Rugged notebook with daylight readable display
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

The GETAC B300, introduced in February of 2008, is a state-of-the-art rugged notebook geared towards demanding applications in security, law enforcement, government and military. Despite its attractive industrial design and excellent ergonomics, this is a very serious machine that combines impressive performance with flexibility and long battery life.

Weighing under eight pounds, the magnesium alloy-bodied B300 can be ordered with a sunlight-viewable 13.3-inch XGA touch screen display that sets new standards in screen brightness. While the base display already has a strong 500 nit backlight (commercial notebooks generally have backlights of less than 200 nits), the optional display delivers a stunning 1200 nits. In addition, there is a "blackout mode" that instantly turns off all tell-tale lights in potentially dangerous situations. Further, customers may order an optional night-vision mode with software/sensor driven brightness adjustment in order to meet MIL-STD-3009.

But won't a 1200 nit backlight quickly deplete the battery? Not if the machine has a massive 7,650mAH powerpack and onboard software that continually adjust the backlight depending on settings and ligthing conditions. Combine that with a relatively miserly Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 processor that has a TDP rating of just 17 watts despite the decent power of the 1.6GHz processor, and GETAC's claim of 12 hour possible battery life seems achievable. Add a second battery pack of equal size into the unit's media bay and chances are the user will run out of juice before the B300 does.

Despite it very rugged construction, the B300 offers flexibility and configurability thanks to a media bay that can accommodate either one of various optical drive options, a second hard disk, or an additional battery for extended operation, or even a customized I/O port. For expansion there are also two PC Card Type II lots; if need be, one can be used for a 34/54mm Express Card and the other for an optional Smart Card.

For connectivity, there are two USB ports, IEEE1394a FireWire, two legacy serial ports, video and audio, Gigabit Lan, modem, and a docking port.

For wireless communication, the machine comes with the Intel/PRO Wireless 4945AGN module. GPS with an external antenna port, version 2.0 Bluetooth, and a variety of wide area network radios from most major carriers are optionally available.

Security is addressed via the Smart Card reader, a fingerprint scanner, a TPM 1.2 module, various security software modules, and a slot for the simple but effective Kensington lock.

On the ruggedness side, the machine can operate between 32 and 131 degrees Fahrenheit, with a cold weather option available that allows operation down to -4 degrees. Sealing is up to I54 standards, and the machine fills MIL-STD-810F testing requirements for humidity, altitude, shock, drop, vibration and others. A variety of other regulations, including compliance with MIL-STD-461E (electromagnetic interference) are also met, or can be optionally met.

The B300 is a unique machine insofar as it offers a combination of carefully balanced and optimized features that are usually not available in one unit. Innovative engineering and design allows performance, long battery life, and exceptional outdoor viewability all to co-exist, and on top of that, the B300 offers connectivity and configuration options usually not found in such a rugged, yet compact machine.