Many of today's tablets are 2-in-1s — tablets with keyboards designed specifically to work with them. With a 2-in-1 you get two types of machines. A slender tablet that's light and nimble for the field. And a tablet with its keyboard that works just as well as a laptop or a desktop PC. And that's why all of Getac's Windows tablets have optional keyboards designed specifically for each model.

Size, of course, continues to matter. Microsoft Windows generally works best with a screen large enough for its comprehensive user interface and very wide range of software applications. More and more complex, powerful applications are making it into the field today, and they benefit from a larger display. A larger display, however, means a larger footprint and probably a bigger battery. There is no one perfect size for the field, and for that reason Getac offers users a whole range of high-performance Windows tablets to choose from.

The tablet below shows Getac's current lineup of rugged Windows tablets. Their displays measure from 10.1 to 14.0 inches diagonally. While that may seem like a small difference, it's not.

Note that each of the four tablet platforms has its own unique design. That's not just styling and fashion. A 10-inch tablet will be used for different applications and in different locations and work modes than a bigger, heavier 14-inch tablet. The number of plugs and connectors varies. Options vary. The way the tablet is mounted and carried varies. Battery life varies. All that has an impact on design.

One thing that doesn't change in this business class of Windows tablets is performance. In order to be truly useful in the field, a 2-in-1 tablet must have desktop-level power. If it doesn't, it's neither really useful in the field, not back in an office, in a vehicle, at home or wherever else one sits down to work on computers.

Getac's rugged Windows tablet lineup

Getac tablet model
Getac tablet model	UX10	F110	K120	A140
Display	10.1-inch	11.6-inch	12.5-inch	14.0-inch
Processors	12th gen	13th gen	13th gen	10th gen
Weight	2.70 lbs	3.10 lbs	4.00 lbs	5.10 lbs
Volume (cubic-inches)	71	97	115	181

In the past, the long product procurement cycles and comparatively low sales volumes in industrial and vertical markets meant technology was always a generation or two behind, and sometimes much more. Getac was among the first to address that productivity-killing deficiency by selling the latest tech, and keeping it updated. Three of four of Getac's current rugged Windows tablet platforms are based on either 12th or 13th generation Intel Core processors.

Getac F110: Now and then

	Model	F110 G7 (2024)	F110 G6 (2021)	F110 G1 (2013)
	CPUs	Intel "Raptor Lake" 13th gen	Intel "Tiger Lake" 11th gen	Intel "Haswell" 4th gen
	Mass storage	Up to 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD	Up to 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD	Up to 256GB SATA SSD
	Display	11.6-inch 1920 x 1080	11.6-inch 1920 x 1080	11.6-inch 1366 x 768
	Luminance	1200 nits	1000 nits	800 nits
	Max battery	2 x 30.6 watt-hour	2 x 30.6 watt-hour	2 x 24.0 watt-hour
	IP rating	IP66	IP66	IP65
	Wi-Fi/BT	6E AX211/BT 5.3	6 AX201/BT 5.2	802.11ac/BT 4.0
	WWAN	4G LTE, 5G Sub-6	4G LTE	4G LTE
	Cameras	5mp/8mp	2mp/8mp	2mp/5mp
	USB Type-A	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2	2 x USB 3.0
	USB Type-C	1 x Thunderbolt 4	1 x Thunderbolt 4	None
	Weight	Starting at 3.29 lbs	Starting at 3.35 lbs	Starting at 3.08 lbs
	OS	Windows 11	Windows 10	Windows 7
	Memory	8-32GB DDR5	8-32GB DDR4	4-8GB DDR3

The F110 was initially introduced in October 2013, almost 11 years ago at the time of this writing. And it's already in its 7th generation. Talk about being on top with product updates. And also having the courage to leave a good design as is, rather than changing and reinventing it just for change's sake. And, in fact, the first five generations of the F110 looked virtually identical.

The 6th and this latest 7th gen, however, have some updated visuals in addition to, as Getac's press release stated, as the new F110 is "offering upgraded processing power, brightness, and connectivity, alongside excellent energy efficiency, for full-shift performance in a variety of challenging indoor/outdoor working environments..

Looking at the comparison table to the right it's interesting to see what technology charged ahead in leaps and bounds, and what has advanced at a slower pace. On the display side, the change to an even higher resolution screen would have been nice as graphics are becoming ever more complex as well as more important. On the plus side, the G7 screen now offers 1200 nits luminance, a step up from the G6, and a big step up from the original.

