A Few Steps Closer to The First Rugged UMPC

It seems there is a growing need on the market for a notebook that can withstand the roughness of nature. Although the market required it, a tough and portable device didn't seem to be 'in the works' until now.

Asustek Computers, Inc. is preparing a device that resembles the Rugged UMPC concept. The 7-inch device - called Hermes - features a C7-M processor chip from VIA, meets the MIL-STD-810F shock-resistance standard, it's fanless and water proof. A fluorescent tube or LED lights the screen and it comes with a hard drive or with an SSD.

Hermes is scheduled to launch this fall with a price tag starting from $700. This is a step closer to the concept of durable and portable mobile computer, as the products released so far don't actually fit the standards. Manufacturers have to deal with shock resistance using either Solid State Disks (SSD) or shock resistant mounted hard drives. You also have to shield the circuitry from water, make the screen readable in sunlight and find the best material for a resistant case.

The possible contestants for this market area are PDA-like devices and telephones. If you need a little more processing power, you must go for an UMPC, that stands for Ultra Mobile Personal Computer or a Minitablet. While some of these devices are built to actually be tough and others are just made to look tough by changing the case and protecting the ports, the Hermes is the first step forward to a durable computer.

As the manufacturers compete on a new level with these devices, the performance 'fight' is kind of irrelevant, but you need to protect that performance and make it usable in extreme conditions; thus, in the near future, we will surely see astronauts sending emails and video chatting from space or divers using PDAs at great depths and who knows what more. Of course these devices will change the way scientific data is collected, as you can gather and process information regardless of the location or the conditions.