Dell has come up with a rugged tablet that runs Windows and offers the features of a full-fledged PC for users seeking a hardy device at work – or the occasional trek in the snow.
The Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet is said to be able to survive drops from over four feet, and keep out water, sand and dust. Out in Singapore on July 28, it is the PC maker’s first such device here.
Consumers may be buying fewer tablets in Singapore, but clearly corporations still find the portable machines useful – especially when they need specialised “rugged” versions.
Despite its name, Dell’s Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet comes with only an 11.6-inch screen. It has a rather modest resolution of 1,366 x 768, so don’t expect the same sharpness as high-end consumer tablets that offer much higher Quad HD resolutions (2,560 x 1,440).
However, the Dell tablet is said to be easy to read outdoors, while also being touch-friendly to folks who have to wear gloves, say, in the snow.
Boasting an Intel Core M processor and 8GB of RAM, it should be able to breeze through most common tasks like e-mail or Web browsing, while providing just about enough muscle to run some photo-editing programs.
The two-cell batteries onboard promise up to 12 hours of usage, which is more than the six to eight hours touted on many other laptops.
The Rugged Tablet comes with solid state drives ranging from 128GB to 512GB as well as a dedicated GPS.
Users can also opt for a mobile broadband option, to keep connected when Wi-Fi is not available. Also available as an option is an optional water-resistant keyboard with a touchpad.
UPDATE 31/07/2015, 4:26pm:
There will be two models available in Singapore. Dell will be offering a 20 per cent discount on the price of the following tablets during the month of August. The prices listed below are before discount.
Config 1: Intel Core M-5Y10c Processor / Win8Pro / 8GB / 256GB
List Price: S$3,659
Config 2: Intel Core M-5Y71 Processor / Win8Pro / 8GB / 256GB
List Price: S$4,109