Battery capacity grew by less; there haven't been the same improvements in Li-Ion batteries as on the electronics side, and battery size and weight still matter. The G7 still comes standard with two fairly small 30.6 whr batteries; we'd definitely go for the optional dual 46.6 whr packs, even though they add a little weight.

Wireless, both on the Wi-Fi and on the Bluetooth side, keeps improving. Wired communication remains the same USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 plus Thunderbolt 4 with its USB-C style port.

After the last gen's switch from SATA solid state disk to the much faster PCIe NVMe interface, all that has changed with the G7 is the availability of 2TB solid state storage, up from 1TB. There's a bigger change in RAM; that switched from DDR4 to DDR5, which supports higher transfer speed, higher bandwidth, higher memory density, uses its own internal dual architecture and has on-die error correction. While the G7 still only has one DDR RAM slot, DDR5 memory itself ought to provide enough of a bandwidth increase to run Iris Xe graphics.

The images below show some of the application areas for Getac rugged tablets.

Unchanged from G6 but still worth mentioning are F110 design features and details that can make a big difference in real life use of the tablet. An example is the coverless design for the F110's twin batteries. That makes mounting and dismounting the batteries quicker and easier than handling batteries as well as battery covers, especially with gloves on.

Then there's the optional detachable backlit keyboard. It's an 88 key full-scale affair with an integrated touchpad created just for the F110. That's where the 2-in-1 aspect comes in. You can connect any old keyboard to a tablet, but only a dedicated detachable keyboard can provide true 2-in-1 laptop functionality.

In terms of the marketplace positioning, the 12-inch Panasonic Toughbook 33 is likely the F110's most direct competitor. The Toughbook 33 offers more extensive 2-in-1 functionality via a more comprehensive detachable keyboard with extra ports. However, though upgraded in 2023, the Toughbook 33 is a processor generation behind.

Competitors also include the larger rugged tablets from Durabook, DT Research, Mobile Demand, Winmate and others in the 11.6 to 13 inch class. For customers seeking a rugged tablet from a Tier One vendor that also offers a dedicated keyboard option to turn the device into a full laptop, the Getac F110 will definitely be on the short list.

There are inherent obstacles to overcome when separating the display/tablet and the keyboard. The tablet part must include the processor and battery, inevitably making it thicker and heavier than standard laptop displays are. The Getac F110 was designed as a tablet. It can be used with a keyboard, but it doesn't need one — the detachable keyboard is optional.

Below you can see what the F110 tablet looks like from the front and all for sides.

Measuring 12.4 x 8.15 inches and being just under an inch thick, the F110 is a compact machine for a fully rugged design that can survive six-foot drops and other serious punishment.

Unlike with consumer tablets where the display takes up almost the entire face of the device, the front of the F110 is expansive enough not only for the 11.6-inch display but also a nice margin around it, indicator lights for power, battery and wireless, five hardware buttons (power/sleep, audio rocker, and two programmable buttons), and then another margin that accommodates wireless antennae inside and provides extra damage protection outside.

The left side has interface ports (we'll get to those below), the top has room for one of a variety of expansion options (our eval unit had a legacy serial port; a 1D/2D barcode scanner is available as well), and the bottom has the docking connectors, antenna pass-throughs and anchor holes for the optional keyboard.

As far as wired connectivity goes, the F110 has fewer ports than Getac's larger K120 and A140 tablets. Almost everything is concentrated along the left side of the tablet (shown below with protective port covers removed). From left to right:

• A Kensington lock slot
• A 3.5mm audio jack
• A PowerShare USB 3.2 Type A port
• A (optional) micro-SIM card slot covered by a protective metal plate
• Beneath the micro-SIM, the Thunderbolt 4 port with USB Type-C connector
• On top you can see the optional SmartCard reader

The image below shows the backside of the F110. The left side is taken up by the tablet's two batteries. The battery compartments do not have a cover; each battery fits flush into the back of the tablet. Batteries can quickly be removed with a sliding lock mechanism. Sealing towards the interior of the tablet is via small o-rings around the actual power connector of the batteries. Between the two batteries is a place for the stylus or optional pen to snap into.

