One of our guys has an old Psion Workabout handheld he uses for inputting data in the field (literally out in fields, he's a soil scientist). It will not cooperate with Windows 7. An update to a more modern version of the same device is approx $5000. Given that modern cellphones, laptops and tablets rarely crack $2000 this seems dear for what is a pretty dumb device (the 'new' ones run Win Mobile 6.x - I have old Ipaq pocket PCs I can't give away...) with no mobile comms at all.

Does anyone here know of any useful tool for inputting essentially text data, in a fairly hostile (damp, dirty) environment in direct sunlight, preferrably, but not necessarily, with a keypad rather than touchscreen? One that doesn't cost as much as six really nice smartphones? Mobile comms not required, as long as it will sync happily with Win7.