Special Hardware

Wow! Jumping from consumer grade hardware to commercial isn't easy.

No, the programming isn't any different, but ordering... That's a different story.

I just spent two weeks going from manufacturer to distributor and finally hunting for a reseller who would sell Psion Ikons to my company.

Many of the resellers I called were not interested in selling just the hardware. (They sell the hardware for a loss and want the development money). I finally found one who would sell the bare unit. As I was talking to them, I found out that they also do development work. I was 10 minutes into the call before I was even asked if I wanted them to do the work.

Anyway, along the way I learned a few things.
1. Manufacturers don't want to do any type of one-time sales. They want a steady income stream.
2. Distributors (see #1)
3. Many Value Added Resellers want you to pay for their "added value" and make poor "resellers"
4. Finding the right person is worth the hunt.
5. Don't get frustrated when you end up on a wild goose chase.
and finally
Ask as many questions as you can at every step. You never know what you'll learn.

I have 4 pages of notes that I've collected at each step. Having these notes has made each successive step that much easier. By the time I got to the reseller, I knew most of my options. I also knew that they might know more about the product than I could. They were able to put together a good combination at a good price.

The real fun begins next week when I get my hands on the real thing. (Emulators only go so far)

More to follow