The Armor X10gx slate tablet withstands heat, cold and plenty of water
Connecting state and local government leaders
The Armor tablet is surprisingly powerful, showing that its 64-bit Windows 7 operating system can handle any task you give it.
The X10gx is a slate tablet PC, which in the past has been less popular than the convertible-class laptops. However, in theory, a slate tablet will weigh a lot less because it sheds the keyboard, and it might become more popular again now that devices such as the iPad show how it can work properly. But although less common, slates are by no means rare. What is rare is a rugged computing device whose one side is basically a huge glass panel.
The X10gx is no lightweight. In fact, the 5 pound, 11 ounce tablet, sans power cables, is a little heavy to carry around, though it does have a carrying handle attached by canvass straps to make that easier. It’s surprisingly powerful, scoring 525.7 on the PassMark Performance Test 7.1 benchmarks, showing that its 64-bit Windows 7 operating system can handle any task you give it. And the 10.4-inch screen is bright and looks fine in direct sunlight.
Armor X10gx
Pros: Good benchmark scores; very rugged against shock; can go underwater.
Cons: Heavy for a slate-class tablet.
Rugged level: A
Performance: A-
Ease of use: B
Features: B
Value: A-
Government price: $3,158 as configured for test
10 devices that are fit for all seasons
There are two batteries in the X10gx, and each one is hot swappable. When both batteries were fully charged, we were able to run the tablet for 3 hours, 28 minutes in our worst-case scenario battery testing, which was a good result.
In drop testing, it suffered no damage when dropped 144 times from various heights ranging from 1 foot to 4 feet, so it’s rugged for shock. Although it survived both heat and cold, perhaps the most impressive thing was its ability to survive water gushing across it according to IP67 standards, even with its input/output flaps open. The one negative to this is that the USB port thinks you’re inserting a device because the water completes a circuit, but you can simply ignore the “can’t find new device” message until someone invents liquid computing.
The Armor X10gx proves that it’s built to survive whatever Mother Nature can hurl its way.
Armor Rugged Mobile Solutions from DRS Technologies, www.drsarmor.com
NEXT STORY: OpenOffice Foundation splits from Oracle