3rd gen of ultra-rugged, no-compromise notebook for the toughest jobs gets substantial tech update
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, November 2017)

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On November 15, 2017, GammaTech announced a substantial technology and performance update to their DURABOOK R8300. The R8300 — now in its third generation — is designed and manufactured specifically to operate and survive in extremely harsh environments such as, among others, those routinely encountered by the military, in public safety deployments, and by the utility sector. The R8300 platform now offers Intel 7th generation Core processors, improved graphics capabilities, increased battery life and the comprehensive security offered by Windows 10.

For a bit of background on this tough and rugged laptop, the DURABOOK R8300 represent a class of mobile computers that originated a good two decades ago when pioneering PC makers began beefing up standard notebook computers to make them more suitable for work in the field. Back then, adequate battery life, decent performance, and outdoor usable displays were almost insurmountable obstacles. Those issues have long since been resolved. Between new display technology, Intel's successive generations of ever-faster Core processors, and the maturity of ruggedization technology, hardened notebooks such as the R8300 allow computing anytime and anywhere.

That said, procurement and deployment life cycles, enterprise integration and support requirements, as well as legacy peripheral, accessory and application issues demand a higher degree of design and connectivity continuity and compatibility than is the case in consumer technology. In the R8300 that's evident, for example, in the 4:3 aspect ratio of the 13-inch display and the 1024 x 768 pixel XGA resolution that are no longer new, but optimally support a vast library of vertical market software. Another example is the R8300's legacy serial port. Many applications in the field still need them.

In terms of design and execution, the R8300 remains absolutely first class. The magnesium alloy case and internal frame and structure make for an exceedingly solid machine, and also a complex one with numerous carefully conceived and executed details. For all its toughness, though, the R8300 is fairly compact, measuring 12.0 x 11.5 x 2 inches, including an integrated carry handle, and weighing just under eight pounds.

The latest generation of the R8300 benefits from the availability of state-of-the-art Intel 7th generation "Kaby Lake" Core processors. Customers now have the choice of three different of those new processors. Two CPUs from the last generation of the R8300 carry over, the 6th generation "Skylake" Core i7-6500U and i5-6200U. Why? Because Kaby Lake doesn't support the Windows 7 downgrad option anymore whereas Skylake still does. Here's what customers can choose from:

GammaTech R8300 R3 processor options

Available R8300 R3 CPUs	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i5
Model	7600U	7500U	7200U	6500U	6200U
Cores/Threads	2/4	2/4	2/4	2/4	2/4
Base Clock Speed	2.80 GHz	2.70 GHz	2.50 GHz	2.50 GHz	2.30 GHz
Turbo Speed	3.90 GHz	3.50 GHz	3.10 GHz	3.10 GHz	2.80 GHz
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	15 watts	15 watts	15 watts	15 watts	15 watts
Smart Cache	4MB	4MB	3MB	4MB	3MB
Integrated graphics	HD Graphics 620	HD Graphics 620	HD Graphics 620	HD Graphics 520	HD Graphics 520
Graphics base speed	300 MHz	300 MHz	300 MHz	300 MHz	300 MHz
Graphics max speed	1.15 GHz	1.05 GHz	1.00 GHz	1.05 GHz	1.00 GHz
Intel Stable Image Platform Program	Yes	No	No	No	No
Intel TSX-NI	Yes	No	No	No	No
Intel Trusted Execution	Yes	No	No	No	No
Intel vPro	Yes	No	No	No	No
Win 7 downgrade	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

The difference between the chips is relatively subtle, but can be important if the availability of certain integrated processor options matters. Here's a brief explanation of Intel technologies that the top-of-the-line i7-7600U has, but the other processor options do not:

• vPro provides extra security and management capabilities that are required in many enterprise deployments (see Wiki Intel vPro).

• TSX-NI Transactional Synchronization Extensions New Instructions) helps make parallel operations more efficient via improved control of locks in software (see Wiki TSX).

• SIPP (Stable Image Platform Program) allows deployment of standardized, stable image PC platforms for at least 15 months (see Intel SIPP), and

• Trusted Execution technology provides security capabilities such as measured launch and protected execution, and may thus also be an enterprise requirement (see Wiki Trusted Execution Technology).