Getac, With F110, V110, Shows Rugged Can Also Be Truly Mobile

By Michelle Maisto

Getac is calling the V110 the industry’s “thinnest and lightest rugged convertible” and the F110 its “thinnest and lightest fully rugged large-screen tablet.” John Lamb, Getac’s director of marketing, told eWEEK that “no one’s ever challenged this industry,” explaining that manufacturers are loath to update designs because of the intense verification tests that must follow.

The V110, on the left in this image, is 30 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than its predecessor, on the right. It also has a larger display (an 11.6-inch TFT LCD HD with a resolution of 1,366 by 768) that’s sunlight readable and features multitouch technology. “It’s hard to look at a 10.4-inch display all day,” said Lamb.

Again beside its predecessor, the V110 shows of the “unique, multiposition hinge” that enables it to easily transition from laptop to tablet. The V110 weighs 4.36 pounds and measures 11.7 by 8.78 by 1.26 inches.

The forward-most slot is one of two battery slots. The V110’s dual batteries are 66 percent smaller and 57 percent lighter than the previous generations. Hot swappable, they can be removed and replaced without powering down the laptop or any apps. The V110’s flash-based storage is also removable.

The V110 has a full-size keyboard that’s backlit and has a waterproof membrane. Getac says it’s 56 percent larger than the keyboard on competing devices. The V110 features a chassis of precision-cast magnesium alloy and has a rubberized absorption polymer at its main points of contact. It has a three-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty that includes damage due to accidents.

The F110 runs fourth-generation Intel Core processors, has an 11.6-inch display, weighs 3.07 pounds and measures 12.3 by 8.15 by 0.96 inches.

Getac says the F110’s 11.6-inch (1,366-by-768) multitouch display offers plenty of real estate for running Windows and apps. LumiBond technology offers better contrast and crisper colors “than any other rugged tablet display,” says Getac.

The F110 tablet also has dual, hot-swappable batteries, enabling a user to replace one while the other continues powering the OS and apps. Additionally, a removable door on the tablet’s back offers access to its removable storage module.

The F110 can stand up to drops, shocks, spills, vibration, dust, liquids and more. It will arrive in November, followed by the V110 in December.