November 2014

Full review: Cedar Tree Technologies CT4
In this era of 2-year contracts and installment plans to get the latest fragile consumer smartphone, many wish there'd be something less expensive and more durable. There is. RuggedPCReview.com performed a detailed review of Cedar Tree Technologies' CT4, an economically priced (US$489), dual-SIM, fully rugged, and remarkably advanced 4.3-inch Android handheld designed for harsh environments. It's IP68-sealed, virtually indestructible, and has superior cameras. [See full review of the Cedar Tree Technologies CT4] -- Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Full review: MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10
With their new xTablet Flex 10 10.1-inch tablet, MobileDemand breaks new ground by combining a modern, competent Intel Bay Trail-powered Windows 8.1 tablet with a specially designed and preinstalled case that provides very respectable ruggedness. The whole package, including the industrial-grade briefcase carrying handle and heavy duty handstrap costs less than an iPad Air 2! Yet, the 2.25 pound tablet's specs are impressive. Quad-core Z3770 CPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 10-point capacitive multi-touch, and a 1920 x 1200 pixel IPS display. [See full review of the MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10] -- Posted Monday, November 24, 2014

Corning introduces Gorilla Glass 4
Corning announced Gorilla Glass 4, which the company says is up to two times tougher than any competitive cover glass design now in the market. The new Gorilla Glass 4 has been especially formulated to address screen breakage from everyday drops. Gorilla Glass was first introduced in 2007. RuggedPCReview.com reported on it when tablet pioneer Motion Computing began using it in 2009 and we had an insightful conversation with Corning's Dr. Nagaraja Shashidhar back then (see here). Since its launch, Gorilla Glass has been used in more than 3 billion devices. The new Gorilla Glass 4 offers enhanced retained strength after use, higher resistance to scratch and sharp contact damage, improved drop performance, and superior surface quality. [See Corning Gorilla Glass 4 press release and detailed Gorilla Glass 4 specs]] -- Posted Thursday, November 20, 2014

MobileDemand announces 11.6-inch rugged xTablet T1600
MobileDemand announced the xTablet T1600, a rugged "thin & light" tablet with a large 11.6-inch 10-point capacitive multi-touch display, Intel "Haswell" U-Series Core i5 power, good onboard connectivity, optional 1D/2D scanner or HF RFID, as well as IP65 sealing and a 3-foot drop spec. Pricing starts at US$1,995. [See description, analysis and specs of the MobileDemand xTablet T1600] -- Posted Monday, November 17, 2014

Data Ltd introduces two Bay Trail-based rugged mobile POS multi-touch tablets for either Windows or Android
Data Ltd introduced the 8-inch DLI 8 and the 9.7-inch DLI 10 compact rugged tablets. Both are based on the 1.83GHz Intel "Bay Trail" N2930 processors, both offer capacitive multi-touch, and both can run either Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) or the full or embedded versions of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. While suitable for a variety of markets and applications, want sets these new DLI tablets apart is the availability of an add-on 5-in-1 module that adds RFID/NFC, MSR, scanning, smart card and pin pad for full-service mobile payment processing. [See description, analysis and specs of the Data Ltd DLI 8 and Data Ltd DLI 10] -- Posted Thursday, November 13, 2014

Full review: Samwell RUGGEDBOOK PC-760
The Samwell RUGGEDBOOK PC-760, geared towards mobile point-of-sale and data collection applications, provides Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 functionality in a refreshingly unique rugged tablet form factor. Slender and weighing under three pounds, the Intel Bay Trail-powered PC-760 has a sharp and bright 10.1-inch touch screen with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, capacitive multi-touch, and includes an industrial-grade 1D/2D scanner. Available options include bolt-on magnetic card and Smart Card readers, as well as HF RFID. [Read our full review of the Samwell RUGGEDBOOK PC-760] -- Posted Friday, November 7, 2014

Intrinsically safe ecom Tab-Ex: another rugged tablet based on Samsung hardware
em instruments launched the Tab-Ex, an 8-inch rugged Android 4.4 tablet with a Zone 1/Div. 1 intrinsic safety rating, meaning that the device can be used in certain types of hazardous environments with flammable gasses present. The unusual aspect of the Tab-Ex is that it is based on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active Android tablet, which is inherently IP67-sealed and can already handle 4-foot drops. Applying their own patented technologies to the platform, ecom will be able to offer the Tab-Ex at various levels of intrinsic safety. [read more] -- Posted Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Full review: ARBOR Gladius G0975 rugged Bay Trail tablet
RuggedPCReview tested the elegantly designed and Intel Bay Trail N2930-powered ARBOR Gladius G0975 tablet that provides full Windows functionality in a rugged tablet form factor. Intended for use in field service, transportation, mobile point of sale and logistics work and weighing just over two pounds, the Gladius is considerably lighter than most traditional full-size rugged tablets. Its bright 9.7-inch multi-touch screen with XGA resolution offers enough space to run Windows comfortably and even works with thin gloves. There is sufficient wired connectivity on board, as well as a wealth of wireless functionality. [See full review of the ARBOR Gladius G0975] -- Posted Monday, November 3, 2014

Happy 25th Anniversary, Getac!

This month, Getac is celebrating its 25t Anniversary. It all started 1989 when GE Aerospace and MiTAC of Taiwan formed Getac to build the company's first product, the T3020 mobile computer that was designed specifically for military field use. Today, Getac is one of the largest providers of rugged notebooks, laptops and handhelds in the world. The company celebrated the event at the US Marine Corps 2014 Miramar Air Show. RuggedPCReview.com was there, and here is our illustrated report: See Getac celebrates 25th Anniversary! -- Posted Saturday, November 1, 2014