Xplore Technologies® Corp. today announced the release of its family of iX104C(2)(TM) Tablet PCs. The iX104C(2) line up are the first in the rugged tablet PC market with the latest Intel® Centrino (733) mobile technology, AllVue™ enhanced display, advanced wireless LAN certifications, up to 4 multi-model wireless devices and patent pending auto-sensing Dual Mode technologies. The iX104C(2) family includes Tablet PC (C(2)), Dual Mode TPC (C(2)D), and AllVue TPC (C(2)V) versions.
The iX104C(2) product family was designed based on feedback from a core group of Xplore’s enterprise customers and channel partners. The iXC(2) provides enterprise customers with the durability and reliability required for mobile PC applications, in addition to enhanced processing speed and functionality to handle increasingly complex applications and more wired and multi-modal wireless communication capabilities.
The iX104C(2) line up features the Intel Pentium® M processor 733 (Ultra Low Voltage), 855GME chipset, and Centrino mobile technology, providing customers with powerful 1.1Ghz processor, a 400MHz system bus, 2MB of L2 cache, and Intel Pro Wireless 802.11b/g wireless networking. iXC(2) systems feature a potential performance increase of over 40% when compared to devices using Pentium III-M processors. The I/O ports have also been redesigned, adding another USB2.0 port for a total of two, a user accessible SIM card slot for GPRS management, and an RJ-45/RJ-11 combo port for use with an optional 56K modem. iXC(2) systems can also be enabled with optional Bluetooth, wireless WAN, LAN and external GPS for additional wireless communications capabilities.
“The Cleveland Police Division depends on mobile computers for up to the minute access to critical information, both in the office and in the field. We need a reliable and dependable system that can seamlessly move between the two and survive the extreme heat and cold conditions here in Cleveland”, said Detective John W. Mott, Mobile Data Computer Support Manager for the City of Cleveland, Division of Police. Deputy Commissioner Titus Britt, Information System Support for the City of Cleveland, Department of Public Safety adds, “For our needs, the iXC(2) system is currently the best option on the market to meet or exceed the needs of our Police Officers. This tablet will allow us to equip our officers with the latest processing and wireless capabilities and handle the high level of stress and extreme use common among police officers”.
The entire iX104C(2) line is designed, warranted, and third party tested to US Military environmental standards (MIL-STD 810F). With over 30 unique design elements, iXC(2) tablets can operate under severe conditions such as extreme hot and cold temperatures, exposure to dust, moisture, intense vibrations, and four foot drops to concrete. These are minimum standards for many mobile enterprise customers. All iXC(2) tablets have a comprehensive three (3) year warranty, have been UL1604 certified for use in hazardous locations, have WIFI and CCX (Cisco Compatible Extensions) certifications, as well as Microsoft®’s Hardware Certification Approvals (WHCL).
“In researching the rugged mobile computing market segment over the past 3 years, we see a clear trend towards the evaluation of more durable, reliable mobile computers such as Xplore’s iX104 Tablet PC over similar business class devices by an increasing number of enterprise mobility customers,” said David Krebs of VDC, an independent technology market research and consulting firm. “Our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) study published this year, provides solid evidence that over the life of a typical mobile application, the total cost of ownership for rugged devices in many mobility applications is less than their non-rugged or business class counterparts. By further shrinking the price gap between rugged tablets and business class computers, Xplore has created a compelling total cost of ownership scenario for IT and program managers considering the benefits of ruggedized computing equipment.”
“With the successful introduction of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, as part of Windows XP Service Pack 2, we continue to see an increase in Tablet PC deployments from our enterprise customers,” said Andrew Dixon, director of marketing for Microsoft Tablet PC. “Xplore’s new iX104C(2) line up of durable, reliable and powerful Tablet PCs is well timed to meet the increasing demand of enterprise customers who will benefit from the power of Tablet PC Edition 2005 and industrial grade mobile computers with enhanced performance characteristics.”
The iX104C(2) Tablet PC uses an active stylus for data input and navigation, capitalizing on Microsoft’s Tablet PC operating system with advanced inking capabilities. The iX104C(2)V with AllVue LCD technology increases screen readability in all lighting conditions, including indoor, direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting. The iX104C(2)D Dual Mode Tablet PC features both an active pen and finger touch digitizer in a single unit. Xplore’s patent pending auto sensing technology allows users to automatically switch between pen input and finger-based touch input without the need for manual switching between modes. AllVue is a currently available model with Xplore’s iX104 and iX104C(2) Tablet PC versions only.
“We went to our customers across a variety of industries, and asked them how we could best address their mobile computing needs. We found that they were looking for rugged, reliable and flexible Tablet PCs to take the place of existing mobile devices, but didn’t want to sacrifice computing power or pay too much of a price premium for durability,” said Richard Perley, Senior Vice President for Xplore. “With the iX104C(2) line, customers get a highly flexible computing platform with exceptional performance, and at the same time realize the reliability, ease of use, and potential lower TCO and higher ROI benefits that come with rugged tablet PCs.”
Concurrent with the release of the iXC(2) family, Xplore has realigned the rest of the iX104 family. The average street price of Xplore’s rugged Renegade™ Tablet PC is anticipated to be below US$2,400 (depending on configurations), well within the reach of standard business class machines.
For more details on the complete line of iX104 Tablet PCs or to learn more about the compelling total cost of ownership of rugged tablet PCs, visit www.xploretech.com, or contact your nearest systems integrator.
