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Tablet PCs go rugged

By Vandana Sinha, GCN Staff

At the SuperComm 2003 technology trade show today in Atlanta, Itronix Corp. unveiled its rugged GoBook Tablet PC running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

The tablet is the latest device in the Spokane, Wash., company’s line of military-grade portable hardware. Although not the only rugged tablet on the market, Itronix officials said it’s the lightest, at 3.7 pounds with battery.

The GoBook Tablet PC will be ready for delivery by late August at a still-tentative price tag below $3,000, not including an additional three-year warranty and other support services.

The magnesium-cased tablet is designed to meet Mil-Std 810F requirements for extreme weather, dust, vibration, chemical exposure and temperatures ranging from -4 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The GoBook supports IEEE 802.11b wireless, Bluetooth and wireless WAN connectivity, staying connected to whatever is available. It comes with an 866-MHz mobile Pentium III processor, hard drive up to 30G and synchronous dynamic RAM up to 640M.

Other rugged tablet offerings include:

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 convertible touch screen and XP tablet from Matsushita Electric Corp. of America of Secaucus, N.J.

The CT60 from Intermec Technologies Corp. of Everett, Wash.

The Hammerhead XRT from WalkAbout Computers Inc. of West Palm Beach, Fla.

The iX104-TPC from Xplore Technologies Corp. of Austin, Texas.