Fully rugged and highly customizable 10.1-inch OEM tablet for remote and field work in trying conditions
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Estone Technology's mission is to provide premier OEM/ODM solutions focused on tablet and Panel PC products. This includes the highly configurable MR-100 rugged tablet, a flexible OS design geared towards industrial and field operations that need an economically priced tool for the job that can survive routine impacts and drops, handle occasional rain and spray, and provide reliable connectivity for the field or the office.

As for exact positioning, the MR-100 was created as a competent, flexible OEM tablet platform for rebranding, turn-key hardware/software solutions, in-house deployment, etc. The MR-100 can be equipped to run various operating systems as well as provide various levels of performance and functionality.

As far as size goes, the MR-100's footprint is a bit larger than that of consumer tablets with the same screen size. The MR-100 is three quarters of an inch thick and weighs 2.4 pounds, making it remarkably handy and compact for a rugged tablet. Compared to a consumer tablet, the larger bezel allows holding the device without accidentally issuing a touch command. The MR-100 also provides a much stronger build with a sturdy magnesium chassis, much more perimeter protection, and also ample room for expansion and customization.

Whereas most consumer tablets have minimal wired connectivity, the Estone MR-100 provides what's likely needed by industrial and vertical market customers. That includes a full-size USB port, a standard RJ45 LAN jack, a standard 3.5mm audio jack, and also a docking port. Standard storage is 128GB, with available options up to a full Terabyte. That can be complemented via SD card. Industrial-grade solid state disks are available as an option.

For wireless connectivity, the MR-100 comes standard with fast 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN, Bluetooth 4.2, and a uBlox 7 dedicated GNSS module. Optionally available are NFC or RFID readers, a 1D/2D barcode reader, and there's also a M.2 socket for a 4G LTE mobile broadband module that supports multi-carrier certification.

The tablet's 10.1-inch 10-point capacitive multi-touch IPS display has 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution. That makes for a pleasing 16:10 aspect ratio and 224 pixels per inch — sharp enough for the intended applications. Since this is an IPS screen, there are perfect viewing angles and no color or contrast shifts when viewed from any angle. The standard display has a luminance of 400 nits, about twice that of an average laptop computer. For outdoor use, there's an optional 1000 nits display. Estone offers a variety of anti-reflection, anti-glare, and anti-smudging coatings for optimal viewing in almost every conceivable application.

The MR-100 provides two levels of performance. The tablet comes standard with an Intel "Apollo Lake" Pentium N4200, but can optionally be equipped with a more powerful Intel 7th generation "Kaby Lake" Core i5-7Y54. For quantity orders, Estone also makes available the Pentium N3350, Core i3-7Y30 and Core 7-7Y75. Depending on configuration, a 40 watt-hour Li-Ion polymer battery should offer full-shift operation.

Designed for use in various demanding environments, the Estone MR-100 carries IP65 sealing where the "6" means the computer is totally protected from dust, and the "5" that it is protected against low-pressure water jets from all directions. For tablets used in clinical settings, there's an anti-microbial option. The operating temperature range is 32 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, suitable for a wide variety of deployments. The tablet is designed to survive multiple 4-foot drops, the height from which it would fall if it slipped out of a one's hands while using it in a standing position.

Overall, the Estone MR-100 is a flexible and highly configurable tablet option for solutions and deployments that require ruggedness and durability without breaking the bank. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, March 2019