A mobile computer for anyone who's been waiting for a rugged netbook
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

On September 14, 2010, the Handheld Group introduced the Algiz XRW. Handheld calls it a "fully rugged laptop" that features "cutting-edge technology and communication possibilities in an ultra-mobile form factor, at best value available on the market." We call it a rugged netbook. Yes, what Handheld offers with the Algiz XRW is something a lot of folks in the field have been waiting for—a fully ruggedized version of those handy little notebooks that fit anywhere and that have been selling in the tens of millions.

That said, is the Algiz XRW really small and handy enough to qualify as a rugged version of a netbook? It is. Its footprint is 10.2 x 7 inches. That of one of the most popular 10-inch netbooks, the Acer Aspire One, is 10.2 x 7.3. The Algiz is a bit thicker (1.6 versus 1.3 inches) and weighs a bit more (3.3 pounds versus 2.6 pounds). Considering that the Algiz features the same size 10.1-inch display but is almost infinitely more durable than a consumer netbook, that is a remarkable accomplishment. In essence, field personnel now can take a full-feature netbook along on jobs where no standard netbook would survive.

But does Handheld's rugged netbook also deliver state-of-the-art netbook features and performance? It does. First and second generation consumer netbooks had displays with WSVGA 1024 x 600 pixel resolution that was just not quite enough for today's apps and websites that usually assume full XGA (1024 x 768 pixel). Many current generation netbooks have switched to 1366 x 768 "HD basic" resolution that offers a much more practical user experience, and that is what the Algiz XRW comes with. It is also considerably more resolution than a lot of rugged mobile tablet and laptops offer.

In terms of tech specs, however, the Algiz XRW differs from consumer netbooks in small but meaningful ways. While almost all netbooks are powered (or as many say, underpowered) by the ubiquitous 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 or its 1.66GHz N450 successor, Handheld chose a chip from the more industrially oriented Z5xx series of Atom processors. But while the 1.6GHz Z530 has been the processor of choice for most industrial/vertical market mobile devices, Handheld picked the significantly more powerful 2.0GHz Z550 version that should provide performance above the level usually expected from a netbook class machine.

Finally, while most commercial netbooks have been using 160GB hard disks, the Algiz XRW comes with a 64GB solid state drive that's faster, more reliable, and much more resistant to damage. And while most commercial netbooks still come with just 1GB of RAM, the XRW has two, which makes much more sense when you're running Windows 7 (we were initially told the XRW would run Windows Embedded Standard 7, but the initial release seems to come with Windows 7 Ultimate).

Design and construction