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Stealth.com, a manufacturer of rugged devices, has introduced a waterproof mini-PC, the WPC-525F, a unit built to withstand the harsh environments workers face in the government, military, transportation, mining and public safety.
The mini-PC’s small form factor aluminum chassis is strong enough to be run over by a truck, according to the company.
Founded in 1990, Stealth specializes in rugged products for industrial use. Stealth PCs are used to run applications for industrial automation, marine navigation and sound coordination at entertainment venues.
The WPC-525F features an Intel D525 1.8GHz dual-core CPU and a 120GB solid state drive, which can survive extreme heat and cold as well as high vibration, shock and humidity. The solid state drive is also suitable for high altitudes.
Rugged devices allow workers such as first responders or shipping personnel to manage harsh conditions.
Stealth designed the PC to survive extreme temperatures, though it lacks a fan. Instead, the unit’s chassis can cool the hardware and act as a heat sink. In a style typical of computing equipment for the military, the WPC-525F features watertight, “bayonet style connectors” for power, video, two LAN, serial and four USB ports.
The WPC-525F meets the Ingress Protection (IP)-67 rating for submersion in water and its ability to ward off dust intrusion, according to Stealth. It can also withstand chemicals and dirt.
In a hospital environment, the WPC-525F can be cleaned and disinfected easily, according to the company.
The WPC-525F conforms to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 6 standard, which certifies that the product is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and is protected against ice, falling dirt, hose-directed water and occasional submersion.
“The WPC-525F is built to withstand the demanding effects of harsh environments typically encountered in industrial, marine and outdoor applications,” Ed Boutilier CEO of Stealth.com, said in a statement.
Stealth.com’s ultralow-power, low-noise mini-PC starts at $1,595 and can run operating systems such as Windows 8 and Linux. However, the company is seeing slower adoption of Windows 8 in PCs for specialized industries and still sees demand for Windows XP, Andrew Pakula, a Stealth.com spokesman, told eWEEK in an email.
It runs in temperatures of 0 to 60 degrees Celsius and can be stored in environments with temperature ranges of -20 to 70 degrees Celsius. The unit weighs 7.9 pounds with cables and 5.1 pounds without.
In addition, DC input power allows the WPC-525F to handle applications for the marine, field and transportation industries, Stealth reported. With the DC adapter, users can plug in the PC in an ambulance, police car, helicopter or boat, Stealth.com reported.
Stealth offers sunlight-readable LCD monitors and waterproof keyboards for use with the WPC-525F. The 21.5-inch SVM-2150W can operate in -10 to +50 Celsius temperatures.
The WPC-525F is a follow-up to Stealth.com’s previous WPC mini-PCs, which featured a similar construction. Stealth also offers a line of LittlePCs, which are about the size of a hard-cover novel.
The company launched a new Web portal for its LittlePCs in November as part of the company’s focus on the small form and embedded PC market, said Boutilier.