Ultra-rugged, no-compromise notebook for the toughest jobs gets substantial tech update
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, September 2016)

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On October 12, 2016, GammaTech announced a substantial technology and performance update to their DURABOOK R8300. The R8300 — the first fully rugged notebook computer sold under the DURABOOK brand — is designed and manufactured specifically to operate and survive in extremely harsh environments such as, among others, those routinely encountered by the military, in public safety deployments, and by the utility sector.

Right upfront, please note that unlike tablets that continue exploring and breaking new technological ground, ruggedized notebooks such as the DURABOOK R8300 represent a very mature class of machines, one that goes back a good two decades when pioneering computer makers began beefing up standard notebook computers to make them more suitable for work in the field. Back then, adequate battery life, acceptable performance, and outdoor usable displays were almost insurmountable obstacles. Those issues have long since been resolved. Between new display technology, Intel's successive generations of ever-faster Core processors, and the maturity of ruggedization technology, hardened notebooks such as the R8300 allow computing anytime and anywhere.

That said, procurement and deployment life cycles, enterprise integration and support requirements, as well as legacy peripheral, accessory and application issues demand a higher degree of design and connectivity continuity and compatibility than is the case in consumer technology. In the R8300 that's evident, for example, in the 4:3 aspect ratio of the 13-inch display and the 1024 x 768 pixel XGA resolution that are no longer new, but optimally support a vast library of vertical market software.

In terms of design and execution, the R8300 remains absolutely first class. The magnesium alloy case and internal frame and structure make for an exceedingly solid machine, and also a complex one with numerous carefully conceived and executed details. For all its toughness, though, the R8300 is fairly compact, measuring 12.0 x 11.5 x 2 inches, including an integrated carry handle, and weighing just under eight pounds.

The latest generation of the R8300 benefits from a substantial performance upgrade. GammaTech switched from third generation "Ivy Bridge" Core processors all the way to sixth generation "Skylake" chips. And while GammaTech usually offers a default chip and perhaps one processor option, R8300 customers now have a choice of no fewer than four. Here's what customers can choose from:

GammaTech R8300 Processor Options

Available R8300 CPUs	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i5
Model	6600U	6500U	6300U	6200U
Cores/Threads	2/4	2/4	2/4	2/4
Base Clock Speed	2.60 GHz	2.50 GHz	2.40 GHz	2.30 GHz
Turbo Speed	3.40 GHz	3.10 GHz	3.00 GHz	2.80 GHz
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	15 watts	15 watts	15 watts	15 watts
Smart Cache	4MB	4MB	3MB	3MB
Integrated graphics	HD Graphics 520	HD Graphics 520	HD Graphics 520	HD Graphics 520
Graphics base speed	300 MHz	300 MHz	300 MHz	300 MHz
Graphics max speed	1.05 GHz	1.05 GHz	1.00 GHz	1.00 GHz
Intel Stable Image Platform Program	Yes	No	Yes	No
Intel TSX-NI	Yes	No	Yes	No
Intel Trusted Execution	Yes	No	Yes	No
Intel vPro	Yes	No	Yes	No

The difference between the chips is relatively subtle, but can be important if the availability of certain integrated processor options matters. Here's a brief explanation of Intel technologies that the i7-6600U and i5-6300U have, but the i7-6500U and i5-6200U do not:

• vPro provides extra security and management capabilities that are required in many enterprise deployments (see Wiki Intel vPro).

• TSX-NI Transactional Synchronization Extensions New Instructions) helps make parallel operations more efficient via improved control of locks in software (see Wiki TSX).

• SIPP (Stable Image Platform Program) allows deployment of standardized, stable image PC platforms for at least 15 months (see Intel SIPP), and

• Trusted Execution technology provides security capabilities such as measured launch and protected execution, and may thus also be an enterprise requirement (see Wiki Trusted Execution Technology).