| Rugged tablet PC has seven-hour battery life |
Mar. 04, 2008
 MobileDemand has announced a rugged tablet PC that runs Windows XP and Vista. The xTablet T8700 features a toughened 8.4-inch touchscreen display, a numeric keypad, gigabit Ethernet, wireless networking, and up to seven hours of battery life, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of the T8700)
The T8700 has a magnesium-alloy case that meets the IP54 standard for dust protection. Also compliant with MIL-STD810F, the device can stand repeated drops to plywood-over-concrete surfaces from a distance of 36 inches, according to the company.
The T8700's 8.4-inch touchscreen display has 800 x 600 resolution. Said to be daylight-readable, it is protected via 3M's Vikuiti optical film. Unlike some tablet PCs, the device also offers a numeric keypad and directional keypad.
The tablet uses Intel's Core Duo ULV U2500 processor, which is clocked at 1.2GHz, and features a 2MB second-level cache. It is combined with 2GB of DDR2 RAM, expandable to 4GB.
For mass storage, customers can choose an 80GB, 2.5-inch hard drive, or select 8GB, 16GB, or 64GB solid-state disks (SSDs). The SSDs give 30 percent faster performance in boot times, program loads, and data access, and up to a ten percent increase in battery life, MobileDemand says.
Speaking of battery life, the T8700's high-capacity 6600 mAH battery pack is said to provide up to seven hours of operation. For even longer life, both a hot-swappable battery system and a belt-mounted battery pack are offered.
Expansion is via a CompactFlash Type II slot, a PC Card slot that is compatible with CardBus 2.1, and an internal PCI Express slot. A docking connector is also provided, for use with an optional vehicle dock.
Networking capabilities include a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g wireless networking, integrated fax/modem, and optional Bluetooth 2.0. Cellular wide area networking may be added via the PC Card slot, in which case a protective cover keeps the unit sealed, according to MobileDemand.
The T8700 is available with integrated GPS, though no further details of this were given. For data capturing purposes, the device may be equipped with a two-dimensional imager with a depth of field from 2 to 13 inches, a laser scanner that has a depth of field from 1.5 to 30 inches, or a three-track magnetic stripe reader.
Other optional accessories include the vehicle dock already mentioned, plus a desktop counterpart. An available carrying case also includes a keyboard.
Features and specifications listed by Mobile Demand for the T8700 include the following:- Processor -- Core Duo ULV U2500 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz
- Memory -- 2GB of DDR2 RAM, expandable to 4GB
- Display -- 8.4-inch daylight-readable touchscreen display, 800 x 600 resolution
- Storage -- 80GB, 2.5-inch hard drive, or solid-state disks in 8GB, 16GB, or 64GB capacities
- Networking:
- LAN -- Gigabit Ethernet
- WLAN -- 802.11a/b/g
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0 (optional)
- Other I/O:
- Integrated fax/modem with RJ11 connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 host
- 1 x serial
- docking connector
- microphone in and speaker out
- Expansion:
- CompactFlash Type II slot
- PC Card slot, CardBus 2.1 compatible
- PCI Express slot (number of lanes not cited)
- Dimensions -- 10.6 x 7.2 x 1.7 inches
- Weight, including battery -- 4.6 pounds
- Battery type/life -- 6600 mAh lithium-ion battery pack, providing seven hours of operation
The xTablet T8700 is available now for $3,800, according to MobileDemand. It comes with either Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista Business Edition.
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