Ubiqconn stands for "Ubiquitous Connectivity" and it's a 2011 spin-off from highly-regarded First International Computer, one of Taiwan's premier forces in technology research, product development and manufacturing services. Ubiqconn consists of FIC's Industrial Computer Business Unit and FIC's original R&D team. Ubiqconn products include industrial box and panel PCs, and rugged tablet computers such as the uTablet T70C described on this page.
As of late 2013, Ubiqconn's tablet lineup consists of two fully rugged "uTablet" Intel Atom N2600-powered tablets in the 7-inch and 10-inch class, and two semi-rugged 10.4-inch "Carpo" tablets.
Of the two fully-rugged models, the smaller uTablet T70C has a 7-inch 16:10 wide-format display with high 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. Ubiqconn 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 T70C can be ordered either with a rather bright 400-nits standard display, or a 500-nits sunlight-readable screen that benefits from "uView" anti-reflective coatings and circular polarizers.
In terms of size and weight, the T70C—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 T70C 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, Ubiqconn equips both of its rugged tablets 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 T70C 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 T70C 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 T70C 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. Backed by FIC's good reputation and experience, the uTablet T70C certainly deserves consideration.
Update 08/2014: Ubiqconn's product line is now exclusively offered by RuggON.
