Versatile multi-purpose slate computer
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Laporte, Indiana based Data LTd Inc was founded in the early 1990s as a manufacturer and reseller of wireless data collection devices. They carry mobile computers, vehicle mounted terminals, handhelds, and scanners.

The company's DLI 8300 is a compact (10 x 7.5 inches) and elegantly designed rugged tablet computer that can be used as a vehicle mount or mobile system. It uses a very power-efficient AMD Geode LX 800 processor running at 500 MHz. The chip is x86-compatible and Data Ltd sells the DLI 8300 with Windows XP, Embedded XP, XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows CE 6.0, and Debian Linux. Depending on the OS used, the DLI 8300 is equipped with either up to 16GB of Flash on a CF Card or a 30 GB shockmounted hard disk.

The DLI has an indoor/outdoor viewable 8.4-inch display with a strong 350 nit backlight, a touch screen and either SVGA or XGA resolution. There are three USB 2.0 ports and two PC Card slots that are used to add a variety of options and capabilities to the device. Available are GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a barcode scanner, a mag stripe reader, RFID, a biometric reader, a digital camera and various cellular data options.

Data Ltd targets this tablet at applications in warehousing/distribution, transportation, field services, route acccounting, healthcare, insurance claims, hospitality and other areas where a small, flexible device is needed. We have not reviewed the DLI 8300 in our lab and therefore cannot comment on performance of the Geode processor with the various operating system options.