Taiwan-based Samwell Group is a global technology solutions provider concentrating on the convergence of Internet, computing, and telecom technologies and software applications. "RUGGEDBOOK" is Samwell's brand name for their complete line of semi-rugged and fully rugged mobile computing products that include rugged convertible notebooks, ultra-mobile PCs, and Tablet PCs such as the RUGGEDBOOK SR820 shown here.
The RUGGEDBOOK SR820 rugged Tablet PC is a very interesting machine as it essentially provides Netbook functionality in a tablet form factor. Little clamshell netbooks are selling by the millions, so why not offering the same size and technology in a ruggedized touch screen device without the extra bulk and weight of a physical keyboard?
As is, the SR820 measures about 10 x 6 inches and is just 1.3 inches thick, and that includes the protective rubber bumpers. Weight is 2.4 pounds, making it easy to take this machine just about anywhere. It's also about the same as your average non-rugged keyboard-based netbook with this size display. Speaking of the display, it is the ubiquitous 8.9-inch WSVGA (1024 x 600 pixel) wide-format screen found in millions of netbooks, only this one has a touch screen, a LED backlight, and a sunlight-readable option.
One of the several areas where the SR820 differs from most clamshell netbooks is in its processor. Whereas almost all netbooks use the 1.6GHz Atom N270, Samwell chose the Atom Z530P, which is running at the same clock speed, but represents a different processor family. The Z530P is a slightly larger (for cooling purposes) follow-up to the original Z530 chip that belonged to the initial generation of Atom processors, codenamed Silverhorne, and came in a tiny 13 x 14 mm package that includes almost 50 million transistors (more than the Pentium 4 had). Intel targeted Silverthorne chips at mobile internet devices (MIDs) and created an entirely new and very power-efficient "Poulsbo" System Controller Hub (SCH) for them. The Poulsbo chipset includes a GMA graphics system, high definition audio, a PATA controller, and PCIe, SD and USB support, and uses only about 2.3 watts, which means that the total CPU and chipset consumption isn't even 5 watts. The chipset has hardware support for H.264, MPEG4 and other HD decoding, and the combination is certainly an excellent choice for a device like the SR820.
For storage, the RUGGEDBOOK slate comes with either one or two GB of DDR2 memory and either a 1.8-inch 60/80GB PATA hard disk or a 16GB solid state drive. It's apparently also possible to run the SR820 off an internal 16GB CF card.
All of the SR820's ports are on the left and the right side of the device. On the left you find an RJ45 LAN jack, microphone and earphone jacks, a USB port, and the power jack. On the right side is a second USB port alongside a VGA and a RS232 serial connector. The lens of an optional 2-megapixel integrated camera is centrally mounted on the backside of the device, meaning it is meant for documentation rather than video conferencing.
For communication, the SR820 includes Bluetooth Class II, Version 2.1 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and 802.11a/g/n WiFi. There are also optional GPS and WWAN modules.
Compared to those millions of consumer netbooks, the fanless SR820 is a much more rugged device that was designed to handle a good deal of abuse. The machine has a wide operating temperature range of 32 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making it suitable for anything from cold environments to extreme desert climates. The device has IP54 sealing which means it is totally dustproof and can handle water spray from all directions. Samwell also claims compliance with a battery of MIL-STD-810F testing procedures (we'll report on that in more detail once we have all the ruggedness specs).
Mobile operation is via touch/stylus. Alongside the right edge of the display is a button area that contains hardware controls for power, WiFi, Bluetooth, screen rotation, brightness, volume, but no directional navigation.
From an Intel Atom-powered device with its extremely low thermal design power we expect exceptional battery life, and the SR820 delivers with an estimated seven hours. Combined with the small size, light weight, and ruggedness, the SR820 seems an excellent choice for a variety of applications in hospitality, transportation, measuring, logistics, telecommunication, and more. Add the optional 1D laser, GPS, and camera, and the SR820 becomes a serious data capture and field documentation tool.
