MobileDemand Flex 10B Rugged Touchscreen Tablet Ultra Lightweight 10.1-in Display Windows 10 Pro MIL-STD-810G 3000mAh Battery Quad Core Celeron N4100 for Enterprise Mobile Field Work Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1, Intel Core i5-4310U @2.0GHz, 8GB, 256GB SSD, 10.1' WUXGA Multi Touch + Digitizer, WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, Rear Cam, Windows 10 Pro, 4G LTE, Dedicated GPS (Renewed). MobileDemand is a leading provider of ruggedized Windows tablets used by mobile workers in Field Service, Food and Beverage Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, Hospitality, Agriculture, Utilities and Public Safety. XTablets help improve operational efficiency and allow mobile workers to make better business decisions at the point of interaction. They provide mobility, versatility and are built military rugged to withstand harsh environments.
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Remarkably affordable Intel 'Cherry Trail' quad-core powered 10.1-inch Windows 10 capacitive multi-touch tablet in a custom-designed, preinstalled protective case
by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer
Ruggedized mobile computers can cost thousands of dollars, making them unaffordable to many potential customers. The MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10A that we're examining in this review, on the other hand, costs just US$595. That's less than the cheapest iPhone 7. How is this possible? It's because a few years ago, MobileDemand decided to add to their lineup of heavy-duty rugged tablets a series of thin and light 'business-loaded' tablets designed to deliver productivity improvements to the wide range of customers who require more ruggedness than consumer-grade tablets can deliver, but at a price that is not prohibitive. The original xTablet Flex 10 was part of that lineup, and the Flex 10A analyzed in this report is its successor.
How can MobileDemand sell a rugged Windows 10 tablet for so little money? By pre-packaging and assembling what is essentially a standard, albeit fully loaded, consumer/business Windows tablet with a competent protective case with bumpers and a carry handle. And also a scratch-proof screen protector and other touches and implements essential to a rugged device. So instead of searching for a case that may or may not do the job, buyers get a tablet with a heavy-duty case designed by experts in rugged Tablet PCs. For US$695 with Windows 10 Home, and US$670 with Windows 10 Professional.
This kind of pricing means that MobileDemand entered an entirely new territory with their xTablet Flex line (which also includes the Flex 8). Ever since Apple legitimized the tablet form factor with the iPad, tablets have become an integral part of our lives, selling in the hundreds of millions. Unfortunately, rugged tablet vendors have struggled with participating in the tablet bonanza. There are several reasons for that.
One is that traditional rugged tablet technology simply didn't appeal to buyers used to sleek, trendy consumer tablets. Another is that they balked at the high price of rugged tablets. As a result, many enterprise buyers opted for inexpensive consumer tablets and perhaps a third-party protective case. If they broke, they simply replaced them. There is considerable debate in the rugged industry as to whether it's a good idea to put consumer tech in a case. With the Flex line MobileDemand decided to find out for itself, and apparently it worked out quite well for them.
MobileDemand's Flex platform
It's important to understand MobileDemand's philosophical approach to the Flex line. In essence, the difference between the company's higher end xTablets and the Flex models is that the former are designed and built as cohesive, fully integrated rugged tablets with significant performance and capabilities, whereas the Flex line makes a ruggedized package available at the lowest possible price.For the Flex models, MobileDemand is sourcing generic tablets that meet the company's features and performance goals. MobileDemand then custom-designs protective rubber boots with thick bumpers to securely cushion and cradle the tablets, and that assembly then goes into a sturdy, also custom-designed polycarbonate backplate. The picture below shows that the Flex approach goes well beyond what any third party aftermarket case can offer:
The pictures above show that MobileDemand does far more than just cladding the tablet with hefty protection; they also design the backplate to accommodate a briefcase carrying handle, a heavy duty handstrap, and an easily accessible holster for the unit's capacitive stylus. All of this is included in the price. Customers ordering an xTablet Flex 10A will receive the unit exactly as shown in the pictures above.
What does the tablet inside look like? Many Flex customers will never find out because there's no need to remove the tablet from its armor, and the armor really isn't designed for easy removal and re-insertion of the tablet.
So below you can see the slender, stylish tablet at the core of the xTablet Flex 10A on top, and the elaborate protective multi-layer casing beneath it.
What differentiates the xTablet Flex 10A from buying a tablet and then a case for it is that it all comes preassembled and the case was designed by a company that has vast experience in rugged tablets. And there's an additional piece of protection that isn't visible in the pictures above: the xTablet Flex 10A also comes with a pre-applied screen protector that's not just a sheet of plastic but scratch-proof glass with a special oleophobic (fingerprint-resistant) coating. According to MobileDemand, it improves impact resistance by 20% — much welcome extra protection.
The below picture shows a close-up of the left side of the xTablet Flex 10A, both with and without the protective case and boot. The picture shows how slender the base tablet is.
Note that in the upper picture we photoshopped off the soft protective rubber plug that covers all I/O on the left side of the tablet.
As far as I/O goes, from left to right, there is a small microphone hole, a standard 3.5mm audio in/out jack, a micro USB port that also can be used for charging the tablet, a micro HDMI port, a blue full-size USB 3.0 port, and finally a DC power jack. Beneath the hinged snap-on cover to the right of the ports is a microSD card slot (which is one of the few reasons to ever take the tablet out of its armor). To the right of that is one of the two speakers.
What we especially appreciate is the full-size USB port, as those are significantly less prone to damage than the tiny and flimsier micro connectors of any kind. The latter are sized to fit into phones and other small devices, but they really shouldn't be used in their present form in anything rugged.
The (very well done) 2-in-1 option
Before we go any further, let's discuss the remarkable Flex 10A keyboard. It's a US$70 option and really also needs the US$30 Flex 10A easel. Basically, an extra US$100 converts to xTablet Flex 10A into a remarkably flexible and remarkably productivity-enhancing 2-in-1 hybrid. And it looks like this:I should mention that 2-in-1 hybrids are hot. Hot enough to be a rapidly growing part of the overall tablet market. Hot enough for almost all the major players now offering cleverly designed detachable keyboards that add a lot of functionality. And also hot enough for rugged notebook market leader Panasonic to replace their two major traditional Toughbook laptops with 2-in-1 hybrids.
Unlike the weird waver-thin accessory keyboards offered for many consumer tablets, MobileDemand's Flex 10A keyboard is a true keyboard with full keyboard functionality, good key travel, and excellent tactile feedback. It also has a very sturdy hinge that allows for a very solid connection to the tablet. Combined with the easel, it makes for full and complete laptop functionality, should that be required.
About the only criticism we have is that the QWERTY layout is only 87%-scale. That makes it more difficult to use for touch typists. Slightly shrinking the punctuation and ancillary keys to the left and right of the QWERY layout would have easily allowed for a full-scale implementation.
That said, we very highly recommend getting the keyboard and easel.
Intel 'Cherry Trail' processor
The xTablet Flex 10A runs Windows 10 Home or Professional on an Intel Atom X5-Z8350 processor. This is a quad-core 'system-on-chip' processor of Intel's 14nm 'Cherry Trail' lineup that succeeds the popular 22nm 'Bay Trail' roster. Integrated graphics are of the Intel Gen 8 variety, the same generation as Intel's high-end 'Broadwell' chips.Where does the X5 prefix come from? That's because having used the i3/i5/i7 prefixes in their more expensive Core processors to indicate good/better/best, Intel wanted to apply that system to their Atom processors as well. So the X5-8350 chip in this xTablet would be a mid-range offering with more capabilities and features than an X3 CPU, but not quite as much as an X7-class processor.
