Hardware
Three New ARMOR Rugged Tablets Deploy, Two Windows and an Android
Rugged tablets are on the march. DRS Technologies is deploying three new models, a slimmed-down update to the Windows 7-based X7, one with a similar body running the Android OS, and a good old Windows 7 convertible.
Up first is the ARMOR X7et. It’s a leaner (possibly meaner) version of the X7 I reviewed last year. It’s lighter at 1.5 lbs. but still just as rugged with MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certifications. It also appears to drop the dual hot-swappable batteries for a single one and runs a lighter Intel® Atom™ Z670 1.5 GHz processor.
In a new twist for the company, DRS is also releasing an Android-based rugged tablet, the ARMOR X7ad. The body styling is very similar but not identical to te X7et. Notably it is slightly smaller and lighter at 1.3 lbs. It runs Android 3.2 on a NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 1.0 GHz Dual Core Processor. Both it and the X7et feature 7.0″ 1280 x 800 Transmissive 400 nit LED displays for outdoor readability and capacitive multi-touch input.
Rounding out the trio is a convertible Windows 7 notebook tablet, the ARMOR X12kb. This is your typical workhorse rugged Windows 7 notebook powered by an Intel Core i5 1.33 GHz processor. Its 12.1″ 1280 x 800 display is outdoor-readable like the others but with a dual digitizer for pen+touch input. Full press release and promo video below.
DRS Tactical Systems Introduces Three New ARMOR™ Rugged Tablet Computers
PARSIPPANY, NJ, MAY 21, 2012 – DRS Technologies, Inc. a Finmeccanica Company, announced today that its Tactical Systems division has expanded its product portfolio. The ARMOR™ X7et and the ARMOR™ X7ad are new, thin, lightweight tablets based on customers requesting even more portable computers from ARMOR™. These sleek, 7” multi-touch tablets shatter the perception of bulky, rugged computing and offer field service workforces the ability to choose between the fast-growing Android OS and the enterprise-friendly Microsoft® Windows platform.
“With the launch of these products, we responded to customer feedback and are capitalizing on our highly-successful ARMOR™ X7 compact rugged tablet form factor, launched last year. At the same time, we’ve addressed growing interest in the Android™ platform,” said Mike Sarrica, president of Network and Communication Solutions (NCS) and general manager for DRS Tactical Systems.
The ARMOR™ X7et is a Windows-based tablet that weighs just under 1.5 lbs and provides six hours of battery life. It features an Intel® Atom™ Z670 processor and runs Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional. Its Android counterpart, the ARMOR™ X7ad, weighs 1.3 lbs. and operates for up to eight hours. It features a NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2, 1.0Ghz dual core processor and operates on Android™ v3.2. Both lightweight tablets feature a 7” outdoor-readable multi-touch screen display. They are certified to MIL-STD 810G for extremes in temperature, vibration, shock and four-foot drops and have an IP65 rating for ingress protection, which means they are fully protected against dust and can withstand low pressure jets of water from all directions.
Additionally, DRS is now offering a new convertible tablet, the ARMOR™ X12kb, the lightest convertible tablet in the marketplace that meets MIL-STD-810G. Weighing 5.5 lbs., it features a 12.1” sunlight-readable swivel touch-screen that incorporates polarized LCD glass and anti-reflective technology. The ARMOR™ X12kb offers the Intel Core™ i5-560UMCPU processor and runs Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional. It has a long battery life, operating for up to eight hours, as well as a spill proof keyboard and touchpad. Additionally, the one-click stealth mode operation disables all emitting light and sounds, a feature that is designed for the unique applications of covert operations.
The three new ARMOR™ mobile computers include robust connectivity options including Gobi® Wireless Broadband, integrated GPS, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth® wireless. They are simply designed to make it easier for workers to use mobile computing, even in rugged environments.
“Our new 7” tablets and the new 12” convertible tablet build on DRS’ many years of experience in developing mobile solutions for field service, manufacturing, transportation, public safety and other industries. They expand the capabilities of the ARMOR™ family of Rugged Mobile Solutions by meeting the evolving needs of today’s mobile enterprise,” added Sarrica. Information about product specifications, features, and benefits are available at https://www.drsarmor.com/products.