December 2016

By and large, performance matters in computers as much as it does in vehicles and a lot of other machinery and items we use in our daily lives. Performance, of course, isn't everything. Unless you're a race car driver and need so and so much performance to be competitive, the extra cost of the highest possible performance is a luxury rather than a necessity. What it boils down to is getting as much performance as is needed. That said, we love performance and so we're listing the "speed demons" among the rugged tablets we've tested over the past several years. Gold, Silver and Bronze galore. [See Speed Demon Top 10: Rugged Tablets]

Getac expects rugged PCs to drive 2017 revenue growth
According to DigiTimes, Getac Technology chairman James Hwang aims to increase Getac's global market share for rugged industrial computing devices from the current 16-18% to 30% in three years. Hwang also indicated that half of Getac's rugged device revenue comes from US sales. And that Getac is supplying fiberglass plastic chassis to the world's top five notebook vendors (except Apple). [See DigiTimes article] -- Posted Wednesday, December 28, 2016

ARBOR launches 8-inch Tablet POS with dual-OS platform
ARBOR Technology announced the availability of the ARBOR Gladius G0830, a versatile point-of-sales system solution combining the advantage of both mobile and fixed POS. Designed for retail, warehousing and hospitality, inventory management, payment processing, customer data gathering and staff tracking, the Gladius G0830 Gladius has a special that dock that provides MSR, chipcard, and smart card reading, as well as additional wired connectivity. The G0830 tablet can also used with an optional pistol grip that more than doubles battery capacity. The G0830 was selected for the Taiwan Excellence Award 2017, Computex Best Choice Award 2016 in the smart retail category in Taipei, and also won the Mobility for Business Award 2016 for the best terminal innovation in Paris. [See ARBOR media release and RuggedPCReview's assessment of the Gladius G0830] -- Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Enterprise Mobility and Explosion Protection: Keep Your Eyes Open When Shopping for Hardware!
With the ongoing quest for cost-effective productivity enhancing measures, there's an increase in demand for intrinsically safe mobile computing gear, the safe operation of which requires far more than mere certification documentation. Improper deployment can have life-threatening consequences, and ultimately the responsibility for proper use is with the user. [Read "Enterprise Mobility and Explosion Protection: Keep Your Eyes Open When Shopping for Hardware!" by Johannes Buhn of BARTEC] -- Posted Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Zebra launches updated TC70x ultra-rugged handheld with either Android or Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise
Now that Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise is finally here to replace the old Windows Mobile/Embedded Handheld, industry leaders are starting to offer rugged handheld hardware that supports both of the operating systems. The latest example is Zebra's updated TC70x ultra-rugged touch computer. Newly equipped with hexa-core Snapdragon processors and a slew of tech enhancements, the 4.7-inch handheld with integrated industrial-grade scanner is targeted at various enterprise deployments. [See description, analysis and specs of the Zebra TC70x] -- Posted Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Janam launches XG3 with Android
Janam Technologies announced that its XG3 rugged mobile computer is now available with Android, making for a secure, flexible and collaborative platform to help organizations work smarter and faster. The XG3 is a gun-shaped rugged mobile computer designed from scratch as a workhorse based on tried-and-true, yet technologically up-to-date, technology, and capable of handling substantial abuse on the job. The XG3's 3.5-inch screen is super-sharp (229 ppi), the gun-style form factor is optimal for many applications, and the XG3 is available with industrial-grade 1D or 1D/2D integrated scanning. The availability of Android adds a secure, rich and familiar user experience option that may well enhance productivity at the point of activity. [See Janam media release and Janam XG3 product page] -- Posted Thursday, December 8, 2016

JLT Mobile selected by Poland's largest container facility
JLT Mobile Computers announced it has delivered 47 of its JLT VERSO+ 10 rugged mobile vehicle computers to the new T2 deep-water terminal at DCT Gdansk in Poland, the nation's largest container facility, and the only deep-water terminal in the Baltic Sea region. The rugged mobile vehicle computers, supplied by JLT partner Autepra, have been installed on Kalmar T2 terminal tractors. Running the Navis N4 Terminal OS, they are part of DCT's effort to open a second 650 meter deep-water berth at the T2 terminal, which will double the handling capacity of DCT Gdansk. [See JLT Mobile media release and JLT VERSO+ 10 product page] -- Posted Wednesday, December 7, 2016