The X5-Z8350 processor in the Flex 10A has a base frequency of 1.44GHz, almost the same as the Atom Z3770 in the predecessor Flex 10 tablet's 1.46GHz. However, maximum burst frequency in the newer chip is just 1.92GHz versus the 2.39GHz of the Z3770.
To provide an idea where the xTablet Flex 10A stands in terms of overall computing performance, we ran our two standard performance benchmark suites on our evaluation unit. Passmark Software's PerformanceTest 6.1 runs about 30 tests covering CPU, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, memory, and disk and then computes scores for each category and an overall PassMark score. As a cross check, we also always use the CrystalMark benchmark suite that tests various subsystems and then provides an overall score.
For comparison's sake, we included the benchmark data from MobileDemand's predecessor Flex 10 tablet as well as the company's xTablet T8650 tablet equipped with a slightly higher-end X5-Z8550 processor. We also added the numbers of two other Cherry Trail-based tablets (the Arbor Gladius G0830 and the Getac T800), as well as the Bay Trail-based Trimble Kenai.
| MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10 A Benchmarks and Comparisons |
| PERFORMANCE COMPARISON | MobileDemand | MobileDemand | MobileDemand | ARBOR | Getac | Trimble |
| Model | xTablet Flex 10A | xTablet Flex 10 | xTablet T8650 | Gladius G0830 | T800 | Kenai |
| Processor Type | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom |
| Processor Type: Intel | X5-Z8350 | Z3770 | X5-Z8550 | X5-Z8300 | X7-Z8700 | E3826 |
| Code name | Cherry Trail | Bay Trail | Cherry Trail | Cherry Trail | Cherry Trail | Bay Trail |
| CPU Clock | 1.44/1.92GHz | 1.46/2.39GHz | 1.44/2.40GHz | 1.44/1.84GHz | 1.60/2.40GHz | 1.46GHz |
| CPU Cores/Threads | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 2/2 |
| Graphics | Intel HD | Intel HD | Intel HD | Intel HD | Intel HD | Intel HD |
| CPU Mark | 1,599.7 | 1,590.9 | 1,708.7 | 1,639.7 | 1,620.3 | 499.8 |
| 2D Graphics Mark | 96.3 | 179.8 | 135.2 | 96.7 | 104.7 | 86.4 |
| Memory Mark | 324.3 | 412.8 | 385.6 | 281.3 | 284.1 | 249.4 |
| Disk Mark | 615.9 | 294.4 | 847.2 | 618.5 | 601.1 | 1,726.5 |
| 3D Graphics Mark | 109.7 | 127.3 | 228.2 | 141.4 | 162.6 | 122.0 |
| Overall PassMark | 640.1 | 603.2 | 746.5 | 647.6 | 643.0 | 550.1 |
| ALU | 22,251 | 30,027 | 22,828 | 21,436 | 21,118 | 9,897 |
| FPU | 18,487 | 18,413 | 17,567 | 17,627 | 18,082 | 8,058 |
| MEM | 19,711 | 22,904 | 20,956 | 18,176 | 17,648 | 15,386 |
| HDD | 21,304 | 10,634 | 25,675 | 19,628 | 18,620 | 35,416 |
| GDI | 3,680 | 5,793 | 4,635 | 3,473 | 3,430 | 2,937 |
| D2D | 2,540 | 3,216 | 3,500 est | 2,307 | 4,000 est | 2,072 |
| OGL | 3,015 | 3,366 | 3,226 | 2,548 | 2,984 | 1,733 |
| Overall CrystalMark | 90,988 | 94,353 | 98,387 | 85,195 | 85,882 | 75,499 |
As is, the benchmark results of tablets using this class of Intel chips tends to be quite close. Compared to the original Flex 10, the new Flex 10A is a little quicker overall in the more relevant PassMark benchmark, though not all results make sense. The older chip actually yields better graphics benchmark numbers, but the newer Flex 10A has much quicker mass storage, even though both versions use relatively low-end eMMC mass storage. The higher-end xTablet T8650 is somewhat quicker overall.
Bottomline is that the Flex 10A, as well as the other devices listed in the table above, are all amazingly competent performers given the relatively little computing power they have at their disposal. The Bay Trail and Cherry Trail Atom chips in these machines cost only a small fraction of the price of the type of Intel Core processors used in high end mobile computing gear.
Power consumption: low but inconclusive
Comparing the spec sheets of the original Flex 10 with the new Flex 10A shows that battery capacity has gone down from 28.9 watt-hours to 21.5 watt-hours. However, whereas the company's battery life estimate for the original unit was '6 hours,' estimates for the new Flex 10A are '10 hours.' Intel rates the processors used in the old and the new unit both at 2 watts of SDP. SDP, which stands for 'Scenario Design Power,' indicates average real-world power usage. That's different from Intel's TDP ('Thermal Design Power') which indicates the highest power use.Given that both chips have the same SDP, how could the new Flex 10A have 65% longer battery life?
To measure power draw, we used the PassMark BatteryMon utility to examine power draw under different settings. We discovered that the Windows Power Settings control panel, which usually allows you to select from various power settings, in the Flex 10A is limited to 'Balanced.' The explanation in the Windows Help panel was that this was because of the system's InstantGo (see Wiki on InstantGo) that allows systems to wake up instantly from sleep with apps and data up to date.
When running the drawdown test, with the tablet's backlight set to its dimmest, BatteryMon shows an impossibly low 0.75 watts. With the backlight in normal indoor setting, that rose to 1.0 watts and with the backlight at its maximum, it rose to 1.3 watts.
0.75 watts would be by far the lowest power draw we've ever seen in our lab. If the battery provides 21.5 watt-hours as the specs say, that would translate into a theoretical battery life of almost 29 hours. Even with the backlight on full bright, it would still mean 16.5 hours until a full battery is completely drained. We don't think that's the case, even with the different display of the Flex 10A and the 14nm process technology of the Cherry Trail chip. So BatteryMon is likely incompatible with how the Flex 10A power system functions.
Interestingly, BatteryMon did, however, show a discharge rate of 9.5 hours, which would affirm MobileDemand's battery life estimate.
A look inside
Most xTablet Flex 10A customers may never remove the tablet from its protective enclosure. At RuggedPCReview.com, we always want to know what's inside as that provides important clues to a device's quality of design and execution.Taking apart the Flex 10A means you first have to separate the tablet from its elaborate protective plastic/rubber case. This requires very careful twisting and prodding to gently torque the tablet out of its cocoon.
Once that's done, you're holding in your hands the bare Flex 10A, a remarkably sleek and elegant tablet device measuring 10.1 x 6.8 inches, and perhaps a third of an inch thick, if that.
Anyone expecting, based on the very low price, to find a generic 'white box' tablet inside the hefty custom casing may be surprised at the understated elegance of the Flex 10A tablet with its matte-black backside, the solid materials, and the very precise manufacturing. The picture on the right shows the Flex 10A protective case with the tablet removed.
In terms of construction, the Flex 10A housing consists of two black ABS plastic halves. The backside is an elegant matte-black. The front is glossy black with just a very thin bezel extending past the pre-applied screen protector. Separating the two halves requires very careful prying the case open with suitable plastic wedge tools, without breaking any of the small plastic snaps and retainers inside. Twisting too much or forcing things apart can easily result in damage. There is no seal between the two halves as the Flex 10A is not a sealed unit.
Once separated, there are no wires or ribbon cables between the two halves. All the electronics are attached to the front side. The backside contains nothing but some metallic shielding and two sturdy metal anchors for the optional (and very highly recommended) attachable keyboard. There is no frame; all components are mounted onto the frontal polycarbonate half of the housing. The picture below shows what things look like inside the Flex 10A:
The motherboard measures a super-compact 100 x 70 mm and has all of its edge-mounted I/O concentrated along one side of the main board. The Flex 10A does not need a fan. The Intel Cheery Trail processor and ancillary electronics generate so little heat that the metallic backside of the LCD seems sufficient to dissipate it.
