PLC micro-p better than PC micro-p ?

Guys

This question is related to remote datalogger cum modem microprocessor issue. It is very hard to find a good datalogger cum modem forum, and PLC guys I believe are the smartest, most experienced in lots of this and that issues, and knows the most about smaller microprocessor , so I will shoot here, it's a slightly long story.

So i have this datalogger cum modem . The device logs data every 1 minute and automatically sends the data by GPRS to 5 emails servers every 10 minutes.

Then the customer noticed that the device cannot log data while it is transmitting data: taking 1-2 minutes to connect to GPRS, packs the data and send it by emails.

The customer starts yelling and said his old other type datalogger never loses data while it is transmitting, how come I upgrade him to a crappier modem?

Upon investigation, it was found out the operation of the customer's datalogger is different, and it has a different processor.

Customer datalogger-modem (lets call it cus-dat)

Operation: Uses interogation mode. By using a home based PC to dial into the remote datalogger-modem and give a command to the remote modem to send back logged data by TCPIP back to the home based PC with GPRS. It polls the data once every 24 hours.

Hardware: Processor 486 class processor @ 33 MHz, Memory 4MB Flash program memory,1MB Flash log memory,8MB DRAM.

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My datalogge-modem (lets call it my-dat)

Operation: Automatically sends back the data every 10 minutes to 5 email address with GPRS.

Hardware Mitshubishi 18.4 Mhz RISK technology processor, 512 KBs of RAM which leave 342 KB of FIFO memory, 512 KBs operating system and application firmware, a built in ARM 7 communications processor (ichip by Connect One Israel) and aproximately 4 MBs of communications firmware and a built in wireless embedded GSM/GPRS engine by wavecom the Q2686.

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The my-dat supplier said:

1)It is demanding for My-dat to send data by email, thus if the device logs and sends data at the same, it would slow down the device data logging and transmission speed considerably: "When sending email ilog makes the connection over GPRS establishes a conecction to the SMTP and then packs the data and sends them. Upon completion it requires a validation from the SMTP to mark the transmission as a success, otherwise it retries, etc."

2)My-dat can log and transmit data simutaneously like Cus-dat also without slowing down, only if My-dat is in interogation mode. Because it is easier to maintain a VPN GPRS connection - a known IP over GPRS, and transmit data via online TCPIP.

3) Cus-dat is a PC processor likely using Windows Mobile and is less reliable.

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My questions:

1. What do you think of My-dat microprocessor? Is it the top in its class? Or is it a cheaper one choosen by inexprienced designers trying to reduce their products cost? Any links to refer?

2. Is it likely that Cus-dat which uses 486 likely also cannot log data and transmit by email simutaneously? I mean, I am using a duo core very advance PC, and I noticed that (probably) that when the PC is trying to connect a dial up, a sand clock comes up on the mouse cursor, and it is near impossible to save a word doc simutaneously.

3. If PLC and dataloggers seldom uses 386,486 as its processor, what is the reason? Too expensive? Or is it the unreliability of Windows? Guys, I know everyone knows Windows sucks. In power plants, the critical DCS wouldn't touch Windows NT with a pole, opting for Linux.

4. Is 486 unreliable in terms of hardware? Any link that comment on this?

5. Is packing and sending data by email really that much more demanding? What is your experience? Any link on the theory behind this?

Thanks.