Modern, highly configurable 7-inch Windows procap tablet rugged enough to take a beating
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
Ever since Apple introduced the iPad, the world has changed. Handy, lightweight tablets have become the tool of choice for data lookup, communication, and numerous computing tasks. That doesn't mean desktops and notebooks will go away; it just means that the tablet form factor has been recognized as most suitable for many tasks on the road and on the job. And since many of those jobs are outdoors where it gets wet, hold and cold, and where things get dropped or rattled, there's now a need for tablets that are tougher than what you can get from Apple, Google or Amazon. That's where companies like Winmate come in, and new products like their M700D 7-inch Windows tablet.
Winmate Communication, located in Taipei, Taiwan, has an impressive history of making rugged and embedded products. Recently they've been concentrating on handheld and tablet OEM/ODM solutions with a flurry of handheld (C350T, S370, E430T, S430T) and tablet (G570Z, M970D) introductions, each different and targeted to different applications and tastes.
Winmate's approach with the M700D is simple: Use the wide-format 7-inch size that appears to have established itself as the second major form factor besides the "full-size" 10-inch tablets. Use an economical yet competent processor capable of running full Windows. Use the tremendously popular projected capacitive touch technology instead of an older resistive digitizer. Don't overload the tablet with lots of standard functions that drive up cost, but offer them as optional modules and configurations. Do all that and you get a device like the M700D.
As far as specs go, the M700D measures 8.35 x 5.2 inches and is an inch thick. That's a bit larger and quite a bit thicker than consumer media tablets in this class. And with 1.7 pounds, the Winmate weighs more, too, but it's still and small and fairly light tablet. No mention of housing and chassis materials, though it looks like a plastic body shell with rubber/elastomer bumpers and protection around the perimeter, and likely a magnesium chassis inside.
No detailed specs on the display yet other than its 7-inch diagonal size, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, and 250 nit backlight. 1024 x 600 worked fine on tens of millions of netbooks, and will look plenty sharp on a 7-inch screen. 250 nits isn't very much, so either Winmate will also make available a sunlight-readable display option, or they position this tablet primarily for indoor use.
Projected capacitive touch likes a smooth glass surface that extends well beyond the display itself and the M700D has that, so it should be pleasant to operate. Windows 7, of course, isn't exactly touch-friendly and Winmate doesn't mention a secondary pen or stylus option, so many prospective customers may use custom software optimized for procap.
The M700D is powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom N2600 processor, which is one of the best overall Atom chips and plenty capable of running Windows 7 at a good pace. Standard RAM is 2GB, upgradeable to 4GB, and mass storage comes in the form of a solid state disk (from 32 all the way to 128GB). A micro-SD card slot allows for extra storage and data transfer. You may wonder about Windows 8, given the tablet form factor and capacitive touch screen. That is probably not what Winmate had in mind as Windows 8 likes higher resolution and reports have it that the N2600 isn't working (yet) with Windows 8.
Stock connectivity is sparse — just a standard USB 2.0 port and audio. So whatever other wired connectivity is needed would have to come via the USB port or a dock. Wireless is a la carte; customers can spec dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Class 2 Bluetooth 2.1, mobile broadband, and a NEO-6 u-blox GPS module. Also optional are ambient light and G sensors. A 2-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with LED illuminator, though, is standard.
In the power department, the 16.8 watt-hour standard battery seems rather small for a Wintel tablet (it's the same, though, as the iPad mini which has a larger display) and the optional secondary 38.5 watt-hour battery is probably advisable.
For ruggedness, Winmate claims a 4-foot drop spec, IP65 sealing, where the "6" stands for being dustproof and the "5" for the ability to handle low pressure water jets from all directions. The tablet can operate in a temperature range of 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, enough for most deployments. We haven't had hands-on with the M700D yet, but the device looks sturdy and should hold up well to abuse with its protective bumpers and ports.
Our initial impression is that with the M700D tablet, Winmate has a very rational, straight-forward and cleanly designed basic tool for tablet jobs that require Windows, yet also a tool that's technologically attractive and highly customizable by partners/resellers that may use their own branding.
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