Rugged tablet has 12.5-in screen

Field workers appreciate the new generation of ruggedized tablets that help them do their jobs. But sometimes putting a tough shell around a standard sized device isn’t enough.

For those who need more real estate than its biggest model (12.1-in.) Motion Computing has released the 12.5-in. R12, which the company says is light enough to tote around yet has an HD screen.

“We wanted a larger screen and a smaller device,” said Scott Ball, the company’s Canadian manager, “that also supports a keyboard.”

It weighs just shy of 3 lbs. (1.34 kg) – about a pound less that the model it replaces — can be used with a stylus, has bevelled edges for an easier grip and fingerprint reader. It includes LTE cellular capability and an SD card slot. Buyers have a choice of 64-bit Windows 7 or 8.1. It has an 8MP rear facing/ 2MP front facing cameras and three microphones. There’s a choice of 4 or 8 GB of memory, with flash storage from 64GB to 256GB.

The hot swappable batteries can last over nine hours.

It meets the IP54 standard for rain protection (“You can hold it under a tap,” says Ball).

Options available now or soon include a wireless keyboard that magnetically attaches to the tablet, a desktop dock with a battery charger, a barcode/RIFD reader and a vehicle dock.

Pricing starts at under US$2,300 for a model with an Intel i5 processor and goes up to well over US$3,000 with an i7 CPU.

“We’re trying to develop products that although they’re rugged you don’t sacrifice industrial design, usability, weight,” Ball said.

For security, administrators can treat the R12 the way they do Windows desktops or laptops, he added.

Interestingly, Ball said he runs into a bit of Windows 8 prejudice among some buyers, who say they won’t touch the OS. He also admits that a number of customers want XP on their tablets. When it’s suggested these organizations may be trying to keep to one OS as a corporate standard, Ball has doubts – these organizations won’t even try Win8, although they acknowledge trying Android and Apple tablets.

“For the 15 tablet users, use Windows 8,” he says he argues. “I’m not asking them to change their entire enterprise.”

Win8, designed for a touch device, will encourage user adoption, he says. And if a customer buys Motion tablets but uses don’t adopt it that’s failure, Ball said.

“Paper is still our biggest competition in the field. It’s what people revert to when the device and the solution isn’t quite working the way they need it to.”

Motion Computing devices are sold through partners including Bell Canada, Dell Canada, CDW and KMP Designs (which also makes field services software).

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Howard Solomon
Howard Solomon
Currently a freelance writer, I'm the former editor of ITWorldCanada.com and Computing Canada. An IT journalist since 1997, I've written for several of ITWC's sister publications including ITBusiness.ca and Computer Dealer News. Before that I was a staff reporter at the Calgary Herald and the Brampton (Ont.) Daily Times. I can be reached at hsolomon [@] soloreporter.com

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now