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  Home arrow News arrow Ruggedized UMPC is a tablet that shrunk in the wash

Ruggedized UMPC is a tablet that shrunk in the wash
By Jonathan Angel

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MobileDemand announced a ruggedized UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) touted as offering the essential features of a tablet, in a smaller, lighter package. The xTablet T7000 meets IP54 and MIL-STD 810F standards, has a seven-inch touchscreen and integral numeric keypad, and includes a barcode scanner and RFID reader, the company says.

According to MobileDemand, its xTablet 7000 comes with a magnesium-alloy case sporting a rubber bumper on each of its corners, and complies with IP54 and MIL-STD 810F standards. Sealed against rain and dust, the device can be deluged for ten minutes at up to 40 pounds per square inch, and also survives 26 repeated drops to a plywood-over-concrete floor from up to three feet, the company says.


The MobileDemand xTablet T7000

MobileDemand says the T7000 has a seven-inch touchscreen that offers a resolution of up to 1024 x 600 pixels and is available in a sunlight-readable version. Meanwhile, the device has numeric and directional keypads that are located to the screen's right, as pictured above.

For those who want a full QWERTY keyboard, MobileDemand sells an optional, snap-on module featuring alphabetical keys that are divided into two sections, separated by eight function keys. This module (below left) adds an unspecified amount to the T7000's original dimensions (8.8 x 5.7 x 1.56 inches) and, interestingly, also includes two USB 2.0 ports, a serial port, and a VGA output on its backside (below right).


The T7000's add-on keyboard module
(Click either image to enlarge)

Without the keyboard module, the T7000 still includes a serial port, two USB 2.0 ports, and a docking station connector (not pictured). The UMPC is also said to sport a SD slot, plus optional PCMCIA, ExpressCard, or PCI Express Mini Card slots.

Other hardware basics include a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530P CPU and SCH US1WP chipset, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and a 1.8-inch, 60GB hard disk drive. The T7000 can be supplied instead with a 32GB or 64GB SSD (solid state disk), MobileDemand adds.

Especially for such a small device, the T7000 has a wide range of data collection capabilities. According to MobileDemand, the UMPC is available with an integrated barcode scanner that can focus from two to 13 inches and reads all major 1D or 2D symbologies. Another option is a MSR (magnetic stripe reader), while a two megapixel camera is standard, the company says.

An integrated GPS receiver using the U-box 5 chipset is also available, MobileDemand says. Cellular modems may be fitted using the T7000's PCMCIA slot, adds the company.

MobileDemand says the 2.5-pound T7000 includes dual battery bays, allowing for freshly charged batteries to be swapped in without shutting Windows down. The device supports dual 2550mAH batteries, for a claimed 7.5 hours of operation, or dual 5100mAh batteries, for a claimed 15 hours of use.

Apart from the WAN option already mentioned, networking includes 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1. An Ethernet port is said to be included in an optional docking station.

Features and specifications listed by MobileDemand for the xTablet T7000 UMPC include the following:

  • Processor -- Intel Atom Z530P clocked at 1.6GHz
  • Chipset -- Intel SCH US15WP
  • Memory -- 2GB of DDR2 RAM (expandability not cited)
  • Display -- 7-inch touchscreen with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution; sunlight-readable version optional
  • Keys -- numeric keypad and directional keys; optional QWERTY keyboard module
  • Camera -- 2 megapixel
  • Storage -- 1.8-inch hard disk drive with 60GB; 32GB or 64GB SSD also available
  • Expansion:
    • SD slot
    • PCMCIA slot (optional)
    • ExpressCard slot (optional)
    • PCI Express Mini Card slot (optional)
    • Docking station connector
  • Networking:
    • WLAN -- 802.11b/g/n
    • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.1
    • Ethernet (optional)
  • Other I/O:
    • 2 x USB 2.0
    • 1 x serial
    • Barcode scanner (optional)
    • Magnetic stripe reader (optional)
    • GPS receiver (optional)
  • Battery type/life -- dual bays support 2 x 2550mAh packs for 7.5-hour operation, or 2 x 5100mAh packs for 15-hour operation
  • Operating temperature -- -4 to 122 deg. F (-20 to 50 deg. C)
  • Dimensions -- 8.8 x 5.7 x 1.56 inches (225 x 145 x 39.8mm)
  • Weight -- 2.5 pounds (1.1kg)
Further information

According to MobileDemand, the xTablet T7000 runs Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows Vista Business, or Windows 7 Professional. Prices start at approximately $1,900, the company adds.

More information may be found on the company's website, here, and a video of the system may be found on YouTube, here.


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