all flavors of Windows.

It appears that Microsoft is going to release an other intermediate Windows Mobile version before version 7. Microsoft now says that following on the heels of WM 6.5.3 (just released), will be WM 6.6.

One of the interesting features discussed is adding support for Capacitive touchscreens. Up to now, almost all Windows Mobile devices have had Resistive touchscreens. Why does this matter? Resistive touchscreens are more suited to using a Stylus, which Capacitive touchscreens require a finger (in fact, they won't work with a stylus). The iPhone and iPod Touch are examples of Capacitive touchscreens. Another difference is that Capacitive touchscreens support multi-touch, while resistive screens do not.

Many users prefer the responsiveness of a capacitive touchscreen, and they are perceived to be a 'superior' technology. However, is Capacitive a good choice for a data collection device? It would certainly not be a good choice for applications requiring gloves. It will also require changes to the way applications are designed, as on-screen elements need to be larger to support less accurate finger-press as opposed to a stylus. However, it opens the door for more gesture-based elements, such as flicking lists to scroll.

We will see if any of the Data Collection device manufacturers choose to release new models with capacitive screens in the coming years.

In a study commisioned by Honeywell, almost half of the people surveyed would be interested in using mobile phones for receiving barcoded coupons. The idea would be for the consumer to display the linear or 2-D symbol on the phone screen, and the retailer would use an area imager to read it. Honeywell would presumably see their Adaptus imaging technology as a means to achieve this. We have used Adaptus scanners to read barcodes from PC LCD screens. This is an interesting direction to take mobile data collection!

Honeywell has announced the Dolphin 9700 mobile computer. This is a smaller PDA style device, and features a full VGA display, 3.5G radios, Qwerty keyboard, a secondary camera, and Windows Mobile 6.5. We are working on ITScriptNet support for this device, and will release it soon.