ARBOR Technology, a Taiwan-based ISO-9001 certified embedded and networking manufacturer founded in 1993, announced the Gladius G0720 rugged Tablet PC in September 2010, with a release date of December 2010.
The ARBOR Gladius G0720 is a compact rugged industrial tablet computer for applications that benefit from an onboard physical keyboard as well as extensive data collection capabilities. The device measures 9.5 x 7.4 inches, is just under two inches thick, and weighs about four pounds. It has a small 7-inch wide-format analog resistive touch display with netbook-style 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. The display is outdoor-viewable with a strong 650 nits LED backlight.
The Gladius G0720's thumb-type keyboard has a full QWERTY layout that is split in half, similar to that on some other ultra-mobile PCs. Between the two QWERTY halves are punctuation and navigation keys. It's a layout that may require some getting used to, but the keys are all there. The device also has six programmable function keys.
The Gladius is based on the Intel Atom Z520PT processor with its accompanying Intel System Controller Hub US15WPT. Note that the "PT" means this is the "large form factor with extended temperature option" version that uses the 22x22 mm package of the chip that can handle extreme temperatures between -40 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit, much more than the device itself is rated for (32 to 113F). There's 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 32GB solid state disk.
The data collection nature of the Gladius G0720 is emphasized by a variety of data acquisition modules. The device has an integrated 1D/2D barcode scanner, an ISO 15693/14443A/14443B RFID reader, and a magnetic stripe reader module. On the communications side, you get integrated 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth version 2.0 with EDR (extended data range), and optional 3.75G HSUPA WWAN (there's a SIM slot). There are two onboard USB 2.0 ports, a serial RS232 port, as well as a gigabit RJ45 Ethernet jack. For expansion, there's an SD card slot, and a docking connector.
Thanks to the low-power Atom chip, the Gladius is a fanless design. Its dual Li-Ion battery packs provide about eight hours of running time (we don't know the battery specs, though).
The G0720 is a rugged device. It is sealed to IP54 specifications, where the "5" means it is mostly dustproof and the "4" that it is protected against water sprayed from all directions. The device can handle a four foot drop to wood, and the temperature range is 32 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. With its solid rubber bumpers, extended range chip and general look and feel, the Gladius actually looks like it should be more rugged than the specs suggest, and we'd like to see ful MIL-STD-810G testing results.
With the Gladius G0720, ARBOR focuses on the in-vehicle PC market, where the tablet can be deployed in various applications in industrial automation, hospitality, forklift, container ship/truck management, etc.
