December 2018

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 2018 Speed Demon Top 10: Rugged Tablets]

MobileDemand: Rugged tablets in the cold
MobileDemand points out in its always informative blog that with winter upon us, ice and snow won’t be the only thing that may pose a problem. If you work out in the field, consumer grade technology won’t last long in the frigid environment. They’re designed for use in stable, indoor climates. So how do you prepare for the winter months ahead? With specialized technology. Most consumer grade tablets have a limited operating temperature between 32°F (0°C) and 95°F (35°C). While this may seem like an impressive range, very few environments maintain these temperatures year-round without some form of climate control. Depending how far north you travel, temperatures can fall as low as -45°F (-42.78°C) or lower. [See Rugged tablets in the cold] -- Posted Thursday, December 27, 2018 by chb

VDC: Watch out, Windows: Android is making serious waves in the enterprise tablet market
In its latest report, VDC Research says that, already the dominant force in the consumer-grade mobile OS arena, Android is now steadily encroaching on Windows’ turf as a viable OS for fully rugged tablet solutions. Security concerns have been mollified by robust improvements. EMM vendors have built support capabilities for Android deployments, no longer forcing enterprises into a Windows box. And with lower cost tablets to boot, Android is giving Windows a run for its money.VDC's latest report, The Global Market for Enterprise Tablets, examines the opportunity for rugged and non-rugged slate tablets and 2-in-1 detachable devices supporting enterprise workflows. Key trends around OS, display size, cellular connectivity, form factor, target market and application are covered. [See VDC Executive Brief] -- Posted Friday, December 21, 2018 by chb

Centrica equips its engineers with 7500 Panasonic rugged tablets
Centrica, a leading energy and services company operating brands such as British Gas and Dyno, has rolled out 7,500 Panasonic FZ-G1 rugged tablets to its team of UK engineers to improve working methods and ultimately to enhance its customer service. For the past eight years the company's engineers have been using the Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 rugged notebooks as their main technology tool for job scheduling, maintenance, viewing diagrams and communications as they carry out service and repairs at customers' homes and businesses. However, the company wanted to move to a tablet-based device for more intuitive applications for working methods, more flexibility and because its engineers were already very familiar with this type of technology. [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Thursday, December 13, 2018 by chb

Zebra survey finds two-thirds of retail store associates believe they can provide better customer service with tablets
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today revealed the results of its 11th annual Global Shopper Study, analyzing the attitudes, opinions, and expectations of shoppers, retail associates, and retail decision makers. The results show that two-thirds (66 percent) of surveyed associates believe that if they are equipped with tablets, they could provide better customer service and improve the shopping experience. [See Zebra media release] -- Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2018 by chb

Panasonic: Technology buyers favor spreading the co
According to a study by Panasonic (Mobile Computing as a Service), technology buyers are in favor of spreading the cost of equipping their mobile workforces with notebooks, tablets and handheld devices, the latest research reveals. 78% of UK technology buyers said they would be interested in a subscription-based solution to equip mobile workforces. Currently buyers say their top considerations when purchasing mobile devices for their workforce are cost (72%) and life expectancy of the product (54%). Yet the majority of buyers still expect to replace their mobile workforces' devices every 2-3 years. Buyers said an "As a Service" approach for mobile hardware, as opposed to paying out in advance with a large, one-off capital expenditure, would help them to purchase up to date technology more quickly (54%), manage costs better (49%) and free up budget to purchase more accessories (34%). [See Panasonic media release] -- Posted Wednesday, December 5, 2018 by chb