Xplore Technologies (XPLR)

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Xplore Technologies iX104C5

Xplore seeks to extend tablet mania into the field with 5th generation ultra-rugged product
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, with most photography by Carol Cotton)

Xplore Technologies Corp. of Austin, Texas has been making rugged tablet computers for about 15 years and they have sold about 100,000 of them, first the GeneSys line and then, since 2003, the iX104. This is a comprehensive review of the 5th generation of their flagship product, the iX104C5.

While tens of millions are now using sleek and elegant media tablets and analysts are predicting massive growth in the tablet market over the next several years, Xplore has always viewed tablets as serious tools for demanding jobs. That included making them tough enough to hold up under extreme conditions, and useful enough to bring true value to applications in such vertical markets as field service, law enforcement, fire/EMS, manufacturing, warehousing, military, transportation/distribution, utility/energy and wherever a tablet was a better choice than a laptop.

In the process, Xplore became one of the most innovative players in the ultra-rugged mobile computer field, pioneering such concepts as modular expansion pods, dual mode digitizers, and truly outdoor-viewable displays. It's now Xplore's hope that as demand for tablets is surging, so too will the need for rugged mobility solutions with technology advances that allow greater reach into extreme environments. To that extent, Xplore introduced the fifth generation iX104 line of ultra-rugged tablet computers in May of 2011.

http://ruggedpcreview.com/3_slates_xplore_ix104c5.html