The majority of the interior real estate of the Flex 10A is taken up by its battery. It is a thin 5-1/4 x 4-3/4 inch affair that is not accessible from the outside and not user-replaceable. It's however accessible enough so that a service department could easily get to it and probably replace it. The battery packs 21.46 watt-hours, and MobileDemand documentation claims about 10 hours of battery life.
There are no miniPCIe or other expansion connectors visible, nor can you see the storage or RAM modules. That's because the tablet's eMMC (the 'e' stands for 'embedded') storage is part of the motherboard and RAM is likely as well.
Putting the two halves back together is very much easier than taking them apart. Align them and snap them back together. Takes just seconds. To get the tablet back into its protective multi-layered casing, you first pull the soft rubber boot over it, then push the assembly back into the rigid backplate. It requires a bit of careful pushing and prodding to get everything settled again in its proper place, so we wouldn't do this too often.
Decent IPS 1280 x 800 pixel capacitive multi-touch display
While the Flex 10A's mass storage is significantly faster than that of the first generation Flex 10, there's been a concession in the name of ongoing affordability. The Flex 10A's display, while still good, isn't in the same league as that of its predecessor. Measuring a comfortable 10.1 inches diagonally, it now offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, down from the 1920 x 1200 pixel of the first gen Flex 10. That means just 149 pixels per inch instead of the former 224. That's the difference between Apple 'retina' class sharpness, and an Amazon HD or a first gen Microsoft Surface tablet. No real big deal, but it's always nice to move forward, not backward.We had additional concerns over the new Flex 10A tablet's 280 nits backlight, also down from 350 nits in the first gen version. 280 nits is still more than your average consumer laptop, but for any mobile computing device frequently used outdoors, brighter is always better.
To see how well it works, we compared the xTablet Flex 10A with an Apple iPad Air 2 whose formidable 'retina' display is said to have a backlight strength of about 415 nits. Placed side by side outdoors on an overcast morning in a semi-shaded area with their displays at maximum brightness, amazingly both displays appeared about equally bright. So the Flex 10A backlight may be underrated.
Both tablets have those fashionably glossy glass bezels and both display surfaces show strong reflections. The images below speak for themselves. Unfortunately, strong reflections are what one has to expect from a modern consumer tablet. It's not the end of the world as most of us have become quite adept at angling our tablets so as to minimize reflections when using them outdoors.
What we also consider very important in tablet displays is the viewing angle. Ideally, brightness, colors and contrast should not change regardless of what angle a display is viewed from. On the plus side, the Flex 10A LCD display itself aces that test. On the minus side, surface reflections get worse with increasing viewing angle.
As far as touch technology goes, it's almost needless to say that the xTablet Flex 10A uses 10-point projected capacitive multi-touch for effortless tapping, panning, pinching and zooming.
MobileDemand supplies a capacitive pen with a foot-long lanyard. The pen is of the passive capacitive variety and has the broad tip that works well for tapping and panning, but not very well for precision work. To MobileDemand's credit, they replaced the usually short and chintzy generic capacitive pens with their rubber tips with a metal mesh tipped stylus that's more durable, works somewhat better, and is longer and thicker than generic styli. And they also used their standard and very durable tether and stylus holder to store the pen when it's not in use. Nonetheless, by now we'd like to see a narrower tip stylus.
It's been our experience that capacitive touch controllers have very narrow tolerances of what they do and do not recognize as touch/contact. There are now some such controllers that can sense touch even from a small fraction of an inch away from the surface, and that makes such systems somewhat usable with thin gloves. The Flex 10 is not one of them, and it appears that the addition of the relatively thick protective screen cover, which adds a small bit of distance between finger and glass surface, means the Flex 10 requires a slightly firmer touch than it otherwise would.
Cameras
The xTablet Flex 10A has two integrated cameras. The user-facing 2mp camera is for video conferencing, whereas the rear-facing 5mp camera with LED flash can be used for documentation purposes.Cameras integrated into vertical and industrial market handheld and tablet computers have historically underperformed compared to even low-end dedicated cameras and, more recently, the cameras available in almost every smartphone. Things have gotten considerably better, but still often not enough to eliminate the need of taking along a dedicated camera or smartphone if photo or video documentation is needed on the job.
Here the xTablet Flex 10A benefits from generic consumer tablet underpinnings — its cameras are at least as good as we've seen even from high-end dedicated rugged devices, and possibly even better. As a result, the Flex 10A can definitely be used for project documentation.
The Flex 10A's documentation camera, especially, is quite decent and capable of taking good quality pictures up to 2592 x 1944 resolution. The focus is fast but tends to be a bit soft. The camera does not compress images so much that they become useless.
Below are pictures shot with the Flex 10A camera in its default 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution (click for full size):
Default 1080p video, too, works remarkably well. The camera does not fall behind and the image is sharp enough. Note that the Flex 10A cameras use the default Windows 10 Camera app. In the Flex 10A it allows setting white balance, shutter delay, exposure compensation, shutter speed, ISO, and even manual focus. But that's about it for options. Anything beyond that will require a third party camera app.
Remarkable ruggedness
Here it gets interesting. While the bare Flex 10A tablet itself is consumer-grade, neatly protected inside its rugged case it can actually survive the MIL-STD-810G 26 drops from four feet onto concrete. That's impressive.MobileDemand says that you can also drop an 8-ounce steel ball from a meter onto its screen and it won't get hurt due to the special screen protector (we didn't try that!).
The operating temperature range is narrower than for MobileDemand's fully rugged gear, but 32 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit should cover most business users' needs.
Despite its protective casing and nicely implemented protective rubber plug for all I/O ports, the Flex 10A isn't considered a sealed unit and does not have an IP rating. That means no working in the rain. However, the special coating on the screen protector makes water perl off.
The video clip to the right shows some of the 'torture chamber' tests MobileDemand subjected the Flex 10A to.
In MobileDemand's own words, 'the rugged case has two layers for drop protection. The first layer is rubber with bumpers similar to what you see on other fully rugged MobileDemand tablets. The second layer is a high impact polycarbonate case that holds the rubber layer in place, but also provides mounting details for critical user carrying accessories including a back hand strap, a briefcase handle, a stylus holder, and an I/O door cover.'
So, again, while the xTablet Flex 10A looks like a fully rugged device, it is a consumer tablet inside a very intelligently designed case system. It can handle a lot more abuse than any sleek consumer tablet, but it is not a sealed unit and it is not designed for use in truly harsh and unforgiving environments.
xTablet Flex mounting options
Most tablets used in business or on the job come with some kind of docking and mounting options, and the Flex 10A is no different. And whereas MobileDemand did not offer the kind of full office and vehicle docks available for most of its higher end tablets for the original Flex 10, things have been improved for the new Flex 10A.For vehicle use, MobileDemand provides the professional-grade xTablet Flex Standard Vehicle Mount a flexible arm that makes for ergonomic access to the tablet in virtually any vehicle.
The mount features a quick release mechanism for rapid switching from vehicle to field operations. Included in the package is the previously available Snap Mount no-drill base that attaches to the passenger seat floor bolt that secures the passenger seat to the floor.
Also available is the xTablet Flex Standard Wall Mount. It includes a Snap Mount plate that attaches to the back of the Flex device, and arm, a wall plate and all the anchors a and ties to mount the Flex tablet on a wall.
The image to the right shows the components of the two kits, the one above the no-drill base installed in a vehicle.
