RuggedTabletPc
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Motion outs F5t, C5t rugged tablet PCs with Ivy Bridge and optional SSD, pricing starts at $2,240
Okay, these might not be quite as elegant as, say, that 10-inch, high-res slate coming out of the famed Cupertino labs, but hey, folks working on construction sites (or doing other types of handy work) need to get some actual work done. Here's where Motion Computing comes in. The outfit's just taken the wraps off of its newest rugged tablet PCs, the F5t and C5t -- both of which can be loaded with a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 third-gen Intel CPU, also known as Ivy Bridge. What's more, the company's also letting users pick between a 64 or 128GB solid-state drive, which can then be paired alongside 2 or 4GB of RAM. As you can imagine, this ruggedized duo isn't exactly aimed at something like the Nexus 7 crowd, since the starting price point for the Windows 7 Pro couple starts off at around $2,240 ($2,236, to be exact) depending on configuration. Either way, you can give 'em both a better look after the break, thanks to a press shot gallery courtesy of their creator.%Gallery-162406%
Motion Computing rolls out rugged J3500 tablet PC
Motion Computing's J3400 tablet PC was fairly well received when it debuted last year, and it looks like the company hasn't broken the mold too much for its new J3500 model. That includes the same rugged enclosure as before, an outdoor-friendly 12.1-inch display (now with Gorilla Glass), and dual pen and touch input. Of course, it's thankfully quite a different story with the tablet's internals, which have now been upgraded to include your choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors, a 3-megapixel camera, up to a 160GB hard drive or 128GB SSD and, last but not least, Windows 7 Professional instead of Vista. Anyone hoping for a price cut is still out of luck, though -- the J3500 packs the exact same $2,299 starting price as before. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and a video courtesy of GottaBeMobile.
Handheld US rolls out rugged Algiz 7 tablet
It's been quite a while since an Algiz tablet last popped up on our radar, but Handheld US is now back with another model: the Algiz 7. In addition to a fresh new white enclosure, this one packs a 7-inch touchscreen display, along with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, and Windows 7 Professional for an OS. To help you out in the field, you'll get a hot-swappable 2400 mAh dual battery pack, built-in GPS, and optional 3G -- not to mention ruggedization to MIL-STD-810G standards. No word on a price just yet, but this one will apparently start shipping next month. [Thanks, Mark S]
Rugged Duros 8404 tablet PC: now with Atom, sunlight-viewable LCD
We're not saying that Intel's Atom CPUs are lightning fast or anything, but even the 1.6GHz N270 is snappier than the lethargic 1GHz Celeron M that was placed in last year's Duros tablet. In an effort to make the 8404 viable once more, Duros has introduced an equally rugged new model with an Atom processor, hot-swappable battery and an 8.4-inch SVGA sunlight-viewable touchscreen. You'll still find an IP65 sealed enclosure (perfect for those leisurely jaunts through Deadfoot), as well as Windows XP running the show. For those craving extras, the 8404 can be equipped with WiFi, WWAN connectivity, GPS and Bluetooth, not to mention 1GB of RAM, a vehicle dock, integrated Intel graphics, a 120GB hard drive and a single USB 2.0 socket. There's no mention of price, but considering that you can run this thing over with a snowmobile and continue your Gchat session where you left off, we'd expect to fork over quite the premium.[Via HotHardware]
Xplore debuts rugged iX104C4 tablet PC
Xplore Technologies isn't exactly the most prolific purveyor of rugged computers, but it looks like it's finally managed to churn out a follow-up to its circa-2006 iX104C3 tablet PC, with its new and slightly improved iX104C4 now making its official debut. This one retains the same 10.4-inch form factor of its predecessor, but gets a 50% brighter Dual Mode AllVue Xtreme display (still XGA), along with a 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and all the usual wLAN, wWAN, Bluetooth and GPS options. As has been the case with Xplore in the past, there's no word on a price but, then again, most of the folks that wind up using these in the field won't exactly be paying for them out of their own pocket.
NEC rolls out new ShieldPRO rugged tablet PC for Japan
NEC's ShieldPRO ruggedized tablet PCs have never exactly put much emphasis on looks, but the company seems to at least be trying to spice things up a bit with its latest FC-N22A model, which ditches the usual nothing-but-business appearance for something designed to turn a few more heads. That brightly-colored exterior will still give you the same IP55-compliant dust and water resistance, however, along with enough ruggedness to protect it from three-foot drops onto a concrete floor. Otherwise, you can expect the usual 12.1-inch display, low-power Core 2 Duo U7500 1.0GHz processor, a promised 12 hours of battery life, optional built-in GPS, and good 'ol Windows XP for an OS. No word on a price just yet, but you can look for this one to hit Japan by the end of June.[Via I4U News]
MobileDemand lets loose rugged xTablet T8700 tablet PC
It may not look all that different from its previous xTablet T8600, but MobileDemand still seems to have found plenty to brag about its new xTablet T8700 rugged tablet PC, which it says offers the "industry's highest performance" in addition to "superior ruggedness." That performance is centered around a 1.2GHz Core Duo processor and a standard 2GB of RAM, which certainly isn't much compared to consumer laptops and tablet PCs, but is pretty uncommon in a rugged tablet of this class, which are usually saddled with a Celeron or the like. On that other, even more important matter (at least for anyone in the market for one of these), you can expect an MIL-STD 810F rating for ruggedness and an IP 65 rating for sealing, which you can see put to the test in video form on MobileDemand's website. Needless to say, none of this exactly comes cheap, with a hefty $3,795 required to call this one your own.
Roper Mobile Technology intros rugged Duros tablet PC
There's certainly no shortage of rugged tablet PCs out there, but those still undecided computing options for their next trek through the wilderness now have yet another possibility to consider, with Roper Mobile Technology introducing its new Duros tablet. On the ruggedness front, this one is sealed to IP-65 levels for dust and water protection and tested to MIL STD 810F standards for vibration, shock, high/low temperatures and the inevitable drops. Of course, all that comes with a slight compromise in computing power, with your only processor options being a 1.0GHz Celeron M processor or AMD Geode LX800, along with a max 1GB of RAM. The optional 64GB SSD hard drive is decidedly not low end, however, and neither is the tablet's connectivity options, including optional GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS and, of course, built-in GPS. No word on a price but, like most things excessively rugged, that's probably best kept on a need to know basis.[Via I4U News]
