Tablet computers from Microsoft, Apple too wimpy for military
When it debuts next week, the Apple tablet may support thousands of iPhone applications and a dramatic color display, but it will seem like a 90-pound weakling next to the latest tablet made for the U.S. military by Xplore Technologies.
Just as the expected Apple offering will likely come with more options than the recently announced Microsoft-HP tablet, the Xplore iX104C4M tablet is outfitted with a set of specs that no commercial tablet can hope to meet.
Microsoft’s history with the tablet PC
For instance, the ruggedized device can start at -20 degrees C (-45% degrees C if mounted on a military dock that powers up internal heater elements), withstand radio frequency pounding dished out by military aircraft and adjust its screen to be read through night-vision goggles. It can even survive if it’s mounted inside a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle that takes a direct hit by an improvised explosive device, the company says.
That’s a little tougher than the security measures experts recommend for the Apple tablet for enterprise use.
The tablet is based on the company’s tablets designed for industrial use, but with features unique to demands put on it by battle conditions. For example, the screen operates in dual mode, either with an active pen or a gloved finger in case the pen gets mislaid during a skirmish, says Dan Morris, director of military programs for Xplore.
Contrast on the display is tuned to be legible from within the cab of a vehicle that is relatively dark compared to an intensely sunny desert day outside, a challenging environment for a computer screen, he says.
Mounting devices attach the iX104C4M to the vehicle and include shock isolators tuned to cancel out vibrations generated by vehicles rumbling over rough terrain so they don’t rattle the hard drives useless.
Xplore sets the list price for the device at $7,000, but they cost less in bulk.
And it might not be as pretty as the forthcoming Apple tablet, but it’s already got a cameo appearance on the TV adventure series “24”.
When devices just can’t break
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/041706-widernet-ruggedized.html
Why the Microsoft-HP Tablet Is a Big Disappointment
https://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/010710-why-the-microsoft-hp-tablet-is.html
Apple Tablet Due Jan. 27, Maybe iPhone 4.0
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011910-apple-tablet-due-jan-27.html
Top Enterprise Security Requirements for the Apple Tablet
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/55995