Bottom line: MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10A
With the second gen xTablet Flex 10 tablet, now called the Flex 10A, MobileDemand presents a fine-tuned update to its revolutionary concept of combining basic modern Windows tablets with specially designed and preinstalled ruggedness armor. The protective layered casing is even better, the price even lower, and the new version occupies a more firmly defined place in MobileDemand's growing product line. The new xTablet Flex 10A busts the old adage that you get what you pay for; here you get more than you pay for. There are some constraints, of course, but this deal is almost too good to be true.And yet, true it is. Weighing just over 2.5 pounds including case, handle, handstrap, capacitive pen and easel, MobileDemand's 10.1-inch 'thin-and-light' offers a new answer for customers who seek the convenience, low cost and ease of use of a sleek consumer media tablet in something that's better protected and doesn't cost anywhere near as much as a fully rugged (or even semi-rugged) tablet.
The Flex 10's quad-core Intel 'Cherry Trail' processor yields decent performance, the kind available only from Intel Core-powered (and much more expensive) devices just a few years years ago.
The low cost might one lead to expect low-end componentry, but the xTablet Flex 10A impresses with an remarkably bright and vibrant display that offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution (though sadly down from the 1920 x 1200 resolution of the original Flex 10), a perfect viewing angle from all directions, and no color shifts. Its 10-point capacitive multi-touch screen is quick and very responsive, and works well with Windows 10 and touch-optimized applications. The included capacitive stylus has the usual broad tip, but it's of the metal mesh variety and works quite well.
For an inexpensive thin-and-light tablet the Flex 10A has good onboard connectivity, including a full-size USB 3.0 port as well as micro-USB and micro-HDMI. The 2mp and 5mp cameras offer consumer tablet performance (i.e. quite good).
Inside its excellent rubber and polycarbonate casing, the xTablet Flex 10A is remarkably well protected and can likely handle a good deal of abuse. This is not a sealed unit, so no dunking, but temperaturewise this tablet can handle almost anything.
Offering good performance, very low power draw, a remarkably good display, and surprising ruggedness, the fanless xTablet Flex 10A represents a compelling, and compellingly inexpensive, package for anyone who needs Windows on tough jobs that don't require the higher protection (and cost) of a fully rugged device.
We highly recommend the optional keyboard and easel that convert the Flex 10A into a remarkably cohesive 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid.
Overall, the very low cost means some compromises. The Flex 10A does not offer Windows 7 for those who still want or need it, is not sealed, does not have a replaceable battery, performance is not at the Intel Core level, the unit does not offer an integrated scanner (nor RFID or GPS), and we do miss the even sharper screen of the original Flex 10. If that doesn't matter, the xTablet Flex 10A may well fit the (very small) bill.-- Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, March 2017
MobileDemand xTablet Flex 10A Specs:
| Type | Thin-and-light rugged Windows Tablet PC |
| Added | Full review 03/2017 |
| Processor | Quad-core Intel Cherry Trail X5-Z8350 |
| Processor speed | 1.44GHz, 1.92GHz burst frequency |
| Scenario Design Power | 2 watts |
| Display Chipset | Intel HD Graphics 400, 500MHz burst frequency, 2GB graphics video max memory |
| OS | Windows 10 Home or Professional |
| Memory | 4GB DDR3L-RS-1600 |
| Display | IPS LCD with 280 nits LED backlight |
| Display size/res | 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 pixel, 149 ppi |
| Digitizer | OGS (One Glass Solution) 10-point capacitive multi-touch/capacitive stylus |
| Keyboard | Optional detachable keyboard for 2-in-1 functionality (US$70, highly recommended) |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC |
| Expansion slots | 1 x microSD |
| Housing | ABS plastic tablet housing inside rubber glove with protective rubber bumpers, polycarbonate case, and briefcase handle |
| Size | 10.5 x 7.14 x 1.22 inches (267 x 181 x 31mm) |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) with case, handle and hand strap |
| Operating temperature | 32° to +120°F (0° to +49°C) |
| Humidity | 5 to 95% non-condensing |
| Ingress protection | Not rated |
| Drop/shock | MIL-STD 810G, 516.6 IV: 26 repeated drops to 1 operating unit on to plywood over concrete from 48 inches |
| Tumble | 1,000 one-meter tumbles (simulates 5 years worth of drops and tumbles) |
| Vibration | Est: Accelerated extreme truck and forklift vibration testing, 21G peak acceleration, 10 to 1,000Hz (6 hour test simulates intense forklift vibration extremes and a total of 100,000 miles at 55mph on average US roads) |
| Power | Internal non user-replaceable Li-Ion 3.7V, 5,800mAh, 21.46 watt-hours ('10.1 hours') |
| Cameras | 2mp camera front, 5mp camera with LED flash rear (up to 2592 x 1944 pixel) |
| Sensors | Est: Light, G-sensor, Gyrometer, e-Compass |
| Interface | 1 x micro USB 2.0 (for charging), 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x mini-HDMI, audio, power, docking |
| Wireless options | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with Bluetooth 42 |
| Price | US$595 with Windows 10 Home, US$670 with Windows 10 Professional |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Contact | xTablet Flex 10A web page |
| Brochure | xTablet Flex 10A PDF spec sheet |
(copyright 2017 RuggedPCReview.com)
MobileDemand xTablet T1180Impressively rugged Intel 8th generation 'Amber Lake' Core powered 10.1-inch Windows 10 tablet for heavy-duty mobile workforce applications, indoors or outdoors
by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer
Tablets have undoubtedly revolutionized the way we use computers. Not as much as smartphones, but annual tablet sales are now almost as much as annual laptop computer sales. In terms of numbers, 144 million tablets (per IDC), 166 million laptops (per T4 Labs, and 1.37 billion smartphones (per Canalysis).
Comparing tablets to laptops, of course, is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, because the two are not necessarily used the same way. What's undeniable, however, is that the tablet form factor is here to stay, it's very popular, and tablets are increasingly used for work that was traditionally done on desktop and laptop computers. Iowa-based MobileDemand has been a big believer in tablets for almost two decades, well before the iPhone and iPad were introduced. The company, a true innovator in the field, has been growing in leaps and bounds, and it's one of the few that exclusively focuses on rugged tablets. In this report we're examining one of MobileDemand's best-selling products, the xTablet T1180, and also discuss where it fits into the company's tablet lineup.
Those familiar with MobileDemand know that after building a business initially based on fully rugged high end tablets for specific vertical markets, the company has since branched out into more affordable tablet devices suitable for a wide variety of tasks and deployments. At the low end this includes the economically priced 'Flex' line of generic Windows tablets prepackaged with custom-designed protective case, briefcase handle, and scratch-proof screen protectors. Above that are value-priced tablet offerings with inherent ruggedness, sealing, and options geared towards vertical market deployments. And MobileDemand also bundles Microsoft Surface Pro tablets with their own rugged case.
The lineup below provides a quick look at how the new xTablet T1180 visually compares to some of the other MobileDemand products. From left to right, the 6-inch A680, the 8-inch class T8650, the 10.1-inch economy-priced Flex 10B, the also 10.1-inch T1150 (a lower power version of the T1180 reviewed in this report), the T1180 (subject of this review), the higher-end 11.6-inch T1680, and on the right the company's largest tablet, the 12.2-inch T1270.
Side-by-side, the size and design differences are obvious. And each product fills a specific purpose and need. Note that MobileDemand also offers Android versions of some of their tablets. In addition to the small A680 included in the above lineup, as of late 2020 the company offers the A1150 and A1180 10-inch tablets based on the same general platform as the Windows-powered T1150 and T1180.
