Hi Paul,

Symbol (www.symbol.com) has been a leader in integrated bar-code scanning solutions, but they are not the cheapest. The web site should give you an idea of what is available. I'm sure you can find a third party add-on to any handheld to save money.

Except for the new OS5 systems, Palm-based handhelds are cheaper than PocketPC counterparts. Microsoft may be gaining in market share, but IMO it will be a long time before Palm goes away.

If you will be creating a wireless web-based app, you should be able to use the Mobile Internet ToolKit for Visual Studio .NET. Otherwise, you'll probably have to use a tool that targets the specific handheld that you choose.

Have you considered tablet PC's? The large screen may be desirable for the type of applications you described. You should be able to use any development environment you want on one of those.

>We currently have a couple of clients looking to expand current software solutions to incorporate Pocket PC devices. The include restaurant and remote order taking/delivery type applications. We are looking at what the best approach is, and I am wondering if anybody has good suggestions. We would like to be able to include networking functions for sending orders/transactions without a hotsync as well as the ability to print invoices or tickets to networked priters without going through a PC.
>
>I am looking for suggestions for:
>
>- Best Pocket PC hardware to use for functionality/flexibility/price. Is there any particular unit that lends itself better to development? We will want to incorporate barcode scanning, any good/bad experiences with different barcode option (pc/card, cradle, etc.)?
>
>- Best development tools. My employer is very big on sticking with the Microsoft platform so we are thinking about VB.net. Of course we have to integrate the data with our existing VFP application.
>
>- Resources to get started. Is there a good book or some good websites? Of course this is probably tied to the development tool used.
>
>Thanks for any suggestions!