The F110's rear documentation camera with flash is mounted center-top. Next to it is an expansion area for either a 1D/2D imager barcode reader OR a USB 2.0 port OR a serial port and RJ45 LAN combo. Center-right is where the optional Smart Card Reader goes. Not shown along the right side of the tablet is the optional fingerprint reader. In its stead, customers can opt for an HF RFID Reader.

One thing that has been a central matter in the design of high-performance Windows tablets for many years is their thermal management strategy. PC electronics, and especially processors, generate a lot of heat and that heat must be dissipated reliably to guard against overheating and meltdowns. Heat can be removed either actively with fans or it can be passively removed with heat spreaders and heatsinks.

Fans don't weigh or cost a lot, they can move a lot of air, and fan speed can be actively managed. But fans can also be noisy, they can get clogged, and like all mechanical things, they can fail. Heatsinks don't make noise and they don't need to be managed, but they are heavy and can get quite hot.

While older rugged Getac laptops often had big fans to handle the heat generated by their standard voltage, hot-running processors, the F110 only has a very small fan. It does need a fan because it is a high-performance device, but it doesn't need a big fan because today's "ultra-low voltage" processors run much cooler than older Intel chips. The pictures below were taken with a BlackView BL9000 Pro rugged handheld that's equipped with a FLIR Lepton thermal camera while the Getac F110 was running a strenuous PCMark 10 performance test benchmark.

The thermal images show which parts of the F110 are heating up under load. You can see that the front of the tablet stays quite cool, not even reaching the mid-80Fs under heavy load. The warmest spot is where the unit's single RAM module is. On the back the warmest area again is where the RAM module sits, but even there the surface didn't reach more than about the normal human body temperature. The low temperatures are around the fan intake, as is to be expected. Overall, the observed temperatures are about at the level we observed on the prior 6th generation of the F110, an accomplishment given that the 13th generation processor in the F110 is a 15/55 watt design, compared to the 12/28 watt TDP chips in the 6th generation predecessor.

One of the biggest changes in laptops was the switch from rotating hard disks to solid state disks (SSDs). When SSDs first became viable, they generally were costly options with less storage capacity than hard disks. Even when SSD prices dropped, hard disks often remained the low-end default. And since early SATA SSDs used the same 2-1/2 inch form factor as hard disks, storage bays continued to take up space. Today, 2-1/2 inch bays are mostly gone and main storage almost universally comes in the form of much smaller PCIe modules.

As of this writing (September 2024), of the rugged tablet and convertible laptop competition, the 12-inch Panasonic Toughbook 33 is at the 12th generation of Intel Core processors, as are the latest convertibles from DT Research and Durabook. Other rugged tablets and hybrids may lag farther behind, going back to the 10th and even 8th generation of Intel Core processors. The latest Getac F110, on the other hand, is built around Intel's 13th generation of Core processors, putting it at the top of its class. Getac's own S510 laptop is already at the 14th generation, but the S510 is a brand-new design.

Overall, for years there weren't dramatic changes in Intel's successive generations of Core processors. It's difficult to make gates (really transistors) smaller and smaller, and Intel spent much time fine-tuning and optimizing their chips for years. There were milestones such as making mobile quad-core chips available in the "Coffee Lake" 8th generation, or the "Tiger Lake" 11th generation where Intel began allowing manufacturers to use tune processors for different modes of operation.

A big change occurred with the "Alder Lake" 12th generation of their Core processors. For many years, all the cores in an Intel processor had been of the same kind. So no matter the work — simple background work or demanding high load application — all work was done by the same cores, even if all that punch wasn't really needed for simple tasks. That was not very efficient. Smartphones, for example, have had different kinds of cores for different tasks for many years.

So with the "Alder Lake" 12th generation, Intel introduced a "hybrid" processor architecture that combined large, powerful performance cores ("p-cores") and smaller, simpler economy cores ("e-cores") in one chip. A hardware and software-based "thread director" would continuously analyze the workload and then send tasks to the proper type of core.

In the "Raptor Lake" 13th generation — the CPUs inside the new Getac F110 — Intel improved and enhanced that hybrid approach by increasing the core count, expanding L2 cache memory, raising clock speed, supporting faster DDR5 memory, as well as various fine-tunings and enhancements. Raptor Lake is like Intel hybrid chips 2.0 — evolved and refined.

