Cries with the demise of the original Symbol. (It's owned by Zebra now.)
A giant university student housing department changed their FMMS system from Apple Newton MessagePad 130 from Symbol MC50's in the spirt of Barcodes and database for all the things! In that era, I had ~50 unique smart PDA-barcode scanners on my desk.
It was one of the last known large-scale users. They were pretty durable and it was needed as they were used outside and in spaces with humidity, dirt, etc.
The final contenders came down to the MC9000, MC50, and MC430. The MC9000 was "too expensive" despite meeting all of the requirements, so the MC50 was chosen.
PS: I acquired an eMate 300 because it's quirky and interesting.
A giant university student housing department changed their FMMS system from Apple Newton MessagePad 130 from Symbol MC50's in the spirt of Barcodes and database for all the things! In that era, I had ~50 unique smart PDA-barcode scanners on my desk.