On October 9, 2012, Swedish Handheld Group announced the Algiz 10X tablet computer, the latest in the company's lineup of rugged mobile computers for use in markets such as utility, military, logistics, forestry, transportation and field service.
Extending Handheld's tablet lineup — which already included 7-inch and 8.4-inch devices — into the popular 10-inch space, the new Algiz 10X measures 10.8 x 6.7 x 1.2 inches and weighs 2.9 pounds. That's larger and heavier than consumer market tablets, but the Algiz 10X isn't a consumer device; it's designed for today's mobile workforce that's surveying, building, patrolling or distributing out there in the field where it can get cold and wet and things get dropped or banged around.
Just so that things are clear: The Algiz 10X doesn't aim to be a ruggedized iPad or Android tablet for the field. It runs Windows 7 and has a resistive touch screen. So no pinching and zooming and panning and no multi-touch either. That is not what Handheld had in mind with the Algiz 10X. What the company did have in mind was providing the best and most updated technology in a mobile Windows tablet. Below you can see how the new Algiz 10X compares in size and design to Handheld's 7-inch Algiz 7.
So other than the larger screen, what's new and exciting about the Algiz 10X? Well, the larger screen is exciting. Not only are there times when you simply do need a larger display for certain tasks, there are also times when applications do require more pixels than what's available on traditional SVGA and XGA devices. Here, the Algiz 10X delivers with 1,366 x 768 pixels, which means essentially 720p HDTV resolution in a contemporary 16:9 wide-format display. That's more resolution than tens of millions of original iPads and iPad 2s, and plenty enough for demanding GIS applications and anything else that requires a lot of screen real estate.
Add to that the latest version of Handheld's MaxView display technology that uses a combination of optical treatments to make Handheld displays vibrant and readable under virtually all viewing conditions. To elaborate, Handheld uses a special bonding process to "melt" LCD, anti-glare filter and touchscreen together, minimizing reflections and making the screen stronger. Among the many benefits of the MaxView technology are increased contrast ratio, elimination of the "parallax" effect, extra durability and impact absorption, and no danger of condensation between layers.
The real big news, though, is that the Algiz 10X is powered by what arguably is Intel's best-ever Atom processor. The 1.86GHz N2800 provides the kind of performance Atoms should have provided all along, but initially couldn't because that would have meant they'd have been faster than Intel's mobile Core 2 Duo offerings at the time. Well, since Intel's third gen Core CPUs have ascended into the stratosphere by now, Atom chips such as the N2800 are free to crank out the kind of performance that makes tablets like the Algiz 10X fly. At a fraction of the power draw of any of those old Core 2 Duo chips. So expect speed, both overall and graphics, as well as very decent battery life from the Algiz 10X's standard 38.5 watt-hour hot-swappable Li-Ion battery, and excellent battery life when using the extended 77 watt-hour battery.
But there's more. Handheld has always spoiled its users with generous amounts of RAM, and the new 10X is no different. Whereas competitive devices generally offer a gig or two of RAM, the Algiz 10X comes with four gig of DDR3 RAM, and more RAM is always better with Windows 7. And no slow and potentially troublesome rotating media here; the Algiz 10X comes stock with a 64GB solid state disk, and an optional 128GB SSD is available.
Other areas that benefit from advancing technology: the Algiz 10X includes an integrated 5-megapixel camera with LED illuminator light, an integrated WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS-capable u-blox GPS receiver, and the device is available with Gobi 3000 mobile broadband (WWAN).
Gobi, which stands for Global Mobile Internet technology, is a Qualcomm wireless technology that supports the various wireless networking technologies around the world, so users can select whatever carrier is available to them. All Algiz 10X models come with faster 802.11b/g/n WiFi and integrated Bluetooth v4.0, the latest (and more power-efficient) version. Add to that a couple of USB 2.0 ports, a DB9 serial port, a gigabit RJ45 LAN port and a docking port and you have an exceptionally well-connected unit.
In terms of ruggedness, the Algiz 10X is able to absorb a good deal of punishment out there in the field. It can handle a very wide operating temperature range from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making it suitable for deployment in freezers as well as deserts. It carries IP65 sealing where the "6" means the computer is totally protected from dust, and the "5" that it is protected against low pressure jet of water from all directions. The Algiz 10X also passed the MIL-STD-810G test of 26 drops to concrete. Also much appreciated: whereas water-resistant units often rely on meticulous fit and seating of protective covers, the Algiz 10X's USB, serial and power ports are totally sealed against water even if the protective covers are open.
Overall, the new Intel Atom N2800-powered Algiz 10X carries on on Handheld's tradition of offering interesting, versatile mobile computers covering every conceivable part of Handheld's target markets. RuggedPCReview will conduct a full test as soon as evaluation units become available.
