Portable data terminal

They have also been called enterprise digital assistants (EDA), data capture mobile devices, batch terminals or just portables.

They can also serve as barcode readers, and they are used in large stores, warehouses, hospitals, or in the field, to access a database from a remote location.

Others have a touch screen, IrDA, Bluetooth, a memory card slot, or one or more data capture devices.

[1] Boundaries among PDA, smartphone and EDA can be blurred when comparing the wide array of common features and functions.

EDAs attempt to distinguish themselves with a pre-defined requirement for long term constant daily operation (normally allowing a minimum of 8 hours).