Posts

New Rugged AMREL Laptop Converts into Lightweight Tablet

, ,

AMREL announced the launch of ROCKY U12Ci, a lightweight convertible  laptop / tablet.

“The ROCKY U12Ci is the one of the lightest rugged convertible notebooks to ever pass MIL-STD 810G for Drop, Vibration, and Shock,” said Kalvin Chen, AMREL’s Director of Technology Marketing.  “That’s the toughest military standard for ruggedness.”

The ROCKY U12Ci has a pivot hinge that allows the user to turn the 12.1” display 180° and flip the LCD/touch panel. The U12Ci functions equally well as a laptop and a tablet. Read more

/by

AMREL leads the Top Ten

Top Ten Reviews, a well-known independent site, has picked the best rugged laptops for 2013.  All 3 AMREL laptops made the top 6, a number that no other company matched.  To see the Top Ten list, click here.

/by

AMREL ISO 9001:2008 Certification

,

AMREL has been awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for design, engineering, manufacturing, andcustomization of rugged mobile computing solutions.

ISO 9001:2008 is an internationally recognized standard that specifies requirements for quality management systems.  To receive certification, an organization must demonstrate that it meets a variety of requirements, including:

The quality system is regularly audited and evaluated for conformance and effectiveness.
The quality policy is understood and followed at all levels and by all employees. Each employee works towards measurable objectives. Read more

/by

Demo & Eval Computers SALE

,

For the first time, AMREL is selling deeply discounted Demo computers & Eval units online!  UP TO 70% OFF on select fully rugged laptops, tablets, and handhelds. See the great deals at shop.amrel.com!

/by

AMREL AT MODERN DAY MARINE

,

AMREL will be at Modern Day Marine next week.  Come by AMREL’s booth #1037 and see the “largest” and the “smallest.”   The “largest” would be the RF9, which has the biggest display of any fully rugged laptop on the market.  The “smallest” would be the ROCKY DB6, which is the smallest fully rugged handheld in the world that can run full Windows/Linux OS. See you at Quantico!

Read more

/by

The Future of Rugged Computers

, , , ,

What are the forces driving the technology of rugged computers? Where are rugged computers being used, and what are their future applications? How will the popularity of business tablets affect them?  We addressed these questions and others to Dr. Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, author of the Rugged PC Review as well as its blog. As one of the few independent voices in the world of rugged computing, he has a unique perspective. Here are his self-described “stream-of-consciousness” answers.  Read article here.

/by

Recycling, Earth Day, COTS & National Security

, ,

April 22 is Earth Day, a time in which we reflect on how our actions affect the environment.  These effects can be quite surprising, even dangerous.  For example, it probably never occurred to you that recycling computers could potentially hamper National Security.

To explain this bizarre chain of causality, let’s explain a few basics.  First, your computer is full of lead and lots of other nasty stuff. That’s why you are not supposed to just dump them the trash; decaying computers can pour a variety of toxins into landfills.  Secondly, your computer is full of gold and other valuable materials.  Computer disposal and recycling is a big business. You may have seen announcements, such as this one in the ARMY Times, offering cash or at least shipping costs for discarded electronics.  Computer and other electronics recycling have become standard features of church and other nonprofit fund drives. Read more

/by

Defense Tech Briefs spotlights the DB6

, , , ,

AMREL’s handheld DB6 is on the cover of this month’s Defense Tech Briefs.  April’s issue’s featured article is “Improving Battlefield Connectivity for Dismounted Forces,” so it’s only natural that they would spotlight the smallest, rugged, handheld in the world that can run a full Windows OS.  Click here  to read about the search for the ideal front-line computing platform.

/by
NIE3

Is the NIE too big to succeed? Update

,

NIE3UPDATE: The shine may be starting to fade on the ARMY’s golden boy, the Network Integration Evaluation (NIE). There have been grumblings about the size of the effort (see original blog post below).  Now, its price is raising eyebrows (Officials worry Army’s NIE is too expensive).  NIE costs a whopping $260 million in 2012.

Could be that’s this is just growing pains.  After all, the 2013 request is “only” $214 million, which is especially impressive considering the NIE is under pressure to grow from ambitious officers wanting to participate. This implies that the ARMY is learning how to run the evaluation more efficiently.

Still, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a procurement process that is supposed to be “agile” and cost effective seems a bit counter intuitive.  Maybe the line between boondoggle and success is thinner than is commonly realized. Read more

/by

Tablets rule, for now

, ,

It may be hard to remember all the way back to 2010, but when the iPad was first introduced, no one was sure if the public would actually adopt it.  “People already have a smartphone and a laptop,” ran a common refrain, “What’s the point of another mobile form factor?”

Read more

/by