Pimp my handset

Receiving this press release from the Swedish company Handheld Europe made me wonder why the market for 'rugged devices for tough environments' remains a niche. After all, the popularity of the SUV and hiking footwear among sedentary city-dwellers suggests that there are enough poseurs with the cash and desire to turn field devices (laptops, handsets, PDAs) into mass-market commodities. Rio Ferdinand probably has his already.