DailyTech - Trimble Yuma Rugged PC Announced

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Gadgets Trimble Yuma Rugged PC Announced
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - February 23, 2009 1:17 PM

12 comment(s) - last by TheSpaniard.. on Feb 25 at 8:16 AM

Trimble Yuma (Source: Trimble)

Trimble pulls the wraps off a new rugged PC for workers in harsh environments

Computers used outdoors in construction and other harsh environments need to be protected against a myriad of possible factors to ensure the system keeps working.

Trimble has announced its latest rugged computer called the Yuma tablet that is designed specifically for use in harsh environments. The machine has an ingress protection rating of six for dust and seven for water protection. Trimble says the machine can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water without any damage.

Yuma is also protected against shocks caused by drops, vibration, and extreme temperature fluctuations. The machine is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and features built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, dual digital cameras, and expansion is available with SDIO and ExpressCard slots. Storage comes via a 32GB SSD and the screen measures 7-inches and is readable in direct sunlight.

Trimble doesn't specify what OS the machine runs, but the images appear to show Windows Vista. The Yuma has an overall weight of 2.6 pounds with the standard batteries.

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Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By PedroDaGr8 on 2/23/2009 1:28:36 PM , Rating: 2

Looking at that image, it looks more like it has the Orb instead of a start button, which would make it a Vista/Win7 OS.

RE: Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By killerroach on 2/23/2009 1:46:37 PM , Rating: 2

Assuming that's not a mockup shot, that's Vista. Note that it still has the normal taskbar rather than Windows 7's more ribbon-like bar.

Considering it's running Atom, however, they may choose to have it ship with XP instead.

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RE: Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By TheSpaniard on 2/23/09, Rating: 0

RE: Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By mindless1 on 2/23/2009 4:53:20 PM , Rating: 2

Nope, it's well established that even if the overhead difference is small on modern hardware, it is there (and Atom isn't quite modern by performance standards for a CPU). Tacking air skirts, dams, rams, fins, and wings on a Yugo doesn't make it go faster it makes it go slower due to extra weight and it's still the same car otherwise. XP is the yugo, Vista is just excessive if the addt'l features are unneeded.

Windows embedded or CE on the other hand, if their inherent limitations don't effect the use, are what MS actually designed to be used on such equipment. Win7 is a desktop PC OS, other devices shouldn't necessarily be using it.

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RE: Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By mindless1 on 2/23/2009 5:02:03 PM , Rating: 2

Replace Vista above with "Vista and Win7", though most applications for this device might do as well with a custom linux installed instead of windows, pared back to only the feature set needed which would reduce vulnerabilities, speed up boot-time, and if not looking like a toy with a popular OS, less likely stolen by employees or others since they'll not need a device that does a job they don't do and most wouldn't be able to hack it to do something else.

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RE: Looks like Vista/Win7 to me.

By TheSpaniard on 2/25/2009 8:16:08 AM , Rating: 2

Microsoft already announced that XP is done for even on netbooks with Win7 release? at least that is the impression I got from previous articles

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Interesting product...

By Smartless on 2/23/2009 2:01:24 PM , Rating: 2

2 digital cameras, plug openings, touch screen? Hmm I wonder how this is going to hold up in spite of all the ruggedness? Seems practical but I just hope these guys stick to what they're good at which is GIS/Surveying applications of this device because I can't see typing a report (claim on website) on this even with a plug in keyboard.

RE: Interesting product...

By spwrozek on 2/23/2009 3:37:15 PM , Rating: 5

I could see this being very useful to me as a transmission line engineer. When doing line inspections we always are bringing a GPS, digi cam, inspection sheets (paper), pencils... It would be great to take that along and be able to snap the photos of the structures with it and then take down all my notes on the tablet. It would make working in the rain easier since there would be no wet paper. I pretty much want one or something like it.

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RE: Interesting product...

By mindless1 on 2/23/2009 4:57:18 PM , Rating: 1

It was obviously designed to be a niche product, why in the world would you try to think in terms of what it can't do that a desktop or laptop can? It's deliberately not designed to type reports on, for example.

How it's going to hold up depends on whether the user treats it appropriately. It's better in that respect, not bulletproof. Same as most kinds of industrial designs, given some time daydreaming what couldn't we find a way to destroy?

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Is it....

By stugatz on 2/23/2009 8:21:42 PM , Rating: 2

The first tricorder?

RE: Is it....

By Darkskypoet on 2/23/2009 8:38:28 PM , Rating: 2

Naw, I always saw my Treo 650 as a pretty good try at a Tricorder, and its what 4 or 5 years old. So not the first, and its still a bit too big for a Tricorder.

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