September 2014
Touchscreen notebooks face weak demand
According to DigiTimes, demand for touchscreen notebooks is far weaker than expected and notebook vendors have stopped developing touch-enabled notebooks for the fourth quarter. Adding touch means extra cost and higher retail prices when most notebook users still prefer a mouse or trackpad, and touch on a notebook simply doesn't feel natural. That lesson should have been learned back in 2002 when Microsoft abruptly changed the emphasis from pure tablets to convertible notebooks during the development of the Tablet PC initiative. -- Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2014 by chb
GammaTech releases rugged 11.6-inch Haswell-powered Durabook R11 Windows tablet
GammaTech introduced the thin and light, yet still fully rugged, Durabook R11 tablet, an elegant 11.6-inch capacitive multi-touch design geared towards field deployment in in any sector and environment. Powered by Intel Haswell i5 and i7 processors, the Durabook R11 offers 1366 x 768 resolution, an optional digitizer pen, USB 3.0, and a wealth of options including 4G LTE, NFC/RFID, MSR reader and 1D/2D scanner. [See description, analysis and specs of the GammaTech Durabook R11] -- Posted Thursday, September 18, 2014 by chb
Janam introduces rugged 5.9-inch Android tablet for enterprise and mobile workforce applications
Janam announced the launch of their Android-based rugged XT1, perhaps the handiest and lightest of currently available rugged tablet offerings. Powered by a 1.5GHz OMAP4470 processor, the XT1 has a 5.9-inch capacitive multi-touch screen and weighs just 13 ounces. The XT1 blends advanced consumer phone technology with enterprise-relevant key features such as ruggedness, sealing, industrial-grade barcode scanning and rapid battery recharging. [See Janam press release and RuggedPCReview's description, analysis and specs of the Janam XT1 ] -- Posted Thursday, September 18, 2014 by chb
DigiTimes: New Android tablets compete on value-added, not just price alone
DigiTimes reports that an overview of the IFA 2014 show in Berlin showed that Android tablet vendors are moving from low price wars on to offering value-added in the form of 3D cameras, rugged features, higher resolution touch panels, faster communication, etc. They also report that, likely in response to ever-larger smartphones, new tablets now usually have 8 instead of 7-inch screens, and that the price of small Windows tablets has fallen about US$100 this year alone. -- Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2014 by chb
Motorola Solutions and ET1 Android tablets help sports bar chain increase average table revenue
Motorola Solutions reports how a Quebec-based restaurant chain was searching for a way to increase table income and improve customer satisfaction and is now using Motorola Solutions technology to reduce waiting time for ordering and receiving food and drinks. That includes Motorola’s ET1 Android tablet for mobile order-taking. [See Motorola Solutions press release and case study video.] -- Posted Monday, September 8, 2014 by chb
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active
Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab Active, which the company calls their "first tablet built specifically for business," designed with input from vertical market customers. It's basically a toughened-up version of the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, but one that sports impressive IP67 sealing and a 4-foot drop spec. But what can customers interested in a more rugged consumer tablet really expect from it? [See description, analysis and specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active] -- Posted Sunday, September 7, 2014 by chb
Added: ARBOR Gladius G1056
With their rugged Gladius G1056, ARBOR Technology took Intel's Mobile Clinical Assistant concept design with its integrated handle and optimized it for use in the field. That includes extra protection, four USB ports, RS232 serial, LAN, VGA and even DisplayPort. The Gladius G1056 is powered by a dual-core AMD G-Series APU, has a large 10.4-inch AFFS+ resistive touch screen plus active pen, and can be equipped with dual 5mp cameras, RFID, and 3.75G WWAN. [See description, analysis and specs of the ARBOR Gladius G1056] -- Posted Wednesday, September 3, 2014 by chb
Brenham, Texas, battles heat, crime, mobility challenges with Motion Computing rugged tablets and RAM mounting solutions
Motion Computing announced that The City of Brenham has achieved a 30% cost savings by replacing its old mobile communications and data technology throughout its police and fire vehicles with Motion’s Windows-based rugged tablets and RAM mounts. Among the elite 5% of Texas law enforcement agencies long recognized by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation for its Best Practices in operational standards, this Texas municipality acknowledged the need to modernize its mobile workforce capabilities when officers started complaining about the bulkiness and poor performance of its previous in-vehicle equipment. [See Motion news release and video case study] -- Posted Tuesday, September 2, 2014 by chb