Getac develops hardened tablet PC

Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough

By James Sherwood • Get more from this author

1st August 2007 15:38 GMT

Working outside of a‘normal’ comfy office can be risky for a laptop, with lots of potential dangers to consider. Manufacturer Getac takes this possibility seriously and has unveiled a ruggedized tablet PC, which it claims can withstand the rigours of even extreme environments.

The V100 boasts a number of ruggedized features, including a magnesium alloy case, a shock-moulded removable 80GB hard drive and resistance against vibration and unexpected drops. Its protection against such forms of abuse complies with an independent organisation’s testing criteria, but it appears to be targeted at users who might drop the machine from their tank...than onto the pavement whilst sipping a half-double-decaffeinated-half-caf, with a twist of lemon. Although, it does come with a rather fetching hand strap.

v100front
The V100: "It's not for girls", well it could be

The hard drive can apparently operate in low temperatures because it has a specifically designed optional heater, combined with low temperature battery that Getac claims enables it to work in temperatures of up to -20°C.

The V100, which measures 28 x 22 x 5cm and weighs 2.2kg, is also allegedly immune to damage from airborne dust and debris and can withstand heavy rain and spillages.

However, the machine has other credentials. Its 10.4in TFT LCD can be rotated by 180° and also houses a reversible integrated waterproof 1.3-megapixel camera. An Intel Core Duo ultra-low voltage 1.2GHz CPU and 2GB of DDR2 memory hide under its hardened shell.

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A hardened shell protects the V100's delicate interior

Bluetooth 1.2 compatibility and 802.11 wireless standards a/b/g are built-in, while GPRS and 3G connectivity are optional extras. A good number of connection interfaces are also built in, including two USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader and microphone jack.

The V100 is available now and prices start from £1,950 (€2,893/$3,964).