We've seen plenty of ruggedized laptops, but we can't say we heard of a rugged desktop until today's announcement from Stealth Computer. According to Stealth's press release, it built the WPC-500F to the IP67/NEMA 6 standard, which means the system is certified to operate while submersed in water. Assuming the video below from Stealth's Web site is the real thing, it seems to have achieved its goal.
The base WPC-500F unit costs $1,995, and includes six custom-designed cables for power, networking, and peripherals. The core configuration includes a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 33 CPU, 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a ruggedized 80GB hard drive, and no operating system. You can also add Vista, XP, Ubuntu Linux, a variety of solid-state hard drives, and other upgrades via Stealth's online configurator. If this were a normal PC we'd seriously question the hardware for the price. Given the specialized nature of the WPC-500F, you're obviously paying for more that just the computing power.
(Credit:
Stealth Computer)
A Canadian company that goes by the apt name of Stealth Computer is determined to bring military-grade specs to consumer gear. A few months back it came out with its "TuffTouch" monitor, a 17-inch touch-screen LCD encased in aluminum alloy for harsh conditions, and now it has a big brother.
The latest model in Stealth's SV-2400 "Industrial Grade" line is a full 24 inches of ruggedized goodness, fortified in steel casing. The steroidal screen has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and 160-degree viewing angles.
Most important to the survivalist set, it can withstand "water, dust and dirt intrusion and performs well beyond ordinary commercially available monitors," according to the company, and is ideal for "human machine interface" applications. Which could be a good thing when your robot is having a bad day and taking it out on the equipment.
(Credit:
Stealth Computer)
A lot of computer gear these days seems to be following the Hummer/SUV trend of the auto industry from the early '90s: the bigger and tougher the better. We've seen, for example, military-grade laptops, keyboards, and even nuke-proof USB drives. So why should LCDs be left out?
Specialty equipment maker Stealth Computer plans to fill that void with the "TuffTouch," a 17-inch touch-screen monitor encased in aluminum alloy for "harsh environment applications," according to the company. The 1,280x1,024 monitor can also be ordered with a built-in "Little PC"--and it's available in custom colors, for all you fashion-conscious survivalists.
Apparently it's Miniature PC Release Week and nobody told me.
On Monday, Fujitsu officially announced the U810 mini-notebook, and on Tuesday, Stealth Computer released a mini PC that it says will fit into a human palm (well, sort of). Though I'm sure the results will differ for everyone, suffice it to say, this is a wee computer.
Stealth Computer's Little PC. Disembodied hand not included.
(Credit: Stealth Computer)It measures just under 3 inches tall, 6 inches wide and 10 inches deep. The Little PC--not the most creative or specific name, but whatever--will have Intel's Pentium and Celeron M series processors, and lots of connectivity options: LAN, serial, USB 2.0, FireWire, video, audio, and more.
The tiny PC can be customized too. The PCI card slot means the owner can add a wireless or video card, or really, whatever they want. The 160GB hard drive is built to absorb extra shock, but it can also be swapped out for a solid state drive or flash drive. A DVD/CD-RW drive is standard, but a DVD burner can be substituted.
It's Windows Vista, XP or Linux-compatible, and the price tag is $995. The Little PC is available now on Stealth's Web site.
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