And here's a list of all the processor options available for the Getac F110 (to view the full Intel spec table for these four CPUs, see here):

2024 Getac F110: Available Intel CPU options

	Available F110 CPUs	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i5
	Model	1365U	1355U	1345U	1335U
	Performance Cores	2	2	2	2
	Efficient Cores	8	8	8	8
	Max Turbo Speed	5.20 GHz	5.00 GHz	4.70 GHz	4.60 GHz
	TDP	15/55 watts	15/55 watts	15/55 watts	15/55 watts
	Smart Cache	12MB	12MB	12MB	12MB
	Integrated graphics	"Iris Xe Graphics eligible"	"Iris Xe Graphics eligible"	"Iris Xe Graphics eligible"	"Iris Xe Graphics eligible"
	Graphics max speed	1.30 GHz	1.30 GHz	1.25 GHz	1.25 GHz
	Graphics Execution Units	96	96	80	80
	Intel Stable Image Platform Program	Yes	No	Yes	No
	Intel vPro	Enterprise	Essentials	Enterprise	Essentials

The four processor options available to F110 G7 customers consist of two Core i7 and to Core i5 chips. Unlike rival Panasonic, which offers a either high end "P" series processor or a much lower performance "U" series chip for its Toughbook 33 tablet, Getac's four options for the F110 are much closer together.

All four are "U" series chips with the same core configuration — two power cores and eight efficient cores. The power cores are dual-thread, so all four chip options have 12 processing threads at their disposal. Thermal design power is the same for all four, and processing frequencies aren't far apart. Smart Cache is the same 12MB for the quartet. All are what Intel confusingly calls "Iris Xe Graphics eligible," i.e. depending on the type and amount of RAM and perhaps hardware limitations or settings, and so some or all graphics operations may default to Intel UHD Graphics. In any case, there's a small difference between the processors here: the i7 chips have 96 graphics execution units and the i5 chips just 80.

While most of those difference are fairly minor, two of them aren't. For customers who rely on managing and securing enterprise PCs, Intel's decision to split vPro into an "enterprise" set and an "essentials" set can be major. In terms of management, security and performance features, as well as cost and integration, "enterprise" offers a lot and "essentials" doesn't. So keep all that in mind when picking the right chip.

To see what kind of performance this latest generation Getac F110 tablet can achieve, we ran our standard benchmark suites, Passmark Software's PerformanceTest 9.0 that include dozens of tests covering CPU, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, memory, and disk and then computes scores for each category and an overall PassMark scores. We also ran our second benchmark suite, CrystalMark, to provide some clues as to overall single core performance. And we're also showing results of three other major benchmark suites in our test program: PC Mark 10, GeekBench 5 and one of the most often used 3DMark graphics benchmarks, Time Spy.

To provide an idea where the F110 stands in terms of overall performance, the below table also includes results of the prior generation F110 and some of the leading 12-inch class competition from Dell, Durabook, Panasonic and MobileDemand.

To measure, as close as it is possible, real world battery life, we used UL Solutions' PCMark 10's Battery test. This demanding test shows how long a charge lasts with the system never sleeping and constantly being exercised with a variety of typical tasks. In that test, with two batteries, the Getac F110 G7 lasted 8:58 hours, enough to make it through a full standard shift with continuous use of the system. This result also translates into power consumption of 6.81 watt-hours per hour, or 8.8 minutes of operation per watt-hour. By comparison, the Panasonic Toughbook 33 with its 12th gen Core i7-1270P processor ran 6:34 hours, using 6.7 watt-hours per hour, and ran 8.9 minutes on a watt-hour.

Bright and very good 11.6-inch display

The Getac F110's 11.6-inch display is suitably large for using Windows comfortably. As a laptop display it'd be on the small side, for a tablet it's quite spacious. Its 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution makes for 190 pixels per inch. The display is quite bright, too, 200 nits more than the outgoing F110 G6, with a maximum listed luminance of 1,200 nits.

The Getac F110 display's wide-format 16:9 aspect ratio gives the screen a contemporary look. Compared to the 1366 x 768 pixel resolution of early F110 generations, the current display feels much sharper and is much more pleasant to use.

That said, work done on tablets gets more and more complex, often with very detailed graphics. With smartphones, and many consumer tablets, now offering extremely high resolution, customers are increasingly expecting that from their rugged tablets — that's likely a reason why Panasonic gave its Toughbook 33 tablet a 2,160 x 1,440 pixel screen for a denser 216 pixels per inch.

