"(-29°C to 63°C (20°F to 145°F)" You have mismatched parenthesis and a missing negative sign here. It should be something like " (-29°C to 63°C or -20°F to 145°F)" or " (-29°C to 63°C (-20°F to 145°F))"
Regular tablet with a rugged case would be the way I'd go to, unless I needed some type of water resistance to it or deal with extreme temps. These rugged tablets/laptops are usually pretty slow and heavy. Nothing I'd want to use on a day to day basis and having to lug around.
I use to work at a place that had Panasonic Toughbooks. I hated those things. Slow, heavy, and horrible battery life.
Old 10 year old Toughbooks are what run the existing software for the busses, these would be a good bit lighter and more than fast enough, the software requirements havent changed much but the new tools are bluetooth and not serial.
You'd probably be fine with them, if you have a need for a rugged computer and the workload isn't changing. I would probably still go with a rugged case on a regular tablet. Like a rugged case with a Surface Go.
Course if the employees using the hardware kind of treat company provided tools like ass, then maybe it's worth it to go with a rugged tablet off the bat.
If it's going to be used outdoors 90% of the time then the screen's daylight performance is paramount. Most devices do not cut it for that kind of use. They have to be specifically designed.
Many years ago I got moaned out by a senior IT account manager for supposedly 'introducing another unnecessary item' to the IT kit roster. It was a new XP based tablet for the Inspection engineers. He was currently up to his neck in schmoozing with Panasonic to get the Toughbooks in.
I rolled my eyes and then told him "1. We have used those tablets for the past 3 years and these are just a new version. 2. We use those tablets because they have the best outdoor screens! Have you tested the screens on the Toughbooks for outdoor use? You know...where they will mostly be used?!?"
He went very quiet as the penny dropped, walked off quickly and the Toughbooks never appeared...
You could get a Surface Pro 7 with a UAG, STM or Kensington case for less, although the screen would be more fragile. I don't know what Dell is using to make the screens tougher.
Very bad battery life. We brought 5 for our plant and we can use for only 2-3hr max for full charge. Contacted dell representative and they are saying this is normal without needing any investigation.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
12 Comments
Back to Article
DanNeely - Monday, November 4, 2019 - link
"(-29°C to 63°C (20°F to 145°F)" You have mismatched parenthesis and a missing negative sign here. It should be something like " (-29°C to 63°C or -20°F to 145°F)" or " (-29°C to 63°C (-20°F to 145°F))"Lakados - Monday, November 4, 2019 - link
I need a new machine to run the diagnostic software for the new bus fleet we are bringing in and this would be about perfect....StevoLincolnite - Monday, November 4, 2019 - link
Why not a regular tablet with a rugged case? Even as a firefighter that is the preferred option I would take.khanikun - Monday, November 4, 2019 - link
Regular tablet with a rugged case would be the way I'd go to, unless I needed some type of water resistance to it or deal with extreme temps. These rugged tablets/laptops are usually pretty slow and heavy. Nothing I'd want to use on a day to day basis and having to lug around.I use to work at a place that had Panasonic Toughbooks. I hated those things. Slow, heavy, and horrible battery life.
Lakados - Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - link
Old 10 year old Toughbooks are what run the existing software for the busses, these would be a good bit lighter and more than fast enough, the software requirements havent changed much but the new tools are bluetooth and not serial.khanikun - Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - link
You'd probably be fine with them, if you have a need for a rugged computer and the workload isn't changing. I would probably still go with a rugged case on a regular tablet. Like a rugged case with a Surface Go.Course if the employees using the hardware kind of treat company provided tools like ass, then maybe it's worth it to go with a rugged tablet off the bat.
jabber - Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - link
Folks always forget one point about this gear.If it's going to be used outdoors 90% of the time then the screen's daylight performance is paramount. Most devices do not cut it for that kind of use. They have to be specifically designed.
Many years ago I got moaned out by a senior IT account manager for supposedly 'introducing another unnecessary item' to the IT kit roster. It was a new XP based tablet for the Inspection engineers. He was currently up to his neck in schmoozing with Panasonic to get the Toughbooks in.
I rolled my eyes and then told him "1. We have used those tablets for the past 3 years and these are just a new version. 2. We use those tablets because they have the best outdoor screens! Have you tested the screens on the Toughbooks for outdoor use? You know...where they will mostly be used?!?"
He went very quiet as the penny dropped, walked off quickly and the Toughbooks never appeared...
sorten - Monday, November 4, 2019 - link
Looks like a great set of features for the intended market.serendip - Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - link
You could get a Surface Pro 7 with a UAG, STM or Kensington case for less, although the screen would be more fragile. I don't know what Dell is using to make the screens tougher.abufrejoval - Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - link
That's pretty much the same price as one of these ultrabooks, only in this case I understand the value of the premium they charge.ABR - Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - link
Don't really understand the aspect ratio on this. Is the intended use for watching movies in the great outdoors?Make1313 - Friday, May 7, 2021 - link
Very bad battery life. We brought 5 for our plant and we can use for only 2-3hr max for full charge. Contacted dell representative and they are saying this is normal without needing any investigation.