Versatile, no-nonsense, well-sealed Intel Atom-based rugged tablet for all sorts of legacy Windows deployments
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Taiwan-based RuggON Corporation was established in 2014 as a provider of ruggedized computing products. RuggON's stated mission is to raise the productivity of rugged computing solutions through creative, pioneering technology. Their lineup consists of RuggTAB tablets and RuggVMC vehicle mounts. On this page we're describing the PM-311 7-inch rugged tablet.

The RuggON PM-311 has a 7-inch 16:10 wide-format display with high 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. Thhis tablet foregoes the fashionable capacitive touch in favor of traditional 5-wire resistive touch, not a bad choice for the tablet's standard or embedded versions of Windows 7. The device can be ordered either with a rather bright 400-nits standard display, or a 700-nits sunlight-readable screen that benefits from anti-reflective coatings and circular polarizers.

In terms of size and weight, the PM-311—designed primarily for data acquisition duties—measures a compact 8.9 x 6.6 inches and is just over an inch thick. Weight is just over two pounds. Looking at the unit, size and weight specs presumably are without the prominent protective rubber bumpers.

As its intended purpose suggests, the PM-311 is a well-connected, well-equipped device. Wired onboard connectivity includes dual full-size USB 2.0 ports, RJ45 LAN, and even a legacy serial RS232 port, as well as a standard audio jack. There's a micro-SD card slot to augment the internal 32GB SATA solid-state disk (presumably, larger sizes are available). There are two cameras, a 2mp front-facing conferencing cam, and a rear-facing 5mp documentation camera. There's embedded GPS, dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth v4.0, as well as optional 3.5G or 4G LTE mobile broadband. Optionally available is a 2-in-1 snap-on 1D/2D barcode scanner and magnetic stripe card reader.

On the processor side, RuggON equips its rugged 7-inch tablet with the dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600, a competent and widely used processor well suited for this class of machine. Using a dual-battery arrangement with an internal and an external battery allows hot-swapping and combined battery life of up to 8 hours between charges. A service door in the back of the tablet provides easy access for upgrades or service.

The PM-311 is a pure tablet without integrated keyboard, but it does have five programmable function keys for easy one-click access to often used apps and utilities.

On the ruggedness side, the PM-311 claims IP65 sealing, which means it's totally dustproof, and can also handle low-pressure water jets from all directions (albeit with limited ingress permitted). It has a wide operating temperature range of -4 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, can be dropped from five feet to concrete, and has been tested according to MIL-SDT-810G procedures for mechanical shock and several other criteria. Ubiqconn also stresses the advantages of its uHeater intelligent heater solution that—via controllers, sensors and heaters—determines which parts of the tablet need to be heated under different scenarios and conditions.

Overall, the PM-311 neither breaks new ground, nor seeks to dazzle with avant-garde design or new features. It simply combines a logical complement of building blocks into a reasonable, feasible and quite versatile tool for mobile data capture and logistics jobs in areas such as warehousing, law enforcement, first responders, public safety, field service, surveying, etc.