For everyday use, display size isn't all that matters. Most rugged tablets may often be used outdoors and sometimes in bright, direct sunlight. Which means that sunlight-readability is becoming ever more important. At this point, the best way of making a tablet screen readable outdoors is combining various layers and optical treatments to control internal reflection with a strong backlight.

Continuous use of a strong backlight, unfortunately, is bad for battery life. Getac addressed that issue by letting F110 users toggle "sunlight readable" on and off by assigning that function to the P1 or P2 function button. Having that hardware button is the key to keeping power draw in check: when you need the extra-strong backlight, switch it on. When you don't need it anymore, turn it off. That's much easier with a button than via menus or function keys (both of which are also available on the F110).

In terms of "nits," what is considered bright? A standard consumer notebook backlight is in the 250 nits luminance range (1 nit = 1 candela per square meter) range. Industrial monitors used outdoors generally have 400 to 500 nits. High end rugged notebooks offer anywhere from 500 to over 1,000 nits, with Getac offering as much as 1,400 nits in its B360 ultra-rugged laptop. What this means is that the 1,200 nits backlight of the F110 is brighter than almost all consumer tablets, and much brighter than any consumer notebook.

The graph to the right shows our own luminance testing of the F110 display. We recorded a maximum of 1070 nits, 120 nits higher than the F110 G6 we tested, but a bit lower than what Getac lists in the device specifications, and most likely due to a slight transmission loss.

A few additional comments about the F110 display. While we described it as glossy above, semi-matte would best describe it. Reflections on it are far more muted than those of most consumer tablets, almost all of which have high-gloss displays.

And there's another quality the F110 display has: it's remarkably immune to the smudges and fingerprints that quickly mar almost all glossy displays. Viewing angles are important as well — nothing is worse than a screen that changes color and/or contrast when viewed from different angles. Both horizontal and vertical viewing angles of the 7th generation F110 screen are very good, without any color shifts even when viewed at extreme angles.

The images below show the F110 under different lighting conditions and angles. Note how the semi-matte display handles reflections very well; instead of hard reflections the light gets slightly diffused, keeping the display more readable. The bottom right is in direct sunshine, and still quite readable.

Multi-touch and an very good narrow-tip capacitive stylus

On a laptop, touch is nice to have and increasingly common, but it bis not absolutely necessary. On a tablet, good touch is mandatory. The F110 was designed as a pure tablet, though it can can also be used as a laptop with its optional detachable keyboard, and comes with 10-point capacitive multi-touch. The tablet is also available with dual touch and an active digitizer. This means F110 users can have the best of both worlds — effortless tapping, panning, pinching and zooming, as well as a very precise active pen that doesn't even need a battery.

That said, even after all these years, while capacitive multi-touch works great on tablets and with all those iOS and Android apps specifically developed for handhelds and tablets, even Windows 10 remains a work in progress as far as touch goes, especially when using the legacy desktop and legacy Windows software that still has all those tiny check boxes, screen borders and scrollers. Microsoft has made efforts to make Windows more touch-optimized, but it'll likely take a bunch more changes to Windows before it's really touch-friendly.

But Windows is Windows. It controls the desktop, IT shops, and thus a lot of mobile hardware, And Getac made Windows touch easier with the F110's remarkably smooth and responsive capacitive multi-touch, and the optional very precise active digitizer and pen.

A word about the active pen stylus. Digitizers with active pens have been around since the very dawn of tablet computers over 30 years ago. Almost all early pen computers used the Wacom digitizer and pen that used electromagnetic resonance technology. That technology did not require a battery to power the pen, allowing for a sleek pen design and no worries to run out of battery at inopportune times.

Another feature of this type of active pen is "hovering." Since the digitizer senses the tip of the pen, here's no need to make actual contact with the display; the cursor follows the tip of the pen even when the pen is up to half an inch away from the screen surface. This means no accidental menu or action selections as is often the case with finger or capacitive pen touch. In addition, Microsoft offers comprehensive support for this type of active pen. If you have/get a Getac F110 and intend to make the best use of the active pen, make sure you locate and download all those active pen utilities.

Works with gloves and when it's wet

Another issue with capacitive touch is that in its generic form it only works with human fingers or, to a lesser extent, with capacitive styli. Standard capacitive touch doesn't like rain and it won't accept gloves. Unfortunately, wetness and the need for gloves is exactly what one often encounters where ruggedized computing gear such as the Getac F110 is used. Getac knows that and was one of the first to address that issue years ago in their early V110 convertible and F110 tablet models. Ever since, most rugged Getac devices have a G-Manager "Touch" tab where users can select "Touch," "Glove," or "Pen."

