The Sonim XP1 is a rugged, IP54 rated, MIL-810F drop tested mobile phone that is pretty close to unbreakable… That is until this BBC reporter got hold of it (Click on the screenshot to watch the video):

As you can see, the weak point of this phone is its glass screen. We find that the glass screen is the weak point on many of the Tablet PCs on the market too – even the rugged ones. Even though standard screens are made from chemically hardened glass, they are still prone to break when a little force is applied.

Corning turned this problem on its head when they released Gorilla Glass last year – Gorilla Glass is strengthened with a process that achieves a much deeper level of strengthening. You can see a demonstration of Gorilla Glass by Andrew Moore-Crispin of butterscotch.com here at CES in Las Vegas last week.

Motion Computing were the first Tablet PC manufacturer with Corning Gorilla Glass on the rugged F5 and C5 tablets last year. Gorilla Glass is up to four times stronger than other glass used in Tablet PCs and as yet, Motion are still the only Tablet manufacturer using the technology.

Having used Tablet PCs for nearly 10 years (and broken at least 4 screens), I can attest to the value of this glass. It should be an essential component on all Tablet PCs along with a low power Hydis AFFS+ outdoor viewable display – another Motion Computing first.

Sonim should plan a visit to Corning to make their rugged phone even tougher (so that this doesn’t happen in future)!

The Motion F5 and C5 can be equipped with an RFID reader. For want of a better analogy, RFID is a smarter barcode system. It is often used for inventory tracking and identification.

Unlike a barcode which is read only, information can be written to RFID tags on the fly with a device like the Motion F5. Software applications that run on the Windows based F5 will allow you to read and manipulate the tags.

Motion Computing have published the following demonstration video showing how to use the RFID reader.

The F5 and C5 are also tagged with a passive RFID tag so that you can track them too. The video shows the location of the passive RFID tag (We knew it was in there, but now we know where!).

For more information about using RFID give us a call on 03 9012 6602 or contact us via our website. We can assist you to source RFID tags and equipment to use with the F5 and C5 through some local suppliers here in Australia.

I got caught out in one of Melbourne’s four seasons (the rainy one) with one of our Motion F5 tablet PCs recently. As you can see from the video below, the Motion F5 has an IP 54 rating, so it takes it all in stride…

The Motion F5 has an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. IP is an industrial rating scale for Intrusion Protection. The first number, in this case a 5 relates to the dust rating, and the second number relates to the water rating.

To achieve these ratings, the Motion F5 – and for that matter the Motion C5 – must run through a series of physical endurance tests. The machines must operate through the testing without failure. To see the tests in action, watch below:

Motion F5 Water Test

Water is sprayed constantly onto the Motion F5 from all sides for 1 hour. It must continue to operate throughout the test.

Motion Dust Protection Test

Whilst this video shows the Motion J3400, the Motion F5 and C5 pass the same test. The Tablet PCs are subjected to a fine dust cloud for 8 hours and must continue to operate.

Motion F5 Drop Test

The Motion F5 unit is dropped from 3 feet onto all sides, corners and faces. It must continue to operate throughout this test to pass.

Motion F5 Gorilla Glass Test

This demonstration shows a 1kg ball bearing dropped onto the screen. As you can see, the screen flexes but does not break thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass technology.

Tablet PCs like these go into places that regular computers don’t go. It is important that you choose a Tablet PC that is designed to go where you want it to go!

On the 20th of October Barnes and Noble introduced the “nook” eBook reader to the US market. No doubt this move was designed to compete with the success of the Amazon Kindle which until now has not been available to Australian customers.

Australian readers are probably thinking, “great, another e-reader that won’t be available to us.”

But dedicated e-book reading devices aren’t for everyone (I personally don’t want another device to add to my collection 10+ Tablet PCs!), so the good news is that Barnes and Noble trumped Amazon by also releasing their e-Reader software for PC as well as MAC and iPhone. Only days later Amazon matched them by announcing Kindle reader software for PC and MAC too.

So if you enjoy e-reading, you now have some new alternatives for reading eBooks on your Tablet PC. Of course, there eBooks have been around for a long time now, and there are many places to buy them online for PC. We list a few below, but feel free to add your suggestions in comments.

I guess the question is, what is the best Tablet PC to start e-Book reading on? Here is our list of recommended Tablet PCs for eBook Reading:

1. Motion F5, Motion C5 or Motion J3400 with Hydis AFFS+ – These are the top of the line Tablets with the best screen technology available by a country mile. You simply will not  get a better eBook reading experience on a PC (Best viewing angle, contrast, outdoor visibility and power consumption). So if you can afford it, start here. If you can’t, read on…
2. Viliv X70 EX Premium Air – A fantastic small and lightweight slate device with inbuilt 3G. Weighs only 660 grams and has a 7” colour screen that is not much bigger than an average paperback. Perfect for eBook reading.
3. Gigabyte M1028 – Reading eBooks on a netbook is not really a comfortable experience. Enter the Gigabyte M1028 – a touch screen netbook with a 10” convertible (swivel) screen. It performs fantastically as a netbook, but swivel the screen around and you have a colour eBook reader. Price is great too at less than AU$1000.

