Just finished an RF app for the SPT1740...here's what little I know:

The SPT17XX are just a Palm III with a built in scanner and maybe an RF card. This means anything you can program a Palm to do the 17XX will do. The touch-screen can be both good and bad in hostile environments. Batch collection software is available and there are Palm programming tools that write Dbase style dbf files. If you know C (forget C++), Metrowerks Palm is great! I am just starting on the batch portion of the app and the conduit (dock-n-download) looks as though it may be a challenge (unforget C++). With an internal RF card, it functions as an IP device on a wireless network (you know, the IEEE 802.3 or is it 803.2, it is late in the day!). Using Wavelink server software, you can write your app completely in VFP very easily, however Wavelink does not have any batch capability. If you prefer WinCE, the PPT27XX is about the same price.

The P360 is a Symbol "PDT" style device which I think is compatable with the older PDT apps. This tool did not fit my needs, so I do not have any experience with it. The PDT's use a DOS-like OS and there are program generators available for it. Check the prices carefully, I am currently buying SPT1742 with RF and 8mb ram for less than the 360.

The P370 is an RF version of the 360 EXCEPT the RF function is tied to a receiver hooked to a host computer and has a 50 to 100 feet range and will not function as an IP device on a wireless network.

Symbol is now much kinder to outside developers and developer registration is now free and downloads are encouraged. There is also a list of independent Symbol developers at the website.

Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance, I am an irregular "lurker", so mail me personally if I do not pick-up a request quickly.

Good Luck!

>We're looking for remote handheld scanners (upload or RF) to read barcode serial numbers in a warehouse environment to interface with an application we are developing.
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>Has anyone had any experience with specific equipment and developing the software to make them work? From what we can see Symbol Technologies SPT-1700 pocket PC readers and P360/P370 seems to have the most appropiate equipment.
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>Would you be able to point us to anyone with expertise in this area? We're not sure whether we want to develop this ourselves or subcontract it out.
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>Any direction would be appreciated.