"Finger Mode" — That's the mode to use when there's a chance that drops are falling on the display, like rain or splashing. Such drops can be misinterpreted by the screen as input. In this mode, the screen is set to accept finger input and no other touch, so no stylus. The inherent issue here is that water affects the capacitance between two electrodes, the very the concept upon which projected capacitive touch is built.

That problem can be addressed in several ways, one of which is witching from a standard "mutual capacitance" mode to "self-capacitance" where the capacitance between one electrode and the ground is measured instead of the capacitance between two electrodes. The F110's optional active digitizer pen still works in this mode, but the doesn't.

"Glove Mode" allows the F110 to be operated with gloves. That is usually done by increasing the sensitivity of the touch controller, so that it can recognize a finger even a brief distance away from the screen, as in the distance that the material of a glove adds to the finger's distance from the screen. That's the way Getac seems to have done it, as not only do gloves work in this mode, but the cursor now follows the finger even when it is a short distance away from the surface, and touch operations no longer require a firm touch. The active digitizer pen works in this mode.

"Stylus Mode" works with touch as well as the passive stylus or the active digitizer. The mode is configured so that when the stylus is used as well as finger touch, the tiny contact area of the stylus takes precedence over touch.

Note that this whole touch/stylus/pen issue is complex and confusing. Getac, as well as others, have been using different approaches, technologies, and terminologies to address the issue.

Cameras

Given the incredible quality of the pictures and video that today's smartphones can generate — let alone the ease of use of those smartphone cameras — we don't expect many F110 customers to use a large rugged tablet as their primary camera. In addition, while rugged Android devices are generally capable of taking good images and video, cameras integrated into mobile Windows, devices have rarely fared nearly as well. It is not clear why that is, as the actual camera hardware is often similar or the same.

Below is a selection of test images taken with the F110 G7's 8MP documentation camera at its highest 3264 x 2448 pixel setting. Click on the image to see a full resolution version.

Honestly, one could argue that integrated cameras should be better by now. Even tiny cameras can do great stills and video today, and they cost very little. Consider this, Getac?

Security

Like virtually all mobile hardware these days, the F110 offers various levels of hardware and software security to prevent unauthorized access as well as theft. That includes multifactor authentication via passwords, fingerprint reader, Smart Card reader, HF RFID reader, and Windows Hello face-authentication camera.

Our system included Intel Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 hardware security for enhanced boot process integrity, and to create and manage computer-generated digital certificates. Combined with the Windows Hello software in Windows 10, it can encrypt biometric data. In addition, TPM can be used to create certificates that can be used to:

• Send and receive secure email,
• Set up the browser for client identification,
• Sign Word macros,
• Encrypt individual files or entire folders, and
• Create secure network connections.

Fingerprint registration software works with the F110's optional fingerprint scanner that uses capacitive technology so users can just place their finger on the scanner rather than swiping.

All of this can get pretty involved. Some users may never implement TPM, fingerprint scanning or even passwords, whereas others may be set up in accordance with their company's IT security procedures, or they may configure an individual system for maximum security.

Over all this, don't forget physical security and get a Kensington locking cable to use with the Kensington slot on the side of the unit. It is inexpensive insurance against physical theft.

Additionally, depending on the processor, F110 tablets can be configured with Intel vPro, a set of technologies to remotely access and control computers securely. And Absolute DDS (stands for Device & Data Security, formerly known as CompuTrace) is also optionally available. The way that works is that there's a constant two-way between device so that risk can be monitored and assessed remotely, and the device disabled if need be.

Docking and vehicle mounting

Rugged tablets such as the Getac F110 are often used in vehicles. To that extent, Gamber-Johnson and Havis are offering docks and cradles both for the F110 tablet. These can be mounted in numerous ways, using the dock manufacturers' solutions or the vast variety of RAM ball and joint components.