With tablets, size and weight matter
Why so many different types and sizes of tablets? Because with tablets, one size rarely fits all. Just like Apple initially just had one iPad but then added iPads of different sizes and performance levels, MobileDemand has done that as well. The table below shows how display area and weight vary between the models. Sometimes you need as much display real estate as possible, and the 12.2-inch T1270 offers 4.35 times as much as the small A680 tablet. Other times, weight matters, and the A680 weighs less than 1/5th of what the big T1270 weighs. It's all about options.| xTablet Model | A680 | T8650 | Flex 10B | T1150 | T1180 | T1680 | T1270 |
| Display size (diagonal) | 6.0 inches | 8.0 inches | 10.1 inches | 10.1 inches | 10.1 inches | 11.6 inches | 12.2 inches |
| Display area ( in2) | 15.4 in2 | 28.8 in2 | 45.9 in2 | 45.9 in2 | 45.9 in2 | 60.5 in2 | 66.9 in2 |
| Relative display size | 1.00X | 1.87X | 2.98X | 2.98X | 2.98X | 3.93X | 4.35X |
| Weight | 0.84 lbs | 1.87 | 2.25 | 2.64 | 2.64 | 2.70 | 4.35 |
| Relative weight | 1.00X | 2.23X | 2.68X | 3.14X | 3.14X | 3.21X | 5.18X |
Cost, features and performance matter
Overall, MobileDemand has taken sort of a 'good — better — best' approach with their 10-inch trio, with each level a step up in terms of execution, functionality and features from the one below. That's reminiscent of Intel's i3/i5/i7 approach with its high end Core processors. Those who have grappled with deciding what Intel chip to go with know that the good-better-best approach isn't always as clear as one might think, and that's the case with MobileDemand's lineup as well. There is a fairly significant difference in price between the three levels, but some features overlapp, as is the case with those Intel chips, and it takes a bit of time figuring out which option is best for any given task and application, especially since naming doesn't help. The tablet below provides an overview.| MobileDemand Model | xTablet T1180 | xTablet T1150 | xTablet Flex 10B |
| Display (inches/resolution) | 10.1/1920 x 1200 | 10.1/1920 x 1200 | 10.1/1280 x 800 |
| Luminance | 550 nits | 550 nits | 250 nits |
| Size (inches) | 11.2 x 7.56 x 0.87 | 11.2 x 7.56 x 0.87 | 10.5 x 7.14 x 1.22 |
| Starting weight | 2.64 lbs | 2.97 lbs | 2.25 lbs |
| Processor Type | Intel Core i5-8200Y | Intel Atom X5-Z8550 | Intel Celeron N4100 |
| CPU Speed (base/burst) | 1.30/3.90GHz | 1.44/2.40GHz | 1.10/2.40GHz |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR3 | 4GB LPDDR3 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 256 or 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD | 128GB eMMC | 128GB eMMC |
| Sealing | IP65 | IP65 | not sealed |
| Operating temp. | 14° to 122°F | 14° to 122°F | 14° to 113°F |
| Drop | 5 feet | 5 feet | 4 feet |
| Scanner | optional 1D/2D | optional 1D/2D | No |
| USB-A port | Yes (2) | Yes (2) | Yes |
| USB-C port | No | No | Yes |
| RJ45 LAN | Yes | Yes | No |
| GPS | Yes (uBlox) | Yes (uBlox) | Yes |
| Battery | 68 whr ('up to 10 hours') | 40 whr ('8-10 hours') | 22.2 whr ('4-6 hours') |
| Battery type | Hot-swappable | Hot-swappable | fixed |
| Cameras | 2mp/8mp | 2mp/8mp | 2mp/5mp |
| 3D camera | optional | no | no |
| HDMI | micro | micro | mini |
| WWAN | optional | optional | no |
| Price | from US$1,995 | from US$1,520 | from US$595 |
There are several specs where the three levels are close or the same. All have displays measuring 10.1 inches diagonally. The low-end Flex 10B offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution; the T1150 and new T1180 have 1920 x 1200 pixels. All are capacitive multi-touch. One notable difference is display luminance (brightness), which is quite important for outdoor use.
MobileDemand also classifies their tablets by performance level. Here, the Flex 10B is entry-level, the T1150 mid-performance, and the T1180 high-performance. Performance, though, isn't static, and for now the Flex 10B actually leapfrogs the T1150 in terms of processing power, thanks to a newer CPU.
In terms of ruggedness, the T1180 is in a different class than the low-end Flex 10B which has much lower sealing and operating temperature range. Likewise, anyone who needs an externally accessible and replaceable battery will instantly rule out the low-end Flex 10B. The difference between the T1180 is primarily in its processor and storage. The T1180 has a newer and much more powerful processor, as well as newer and much faster storage technology.
xTablet T1180: a serious tool for the job
First impression matters, and the xTablet T1180 certainly makes a very good one. Whereas the Flex 10B is a generic tablet in a case, the T1180 is a true rugged design both inside and out. It looks and feels like a serious tool for the job, a rugged tablet that was designed from the ground up to handle the bumps and grind and drops that come with work in the field.There are hefty bumpers on all four corners, the kind that aren't just design elements but clearly afford true real-word protection. There are all the doors, compartments, locks, hooks, loops and attachment and mounting points and details that one expects from a rugged tablet. There's nothing wrong with the gleaming etherial sleekness of premium consumer tablets, but those are detriments out there on the job where the rubber meets the road. With the xTablet T1180, form follows function, and not just fashion.
Despite being in the same 10-inch display class as the standard Apple iPad, the T1180 is a considerably larger and heftier device. Some of that extra heft and size is due to a good deal of built-in protection, another to the presence of ports and integrated functionality. The display's 16:10 aspect ratio is pleasant to our eyes, between the iPad's squarish 4:3 and the narrow (or wide, depending on whether you use them in landscape or portrait mode) 16:9 aspect ratio favored by many non-Apple tablets. The xTablet T1180 looks large enough for real work.
One look at the xTablet T1180 is also enough to realize that this is a rugged machine and not something retrofitted for extra duty. The designers skillfully combined the contemporary tablet look with the functionality and features required of a rugged tablet. Most consumer smartphones and tablets these days have displays taking up the entire front of a device. That makes them damage-prone and such displays really aren't very practical. The T1180, on the other hand, has a nice margin around the actual display that's large enough to a) allow for a flush front glass surface for easy touch operation, and b) allows for easy holding of the tablet without blocking part of the LCD. The actual LCD is recessed just a bit from the housing bezel, just enough for MobileDemand to apply a fairly thick screen protector.
Below is a look at the xTablet T1180 from the front and from all four sides with all of its protective doors closed. The pictures clearly show the tablet's robust, functional design.
Along the top side of the display are the on/off/sleep button and a volume up/down rocker. A protected standard 3.5mm audio port is there, as well as loops for the carry handle, indents for us with a vehicle dock, screw holes for attaching optional modules, and the scanner window. The front view shows the ambient light sensor and two alignment markers for inserting the tablet into a dock. A small, but very valuable detail.
On the bottom is the unit's surface mount docking connector, flanked by two holes used for secure mounting on one of the docking options. With the exception of the audio jack, all I/O is on the right side of the tablet, with each I/O port having its own separate protective rubber/plastic door. The doors provide a good, tight seal. They are also easy to open and press shut. That should be mandatory on all rugged devices, but we've seen many that are hard to close and open.
The close-up below shows the right side of the tablet with the (replaceable) protective doors photoshopped out of the way for better viewing of the xTablet T1180's ports. From left to right, there's an RJ45 LAN jack, power, two USB 3.0 ports, and a micro HDMI port. The T1180 doesn't have an onboard serial port and some customers may miss that.
Note that the xTablet T1180, despite its high-performance designation, doesn't have (nor need) a fan. It operates silently and that can be a big plus in an office setting. And not having a fan means not having to worry about a mechanical component that can get clogged up or fail.
