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Choosing a tablet to run T3RRA software in-cab

Our in-cab software will run on any 64bit Windows 10 PC. It will run on a desktop, a laptop, or a tablet. It will work with a regular mouse and keyboard, but it is designed to be used with a touch screen.


In most instances we would expect the software to be loaded onto a tablet. The screen is expected to be oriented in landscape format (wider than taller). Any screen size will work but in most cases we expect users to prefer 10inch (or greater) screen sizes.


There is a wide range of Windows 10 tablets on the market. These vary in computational performance, ruggedness, and price. The best choice for a given user will depend on the specific needs of that user.

In general, we divide tablets as follows:

Category

Consumer

 Ruggedized

Example

  • Microsoft Surface Pro

  • Panasonic FZ-G1 or RuggON

Performance

  • High (if correctly specified)

  • High

Pros

  • Relatively inexpensive

  • Easy to acquire

  • Quickly replaced

  • Very reliable

  • Long warranty

  • Designed for vehicle use

  • Can be sourced with dedicated serial connector 

Cons

  • Require careful handling

  • Short warranty

  • Not designed for outdoor use or high vibration

  • Unlikely to have dedicated serial connection

  • Relatively expensive

  • Available from limited sources

Suitability

  • Owner-operators with pedantic care & maintenance tendencies

  • Contractors

  • Hired operators

  • Time critical operations


At T3RRA we only sell and supply high-end ruggedized tablets (like the Panasonic FZ-G1 or RuggON). In our opinion raising the price of a consumer grade tablet to the level that would adequately cover the increased support and warranty claims that are likely when these tablets are used in a field scenario negates the benefits of selling them.


Just because we do not sell consumer tablets does not mean we will not support our software if it is run on them. As long as the tablet meets our minimum feature specification and is not damaged or poorly maintained we expect our software to work normally on it. 


In many cases we have had users running consumer grade tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro for years on end without issue. However, the nature of consumer tablets is that they are not designed to operate in dusty environments which are potentially high vibration, have large temperature extremes, and are subject to rough handling. They are not weatherproof and don’t have screens designed for outdoor viewing.


We expect all users to carefully consider the impact of a hardware failure, and the time lost due to waiting on a replacement, on their operation. If the potential losses from tablet failure are high they should not consider the consumer grade tablet option, or at the very least should have a backup option that can be quickly implemented.


The modern tablet PC is a highly capable machine with the ability to run many different software applications and to be used in many different roles. We ask customers to consider the impact of using their in-cab PC for other activities. There are software programs and usage activities that can use up disk and processor resources. This may result in sluggish performance when running T3RRA software in the field, and should be avoided.


NOTE: Maintaining your tablet PC is extremely important. Take your tablet PC to your home/office at regular intervals to perform both Windows updates and T3RRA updates.

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