We’ll have to wait and see what Amazon come out with when they release their Kindle app next month, but in the meantime you can already get your eBooks on Tablet PC from a variety of sources:

• Barnes & Noble – One million titles
• Zinio – Great software and best source for Digital Magazines
• Adobe Reader Titles – Available in Australia from Dymocks
• eBooks.com – For all eBook formats
• Sony eBook Store – Download the software to use it
• Google Books – For out of copyright titles.

Here’s a snippet from the introductory post from the Barns and Noble “Unbound” blog:

There’s no denying it: eBooks are revolutionizing the way we read—and fast. Literature is moving from our shelves to our screens, and with it comes easy, instant access to eBooks, anytime, anywhere.

Computers and handheld devices are swiftly becoming the mediums of choice for many bibliophiles who no longer find it feasible to store and carry all of their physical books. And as a new generation turns to computer screens and PDAs for their information, digital learning is playing an increasingly crucial role in our schools.

The Motion F5 and Motion C5 Tablet PCs are now officially tougher!

Motion Computing has officially launched the new C5 MCA and F5 Field Tablet PC with Corning Gorilla Glass – 4 times stronger than regular display glass.

Motion have also put together a great demonstration video for you, check this out:

To find out more about Corning Gorilla Glass, read this article where we leaked the news in August… Sorry Motion, but we have been delivering these to our customers for a while now…!

Of course this not only means better breakage protection, it will also limit scratching on the screen surface.

The Motion C5 and F5 were already certified to rugged US Military standards (MIL-810F) for drop and IP54 rated for dust and water protection.

Now when you couple this new tough display with the new Hydis AFFS+ outdoor display and Core 2 Duo processor and you have a very tough and cutting edge Tablet PC.

We have the Motion F5 and Motion C5 with Corning Gorilla Glass available for demonstrations now. Call us on 0400 687 887 or fill in the enquiry form on our website.

This demonstration shows the new Intel Core 2 Duo Motion F5 running a Windows 7 release candidate. We show the ins and outs of the new tablet input panel alongside the Windows Vista version.

Installing windows 7 on the Motion F5 was a snap! There were no tricks to it. Just connect an external DVD or USB drive, install Windows and off you go… Grab the standard drivers and software from the Motion website.

Whereas Atom based tablets will struggle to run Windows 7, the new F5 (and C5 of course) is more than capable of running it smoothly. Take a look for yourself:

Thanks to the stronger Australian dollar prices on Motion Computing products have fallen significantly.

If you have spoken to us about motion products in the past, please contact us for a new quote.

Motion Product Detail links:

• J3400 Tablet PC
• Motion C5 MCA
• Motion F5 Field Tablet PC
• LE1700 Tablet PC

For more information, contact us on 03 9012 6602 or 0400 687 887.

We recently made the call that the Motion J3400 has the best outdoor display that we’ve seen to date. It’s time to retract that statement…

Motion Computing have now included their market leading display on the F5 and C5 Tablet PCs.

So now the J3400, C5 and F5 can all be shipped with the remarkable Hydis AFFS+ screen technology. The Hydis screen allows you to have a clear view in direct sunlight without the need for major battery draining backlighting.

That means:

• Awesome indoor and outdoor viewing
• Wide viewing angles
• Maximum battery life

This technology is a huge leap for Tablet PCs and it goes a long way to solving two of the biggest hurdles for Tablet PC deployments – battery life and screen viewing.

For a detailed explanation of screen brightness and outdoor screen technology, read out may post here.

We’ve been using the J3400 with the Hydis AFFS+ display for a few months now and we’re still impressed.

It’s great to see that Motion Computing are continuing to invest in their technology. We also expect to see new products and developments on the horizon from them.

Read the motion press release here.

Now whatever you do folks, don’t try this with your Tablet PC at home!

But… here’s what happens when you drop the Semi-Rugged Motion F5.

Most Tablet PC models are designed with shock absorbent bumpers to withstand a simple bump or a drop. For the average Tablet PC, you’re going to see some superficial damage, but the contents (the expensive bits) will remain intact.

In this case, as you can see, the F5 withstands a corner impact from over 1 metre. With it’s semi rugged design, the F5 will take more of a knocking than the average Tablet PC before it breaks.

As noted in the video though, there is no warranty that is going to cover you against dropping your Tablet PC, even with the Motion F5. So seriously, don’t try this at home.

I demonstrated the Motion F5 Tablet PC for a large warehouse this week. So while I was in demonstration mode,  I thought I’d put together this video review.

Overall, the F5 is a very impressive Tablet PC. For applications like logisitcs, warehousing, manufacturing and construction this Tablet must be on your list to evaluate.

Motion Computing F5 Tablet PC Video Transcript

If you’d like to see a Motion F5 in action, email us at info@tabletpc.com.au, phone on 03 9012 6602 or use the contact form below.

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