Designed to be tough and rugged
Unlike the company's entry-level Flex line of tablets that embed consumer tablets in rugged protective shells, the high-performance xTablet T1180 is designed and built from scratch as a rugged system. It's a well sealed unit that doesn't require a case to hold up under extreme conditions.The difference between a plain vanilla consumer design and rugged machinery is already evident in the pictures below. While most of today's consumer tablets can't even be opened anymore, the xTablet T1180 has no fewer than four externally accessible openings that allow customization with various modules and components. The battery, too, can easily be replaced. And there's a snap-mount anchor for quick insertion and removal into mounting systems.
In terms of construction, the xTablet T1180 consists of a polycarbonate plastic housing with an internal magnesium chassis that's screwed onto the front part of the housing. Mounted on the chassis are the LCD on one side and motherboard, components and modules on the other. The front part of the housing is implemented as a shallow open box. The flat rear part is covered in many areas for reinforcement.
Should the need arise to open up the tablet, remove the four bumper assemblies, undo some 16 small Philips screws and separate the halves. With the exception of the small 0.6 watt-hour hot-swap battery that plugs into the motherboard, there are no cables or ribbons between the two halves. Below you can see what the xTablet T1180 looks like inside:
Sealing between the two parts of the housing is of a tongue-and-groove design, with a hard plastic lip on the front part of the housing pressing against a replaceable o-ring seal sitting inside a groove around the perimeter of the backplate.
The big 68 watt-hour rechargeable Li-Ion battery of the T1180 snaps into its compartment, but doesn't fit flush like the 40 watt-hour pack that was standard on prior versions of the platform (and is still used in the Android-base A1180). The battery has its own friction seal, which is necessary as the battery compartment includes not only the battery terminal openings into the interior of the tablet, but also openings for the unit's microSD and micro SIM slots.
The battery is secured in place with a spring-loaded lever that can be locked in place. The battery, which is hot-swappable, is unlikely to come loose during operation.
Unlike the interior of many Windows tablets, which are jam-packed full of electronics, the T1180 looks remarkably tidy inside. The L-shaped motherboard is much larger than inside earlier Intel Atom-based version of the tablet. Much of the board is covered up with black foil, and a number of circuits sit underneath EMI shielding.
There's a half-size mini PCIe slot for a mobile broadband module. Antennae and their wiring is already pre-installed. WiFi and Bluetooth are handled via an Intel 9260NGW module. Almost all I/O is edge-mounted on the motherboard, exceptions being the surface-mount docking connector and the standard 3.5mm audio jack. This is a very highly integrated and very professionally executed design.
The interior layout is visually dominated by various miniaturized ribbon cables that connect the motherboard to all the antennae, cameras, speakers, and other things mounted inside the T1180. The two speakers, the 1D/2D barcode scanner and the camera module all have their own separate cubbies on the Magnesium chassis of the tablet. Impressive. We also found a USB Type-C connector inside.
The colorful picture to the right was taken with our Flir One infrared camera. It shows the thermal situation inside the xTablet T1180, with darker areas the coolest and bright yellow the hottest. Since the xTablet T1180 doesn't have a fan to remove heat, good thermal management is essential.
As can be seen, the area where the xTablet T1180's processor resides is hottest. In our performance benchmark testing, we measured a maximum surface temperature of about 86 (94)F, not even human body temperature. The four pictures below show the xTablet T1180 going from cold (left) to running the full PassMark 9.0 benchmark suite, again staying well below 90F. Interestingly, the Intel Atom x5-Z8550-powered xTablet T1150 actually ran hotter, reaching into the low 90s in the same test.
As for as protection goes, each of the tablet's peripheral port openings has its own separate protective door with a friction seal. These individual port covers are actually all cut from one single piece of rubbery material, which can easily be replaced. For drop/bump protection, the plastic housing itself has a rubbery protective layer that goes around the entire perimeter of the tablet, and also has small integrated corner bumpers. These bumper areas contain anchors for larger protective bumpers that screw on. If the extra protection afforded by the heavy duty anchors is not needed, they can be taken off and the tablet can be used without them, making for a smaller footprint.
Shown below are a few of interesting details of the xTablet T1180. On the left the tablet's tiny camera and LED illuminator snuggly sitting in their own cubby in the metal chassis. In the middle the two-part protective corner bumpers that are individually replaceable. On the right a closeup of the T1180's tiny 1D/2D industrial grade barcode reader. Sure, there are smartphone apps that can read barcodes with the phone camera. Having a dedicated scanner is much faster and much more accurate.
And more details below: On the left the slots for the tablet's micro SIM and micro SD card. So the battery must be removed to get at those slots and they represent additional openings to the interior. Not ideal. In the middle the small battery that makes hot-swapping of the main battery possible. And on the right a look at the replaceable seal between the two housing halves. The seal is not too complex, and should work well.
Overall, the insides of the xTablet T1180 show a complete, powerful PC stuffed into a small space, but much of the componentry and electronics have been miniaturized more like those in a consumer tablet. Quality is very high, with good fit and finish.
High-performance
The xTablet T1180 runs Windows 10 Professional on an Intel Core i5-8200Y processor. This is a dual-core/quad-thread chip that is part of Intel's 14nm 8th Generation 'Amber Lake' lineup of extremely-low power (as in consuming very little power) processors. Integrated graphics are of the Intel HD Graphics 615 Gen 9.5 GT2 variety. They have 24 execution units, a graphics base frequency of 300MHz and topping out at 950MHz.Mobiledemand Laptops & Desktops Driver Download
Where does the 'Y' suffix come from? That indicates that the processor is designed to draw as little power as possible when it's just idling along or doing routine work, but it's still capable of short 'turbo' bursts at frequencies of up to 3.9GHz to tackle complex work. To illustrate the power draw situation: desktop processors may have maximum draws from 65 to over 100 watts. Most laptops use 'U' Series processors that draw as much as 15 watts. The 'Y' Series draws no more than 5 watts. These chips are designed to be the best of both worlds: they are very power-efficient, but they are also still capable of high performance.
As is, the table below shows our benchmark results for the MobileDemand xTablet T1180 and the older xTablet T1150, the xTablet Flex 10B, the Durabook U11L, and the Zebra ET56.
