Ford will soon offer US buyers wireless mobile offices in its F-series pickup trucks, an option aimed at building contractors and others who do business on the road.

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Ford spokesman Alan Hall told The Associated Press (AP) that pricing isn’t set yet but it would cost around US$3,000 (EUR2,500) for a wireless-equipped computer, printer and global positioning system. Add-ons like a digital camera and credit-card scanner also would be available.


AP said a Ford F-250 Super Duty truck equipped with a mobile office was shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas this week. The annual show isn’t open to the public, but shows off the latest aftermarket trends and components to around 100,000 auto industry insiders.


According to the report, Ford expects to offer the mobile office as a dealer-installed accessory in 2006. The system uses a flat Stargate Mobile computer, powered by the truck’s battery and mounted on a stand between the driver’s seat and passenger seat.


The computer has a touch-screen option – eliminating the need for a keyboard or mouse – and is designed to be removed from the stand and taken to a work site. It stays connected to the internet via a broadband wireless cellular card, AP added.

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“It’s super rugged. You can drop it in the dirt, pick it up, brush it off and you’re good to go,” Patty Dilger, director of North American automotive and industrial equipment for Microsoft, which worked with Ford to develop the mobile office and provides the Windows XP Professional operating system, told The Associated Press.


Dilger reportedly said this is the first time that the operating system has been available as a dealer-installed option in a vehicle. Microsoft has an operating system called Windows Automotive 5.0 in about 18 vehicle models, but it’s mainly used for vehicle communication systems such as real-time traffic updates.


AP said the computer in the Ford pickups will be equipped with office software, including Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint, and also can play music or be used for navigation.


Around 60% of F-series buyers use their trucks for business, Hall told The Associated Press.