Xplore Technologies has announced, and is now selling, the Bobcat, a Windows 8.1 rugged tablet that it claims can take a lot of abuse inside a case that's thin for this kind of product.
The 2.4 pound 10.1 inch Bobcat is .86 inches thick. While Xplore is promoting the tablet mostly as a Windows 8.1 device, the company can install Windows 7 Pro instead if a customer wants it. The Bobcat has a MIL-STD-810G certification, which means it can handle a number of 5 foot drops to concrete and still work. It can operate in extreme temperature conditions, from -4 to 140 degrees F. It also has an IP65 rating that ensures the Bobcat can work in up to four hours of rain or in dusty conditions.
Inside the Bobcat, there's an Intel Bay Trail processor with a clock speed of 1.9GHz, along with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, with an option to upgrade to 240GB. The display resolution is 1366x768 and the battery can last up to eight hours, with support for an extra external battery that extends that time to 14 hours.
There are quite a few ports on the Bobcat, including two USB 3.0 ports, a microHDMI port, an Ethernet port and a microSD card reader. There's also a micro-SIM card slot that can be used for optional 4G mobile data support. There's also a 5 MP rear camera and a 720p front facing webcam.
If your business really needs a tablet that can withstand a lot of different and extreme settings for work, the Bobcat might be to your liking. Be prepare to spend a lot for the product; its starting price is $2,199.
Do you think these kinds of rugged Windows 8.1 tablets like the Bobcat and the older Panasonic Fz-M1 will find a big enough market to be successful?
Source: Xplore Technologies