| PassMark 6.1 | MobileDemand | MobileDemand | MobileDemand | Durabook | Zebra |
| Model | xTablet T1180 (2020) | xTablet T1150 (2017) | xTablet Flex 10B (2020) | U11L (2020) | ET56 (2019) |
| Year tested | 2020 | 2017 | 2020 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Processor Type | Intel Core | Intel Atom | Intel Celeron | Intel Core | Intel Atom |
| Processor Model | i5-8200Y | X5-Z8550 | N4100 | i5-10210Y | x5-E3940 |
| CPU Speed default/turbo | 1.30/3.90GHz | 1.44/2.40GHz | 1.10/2.40GHz | 1.00/4.00GHz | 1.60/1.80GHz |
| Thermal Design Power | 5 watts | 2 watts | 6 watts | 7 watts | 9.5 watts |
| CPU Mark 6.1 | 3,483.7 | 1,669.7 | 6,197.8 | 5,820.9 | 3,986.7 |
| 2D Graphics Mark 6.1 | 355.4 | 96.7 | 188.7 | 333.3 | 159.1 |
| Memory Mark 6.1 | 1,221.1 | 434.2 | 607.2 | 1,395.3 | 440.3 |
| Disk Mark 6.1 | 8,999.6 | 802.6 | 463.4 | 2,928.8 | 1,188.4 |
| 3D Graphics Mark 6.1 | 425.7 | 235.3 | 258.1 | 407.9 | 267.3 |
| Overall PassMark 6.1 | 3,061.2 | 731.3 | 1,945.3 | 2,504.2 | 1,447.7 |
| CPU Mark 9 | 4,007.2 | NA | 2,555.7 | 5,826.3 | 1,858.5 |
| 2D Graphics Mark 9 | 487.0 | NA | 327.8 | 510.4 | 181.7 |
| Memory Mark 9 | 2,085.1 | NA | 798.4 | 2,073.1 | 781.7 |
| Disk Mark 9 | 13,920.6 | NA | 682.2 | 3,037.8 | 1,356.4 |
| 3D Graphics Mark 9 | 786.5 | NA | 479.1 | 783.5 | 405.5 |
| Overall PassMark 9 | 2,386.9 | NA | 1,145.6 | 2,467.4 | 955.2 |
| CrystalMark | |||||
| ALU | 39,558 | 29,672 | 46,486 | 47,778 | 30,953 |
| FPU | 30,399 | 21,437 | 29,498 | 34,385 | 27,937 |
| MEM | 39,515 | 23,865 | 25,958 | 51,571 | 33,470 |
| HDD | 62,917 | 17,861 | 24,853 | 37,842 | 26,250 |
| GDI | 14,489 | 3,569 | 8,312 | 13,993 | 2,818 |
| D2D | 5,186 | 3,039 | 3,541 | 4,367 | 4,005 |
| OGL | 7,957 | 3,410 | 4,811 | 7,753 | 3,845 |
| Overall CrystalMark | 200,221 | 103,912 | 143,459 | 197,689 | 129,273 |
The results in the above table should not be read as what is better or worse. Different processors and setups have different performance characteristics and different costs. Each has its application and purpose. What we're showing here is how different types and generation of processors and technologies impact bottomline benchmark performance.
As expected, there is a considerable performance difference between even the latest Intel Atom and Celeron chips, and the company's far more complex and also far more expensive Core processors. That said, there's also a substantial difference between the different types of Atom-branded processors Intel offers.
Massive performance increases often come from unexpected places. You'd think speed is all in the processor, and the processor certainly matters. But it's not just the processor. Almost every applications has to read or write data from disk during operation. 'Disks,' of course have largely been replaced by much quicker solid state storage, but solid state storage also comes in different varieties. For a long time, solid state storage used the SATA interface, but now SATA is increasingly replaced with the much faster PCIe NVM2 interface. MobileDemand wisely uses that in the T1180, and just look at the T1180's ludicrously fast disk benchmarks!
Do note while the T1180 is in the company's high-performance lineup, it is using a super-low-voltage Y-series processor. If top speed is needed, there are the higher voltage U-Series chips that also come in quad-core versions (like in MobileDemand's T1680), and tablets so equipped are that much faster yet.What impact does the very frugal Y-Series processor have on battery draw and battery life? MobileDemand claims up to 10 hours from a full charge of the fairly beefy 68 watt-hour battery. We tested the xTablet T1180 with PassMark's BatteryMon utility and found the following:
| MobileDemand xTablet T1180 Power Draws (at idle) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Backlight level | 0% | 50% | 100% |
| Power Saver | 3.3 watts (20.6 hrs) | 4.0 watts (17.0 hrs) | 5.6 watts (12.1 hrs) |
| Max Performance | 3.7 watts (18.4 hrs) | 4.4 watts (15.5 hrs) | 5.6 watts (12.1 hrs) |
In the Windows 'Best performance' setting, we found a low of 3.7 watts at the lowest backlight setting, 4.4 watt with average backlight, and 5.6 watts with the backlight at its highest.
These number suggest that the xTablet T1180 could easily meet and exceed MobileDemand's estimates.
Very good 1920 x 1200 pixel capacitive multi-touch display
While MobileDemand has made a name for itself for providing good rugged tablet technology and tablet solutions at affordable prices, the company's efforts to make those low prices possible has never come at the expense of features that matter most to their customers. If an inexpensive processor gets the job done, MobileDemand won't spend 15 times as much on a high-end Core processor. If, however, high performance is required, they go for the very best and latest. Makes sense. And they will never skimp when it comes to displays. A good display is crucial for work out there in the field.Ibuypower laptops & desktops driver download. So it's no surprise that the xTablet T1180 has a very good display. Measuring 10.1 inches diagonally it's better suited for serious Microsoft Windows-based work than smaller tablets. It offers 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution in 16:10 wide-format. That's three times as many pixels as the 1024 x 768 XGA format that was commonly used in rugged tablets (even ones with larger screen sizes) for many years, and is still being used today.
On a 10.1-inch tablet screen, 1920 x 1200 translates into 224 points per inch (ppi), which is in the same range as Apple's 'retina' MacBooks. That means even small text looks very sharp and crisp on the display. The xTablet T1180 uses 10-point projected capacitive multi-touch for effortless tapping, panning, pinching and zooming. While we've never been fans of capacitive touch on small screen Windows tablets, that's much less of an issue on a larger display like the T1180's, and Windows 10 is significantly better suited to capacitive touch than its predecessors, and Microsoft keeps improved touch friendliness.
In everyday use, the display works very well. The spec sheet claims 550 nits luminance. We measured just under 500, which may be due to the T1180's screen protector. To put that in perspective, most standard laptops offer around 250 nits, iPads are generally in the 400 nits range, and displays specially built to use in sunlight may have over 1,000 nits. Subjectively, the T1180 screen is nice and bright, and very vibrant indoors. Outdoors, of course, perceived brightness depends on how bright it is outdoors on any given day and working condition.
The three pictures below show what you can expect outdoors from the T1180. The picture on the left was taken on a bright sunshiny day in the shade. That way, the display looks bright and offer very good contrast. The middle picture shows the impact of refection. Like almost all modern tablets, the T1180 has a glossy display surface. Depending on how the tablet is positioned, there will be reflections. The picture to the right shows the tablet reflecting the blue sky. The T1180 is bright enough to handle outdoors, but, just as with any modern handheld or tablet, one needs to avoid reflections. If that is an issue, MobileDemand offers an anti-glare screen protector.
We cannot overemphasize how important a wide viewing angle is for a satisfying, non-disruptive viewing experience. Older and lesser display technologies are prone to often dramatic color and contrast shifts when viewed from different angles, something that we don't consider acceptable anymore. The xTablet T1180's display is immune to such shifts, which makes it a pleasure to use.
Bottom line here is that the T1180's designers did a good job selecting this display. One thing we weren't able to find out is whether there is an optional active digitizer for this tablet. Those still come in handy for applications that require more precise control than is possible with fingers or a passive capacitive stylus.
Decent dual cameras
The xTablet T1180 has two integrated cameras. The user-facing 2mp camera is for video conferencing, whereas the rear-facing 8mp camera with LED flash can be used for documentation purposes.Cameras integrated into handheld and tablet computers have historically underperformed compared to even low-end dedicated cameras and, more recently, the cameras available in virtually every smartphone. Things have gotten better on the built-in camera front, but usually not enough to eliminate the need of taking along a dedicated camera or smartphone if photo or video documentation is needed on the job. This remains a concern given that the cameras in leading smartphones are now capable of excellent picture and video quality.
When we reviewed the xTablet T1150 a good while ago, we complained that due to the absolutely barebones Windows Camera app we couldn't really test all the settings and capabilities of the tablet's camera hardware. The Windows Camera app version (2020.902.0) in the T1180 offered significantly more options — including a 'pro mode' with exposure setting, white balance settings, and manual focus — though system integrators and many customers might still miss all the many features available in smartphone cameras these days.
