14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier today, we brought to your attention a new 2-in-1 Bay Trail-based Windows tablet made available by Schenker and put on display at the CeBIT 2014 computer expo in Germany. And now we have another one for you.
It has become quite obvious that Intel is pushing the adoption of its Bay Trail platform as much as it can. We’re no longer seeing this particular chip architecture being implemented in devices coming from brand vendors, but in products from lesser-known manufacturers. And some of them actually manage to amaze us with their spec list.
Introducing the Tarox Craftab 8.3, a very interesting product that is being marketed as an industrial slate (via MobileGeeks).
Compared to the Schenker Element with its 10.1-inch IPS display and 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, the Craftab 8.3 boasts a more portable frame, with an 8.3-inch screen and a much more capable 1900 x 1200 pixel resolution.
More than that, the display is coated with a protective layer of Gorilla Glass 3 and has 800:1 contrast ratio and a 160-degree view angle. We’re pretty impressed so far.
Moving on to see what’s under the hood, we have a 64-bit capable quad-core Intel Atom Z3745 unit (Bay Trail architecture) keeping things going, backed up by 64GB of internal storage.
The tablet also offers two cameras (8MP on the back and 2MP in front), 3 USB 3.0, Gigabyte Ethernet, HDMI out, Wi-Fi, GPS with NFC, BT and WIDI. There’s also an HSPA+/LTE version available.
As we said, we’re pretty impressed with this industrial tablet which aptly blends high-end specifications with the functionality of a rugged device. But don’t get overly excited just yet.
Even if the Tarox Craftab seems to have everything you need, the device will set you back with a hefty amount of money. The LTE version costs €1,199 / $1,661 while the non-4G model sells for €1,099 / $1,523.
That’s quite a lot, considering most 8-inch Windows 8 tablets with Bay Trail revolve around the $400 / €288 margin. But bear in mind, the Craftab is actually a rugged model, so it’s not targeted at the average consumer, but at industrial and business professionals working in risk-prone environments.
Therefore, we should highlight the part where the tablet also packs the standard industrial “rugged” features including a replaceable battery, dust and water resistance, complete with glove and pen navigation. Neatly enough, the slate weighs a meager 500 g / 1.1 lbs.