Durable and highly customizable 10.1-inch Android tablet for clinical and various other markets
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Estone Technology's mission is to provide premier OEM/ODM solutions focused on tablet and Panel PC products. This includes highly configurable general purpose products such as the MJ-100, an Android-based rugged tablet platform specialized for medical and light industrial duty, but suitable for deployment in almost any industry.

As for positioning of the MJ-100, it addresses the demand for a ruggedized standard-size Android tablet that's both high quality and still reasonably priced. Those are amazingly rare.

Unlike the smartphone market that is dominated by Android, the higher end tablet market is primarily Microsoft Windows. Given the vast number of users familiar with Android from their phones, there are many situations where leveraging that existing knowledge by using Android on tablets makes sense.

In terms of dimensions, MJ-100 has a somewhat larger footprint than a consumer tablet with the same screen size. At three quarters of an inch, the MJ-100 is also thicker than an iPad-class tablet. Weight, likewise, is a bit more than twice that of a standard iPad. That's due to the larger bezel (which means you can hold it without accidentally issuing a touch command), a stronger build (plastic and thermoplastic polyurethane in the front, magnesium and thermoplastic polyurethane in the rear), much more perimeter protection, and also room for expansion options.

Unlike most consumer tablets, the Estone MJ-100 offers wired connectivity likely to be needed by customers. That includes a full-size USB 3.0 port, a micro-USB port, an HDMI output port, a standard 3.5mm audio jack, and also a docking port. Standard storage is 32GB, with available options up to 128GB. That can be complemented via SD card.

For wireless connectivity, the MJ-100 comes standard with fast 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN and Bluetooth 4.0. Optionally available are NFC, a uBlox 7 dedicated GNSS module, and there's also a M.2 socket for a 4G LTE mobile broadband module that supports multi-carrier certification.

The tablet's 10.1-inch 10-point capacitive multi-touch IPS display has 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution. That makes for a pleasing 16:10 aspect ratio and 224 pixels per inch — sharp enough for the intended applications. Since this is an IPS screen, there are perfect viewing angles and no color or contrast shifts when viewed from any angle. Estone lists luminance as 220 nits, about the same as your average laptop computer. That's plenty enough for indoor use, but would be on the low side for outdoors. Estone offers a variety of anti-reflection, anti-glare, and anti-smudging coatings for optimal viewing in almost every conceivable application.

The MJ-100's RK3368 processor comes from Rockchip Electronics, a Chinese semiconductor company. It's a Cortex A53 multi-core design running at up to 1.5GHz, with graphics handled by a PowerVR SGX6110 subsystem. The 30 watt-hour Li-Ion polymer battery should offer full-shift operation.

Since scanning is often a central part of tablet deployment, the MJ-100 has an integrated Newland 1D/2D CMOS scan engine, a 5th generation design tuned to decode even poor quality barcodes.

Designed for use in many different environments, the Estone MJ-100 carries IP65 sealing where the "6" means the computer is totally protected from dust, and the "5" that it is protected against low-pressure water jets from all directions. For tablets used in clinical settings, there's an anti-microbial option. The operating temperature range is 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, suitable for the intended mostly indoor deployments. The tablet is designed to survive multiple 4-foot drops, the height from which it would fall if it slipped out of a one's hands while using it in a standing position.

Overall, we see the Estone MJ-100 as a viable Android tablet option for solutions and deployments that require ruggedness and durability, as well as extensive customization options. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, February 2019