The next time you enter a department store, take a look around. Chances are you'll see employees using ancient Palm OS-run devices with barcode scanners from Symbol to gather information about and keep track of inventory. The problem is newer rugged handhelds run on Windows Mobile. So upgrading would mean not just buying a whole new fleet of devices, but either re-writing in-house applications or purchasing a new commercially available software system.

Enter StyleTap, which for the last couple of years, has offered a solution to allow Windows Mobile PDAs and smartphones to run almost any Palm OS application. The company recently upgraded its software, also called StyleTap, to version 1.1, adding support for the barcode scanners integrated into many of the Windows Mobile-run rugged handhelds sold by Intermec and Symbol (acquired by Motorola a year ago for close to $4 billion).

With StyleTap support for barcode scanners, companies don't have to worry about losing their investment in specialized software when ditching out-of-date Palm OS handhelds for something newer, according to StyleTap CEO Gregory Sokoloff.

"Organizations can continue to run, without modification, most existing scanner applications on the new hardware, Sokoloff said. "They get all of the benefits of the new devices, without the time, expense and risk of developing a new application just to do the same things the existing applications are already doing."

Consequently, most barcode scanner software written for older Symbol devices such as the SPT1500 or SPT1800 will run on the newer Windows Mobile-based devices from Intermec (700, CN2B, CN3) or Symbol (MC50 and MC70).

StyleTap supports the landscape screen orientation favored by many recent Windows Mobile devices. Palm OS applications run fine on square (240 x 240), QVGA (240 x 320) or VGA (640 x 480) screen resolution displays as well.

The software also provides a display cursor that's controlled by a 5-way navigation button as a substitute for a touch screen, which Windows Mobile 5 Smartphones, but not Pocket PC Phones, lack.

Network applications work through Wi-Fi, serial or USB connections. Infrared and Bluetooth communications are supported.

StyleTap goes for $49.95.