When using the cameras, the documentation camera offers seven different still image resolutions ranging from 0.4mp to the full 8.0mp, and users can shoot video in four resolutions ranging from 480p to 1080p, all at 30 frames per second. In still photography, auto-focus worked fine, images were surprisingly crisp and sharp, and the camera does not over-compress images. Video was sharp enough for almost all purposes and did not lag behind. It pays to take time shooting pictures as there's a slight lag between pressing the shutter and the image being taken.
The front camera, offers seven still image resolutions ranging from 0.03mp to 1.9mp, and six video resolutions, from 120p to 720p. It worked well enough for conferencing.
Below are pictures shot with the xTablet T1180 documentation camera in 3264 x 2448 pixel resolution. To see a full-size image of the compilation, click on the picture.
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Like we found in our testing of earlier MobileDemand rugged tablets, the T1180's integrated documentation camera is suitable for most documentation tasks, both in still shots and in video. It's nice to have the big 10-inch screen as a viewfinder. Pictures actually come out a lot sharper than they appear on the screen.
That said, the problem is that smartphone cameras have become so good and so competent. As a result, users expect the same from rugged handhelds and tablets, especially since those cameras should help them with their work and jobs.
That's not all there is to say about the T1180's integrated cameras. MobileDemand also offers an optional external Intel RealSense D415 3D camera with depth technology, probably the same or similar as in MobileDemand's 8-inch xTablet T8650. We examined that camera in our xTablet T8650 review (see here). It's exciting. This would bring spatial awareness to the T1180, and that can be used for an emerging range of very interesting and productivity-enhancing 3D measuring applications. Note that Intel's L515 LiDAR camera and D455 Depth camera are also supported.
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Tough enough for the job
The major reason why customers opt for a rugged tablet is, obviously, ruggedness. The tablet must be able to handle the inevitable bumps and grinds and exposure on the job. What can you expect from the T1180, which represents the high end of MobileDemand's 'value' lineup of rugged 10-inch tablets?As far as the ever important drop spec goes, the T1180 exceeds the MIL-STD 810G, 516.6 IV gold standard that mandates 26 repeated drops to one operating unit onto plywood over concrete from 48 inches. Why 48 inches? Because if a tablet is dropped while it's being used in a standing or walking position, it'll drop about four feet. The xTablet T1180 can actually handle those drops from five feet. Kudos.
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The operating temperature range is 14° to 122°F, which covers most potential applications out there.
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The biggest difference between both the xTablet T1180 and the xTablet Flex 10B is in the sealing of the units against the elements. Despite its protective casing and nicely implemented protective rubber plug for all I/O ports, the Flex 10B isn't considered a sealed unit and does not have an ingress protection rating. That means no working in the rain. The xTablet T1180, on the other hand, carries a respectable IP65 rating. That means they're totally dustproof and can also handle low pressure water jets from all directions. That'll do for virtually all deployments.
Given the T1180's exemplary build and obvious toughness, the specs don't show all that much in terms of ruggedness information. Given that the T1180 is a rugged tablet and is sold as one, we'd like to see more comprehensive testing results, even if just via a web link.
Mounting and docking options
Most tablets used in business or on the job come with some kind of docking and mounting options, and the xTablet T1180 is no different. Available are a desktop docking station, a vehicle dock, and very handy quick-release mounting options.We had a chance to test the available heavy-duty RAM Mount setup and loved it. Flimsy mounting options can be quite frustrating due to vibrations and flex. No such problems with this setup. Super-easy to adjust any which way (see below), and absolutely solid as a rock. Highly recommended.
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Bottom line: MobileDemand xTablet T1180
With the xTablet T1180, MobileDemand added, in essence, a much more powerful version of its popular 'mid-range' T1150 rugged tablet. With an 8th generation Intel Core processor, the T1180 offers serious processing muscle to the company's trio of 10-inch tablets (the other two being the low-end Flex 10B and the mid-range T1150), offering additional performance as well as options not available in the lower-end products.Like its T1150 sibling, the xTablet T1180 was designed from the ground up as a rugged tablet. It can be equipped with an integrated industrial-grade scanner, dedicated GPS, as well as an Intel 3D RealSense camera option for an emerging range of productivity-enhancing Depth and LiDAR-based 3D measuring applications.
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Weighing in at under three pounds as tested, MobileDemand's xTablet T1180 provides an attractive proposition for customers who want the convenience and ease of use of a 10-inch class tablet in package that's well-equipped and well-protected but costs less than premium rugged tablets.
The tablet's powerful Intel 8th Generation 'Amber Lake' Core processor packs plenty of punch while still running cool and without the need of a fan.
The xTablet T1180 impresses with a crisp, sharp, bright and vibrant 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 pixel display with perfect viewing angle from all directions and no color or contrast shifts.
Its 10-point capacitive multi-touch screen is quick and very responsive, and works very well with Windows 10 and touch-optimized applications.
Onboard connectivity including two full-size USB 3.0 ports, micro-HDMI, and an RJ45 LAN jack. The 2mp and 8mp cameras are suitable for conferencing and documentation. There is a powerful user-accessible and replaceable hot-swappable battery.
The tablet's rubber and polycarbonate casing is well designed and of high quality. Protective bumpers and port plugs are effective and can easily be replaced. The tablet is well sealed, can survive steep drops unharmed, and the operating temperature range of the tablet is wide enough for virtually any application.
All of this makes the fanless xTablet T1180 a compelling higher-end, higher-performance package for anyone who needs Windows on tough jobs, even those that require high-level sealing, high resolution, GPS, and industrial-grade scanning. -- Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, December 2020
MobileDemand xTablet T1180
| Type | Rugged tablet computer |
| Added | Full review 12/2020 |
| Processor | Dual-core Intel 'Amber Lake Y' Core i5-8200Y |
| Processor speed | 1.30GHz, 3.90GHz turbo frequency |
| Scenario Design Power | 5 watts |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 615, 300-950MHz |
| OS | Windows 10 Professional (64-bit) |
| Memory | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 |
| Display | TFT LCD |
| Display size/res | 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel, 550 nits (496 measured) |
| Digitizer | 10-point capacitive multi-touch with stylus, glove and wet-touch support |
| Keyboard | Onscreen keyboard + optional external |
| Storage | 256GB or 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid state disk |
| Expansion slots | 1 x micro SDXC card, 1 x microSIM |
| Housing | Polycarbonate housing with integrated and replaceable protective rubber bumpers, magnesium internal frame |
| Size | 11.16 x 7.56 x 0.87 inches (295 x 192 x 22 mm) |
| Weight | 2.64 lbs in base config; 3.3 lbs. as tested fully loaded |
| Operating temperature | 14° to 122°F (-10° to 50°C) |
| Ingress protection | IP65 |
| Drop/shock | MIL-STD 810G, 516.6 IV: 26 repeated drops to one operating unit onto plywood over concrete from 60 inches |
| Vibration | Unknown |
| Power | Rechargeable, replaceable 7.2V 9,450mAH 58 watt-hour Li-Ion ('up to 10 hrs') |
| Cameras | 2mp camera front, 8mp AF camera with LED flash rear; optional Intel RealSense D415 3D camera |
| Sensors | 9 Axis MEMS sensor (gravity acceleration, eCompass, gyroscope), ambient light, proximity |
| Interface | 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x micro HDMI, 1 x RJ45 LAN, headphone jack, power, docking |
| Wireless | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, uBlox NEO-M8N GPS; optional: NFC module, 1D/2D barcode reader, 4G LTE (Sierra Wireless EM-7565) |
| Price | Starting at US$1,995 |
| Warranty | 1 year warranty with extended warranty and extended service plans available |
| Regulatory | FCC, CE, and IC |
| Web | MobileDemand xTablet T1180 web page |
| Contact | MobileDemand xTablet T1180 specs (PDF) |
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