The F110 has separate antenna pass-throughs for GPS, WLAN and WWAN. These are supported by the vehicle docks, which makes roof-mount antennae possible. A set of pogo docking pins on the bottom of the F110 allow the docks to provide port duplication and additional I/O functionality. The picture to the right shows

Ruggedness

The Getac F110 is a fully rugged tablet. That includes IP66 sealing and a very wide operating temperature range of -20 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as the claim to be "certified to MIL-STD 810H." Getac also claims a very impressive 6-foot drop resistance. Three feet is generally enough to let a unit survive a fall from a desk. Four feet is sort of the gold standard with rugged mobile computers, because that's about the height they fall from when operated while walking around. Six feet goes well beyond that.

Getac says the sixth gen F110 can operate between -20° and 145° Fahrenheit (-29° to 63°C). That's a little wider than the first generation F110 and makes the tablet suitable for use in almost any environment. The wide range comes in handy in several targeted deployments, such as closed vehicles or around freezers.

As far as sealing goes, there's been incremental progress since the F110 first came out. The original's IP65 rating already provided ample protection. Yes, everyone talks about IP67 full immersion resistance. Almost all premium smartphones today are actually IP68 and you can safely take them underwater. But the F110 is a complex rugged Windows tablet with multiple ports, buttons, a fan, externally accessible batteries and so on. That makes sealing much more involved than a consumer phone.

The switch from IP65 on first F110 to IP66 in the latest one means the difference between holding up to a low-pressure jet of water from all directions to strong jets of water. Out there in the field you never know what one might encounter, and not every blast of water is gentle. So yes, IP66 is may just come in very handy.

That said, It always takes a bit of a leap of faith to submerge a costly, complex piece of equipment in water while testing and reviewing. We passed this time because our F110 was still a pre-production sample. Sealing, though, warrants a few words about the protective port covers. Those covers are essential as they keep liquids from getting inside the computer. That makes them both very important and also quite a challenge to design. Users must be able to open and securely close/lock them easily.

Most rugged computer manufacturers have changed their designs many times over the years, and Getac is no exception. The current design of those covers uses hinged doors with rubber pressure seals inside. The covers slide one way to lock and the other way to unlock. Each cover as a white arrow on it, which leaves room for interpretation. A small thing, but important. We'd like to see a clearer lock icon.

Here our usual reminder that we (and most likely most potential buyers) would like to see more information on what ruggedness tests the unit was subjected to and has passed. Just referring to MIL-STD-810H certification is not enough. These are rugged machines that customers choose because they must hold up to all sorts of environmental conditions and abuse. It must be totally clear in the specs and brochures what testing was performed and what levels a machine passed.

Bottom line: the Getac F110

The Getac F110 is a fully rugged Windows 11 based high-performance tablet computer with a 11.6-inch capacitive multi-touch display. The F110 can be used as a tablet or, in conjunction with an optional detachable keyboard, as a laptop computer.

With this 7th generation of its popular F110, Getac offers a well designed and engineered, field-proven, and technologically up-to-date Windows tablet whose bright semi-matte and daylight viewable display is perfect for serious work in the field. It's a thin, compact and powerful design that's streamlined yet configurable with a variety of options. Its light weight belies its substantial ruggedness. There's effortless multi-touch operation, a well-working capacitive pen, and also an optional active pen for dealing with the Windows desktop or whenever precision and ink capture is required.

The F110 is available with several Intel "Raptor Lake" 13th generation processor options. Our test unit, equipped with the high-end Core i7-1365G7 processor turned in superior benchmark performance. Despite its speed, the F110 offers acceptable battery life from its dual 30.6 watt-hour batteries. Between sufficient onboard I/O, optional port configurations, and the optional (and highly recommended) keyboard, the Getac F110 offers exceptional versatility and functionality.

Overall, though already in its seventh generation, the newly updated Getac F110 rugged tablet remains a powerful, well-designed and versatile tool for the job, one that's technologically state-of-the-art and deserving of strong consideration for any deployment. -- Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, September 2024

Getac F110 Gen 7 (2024) fully-rugged tablet Specs

Type	Semi-rugged notebook
Review date	F110 G7 version full review 09/2024
Processor	Intel Core i7-1365U Intel Core i7-1355U Intel Core i5-1345U Intel Core i5-1335U (default)
Max CPU clock speed	i7-1365U: 5.20 GHz i7-1355U: 5.00 GHz i5-1345U: 4.70 GHz i5-1335U: 4.60 GHz
CPU Smart Cache	i7-1365U: 12MB i7-1355U: 12MB i5-1345U: 12MB i5-1335U: 12MB
Thermal Design Power	15/55 watts (all)
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe graphics
OS	Windows 11 Pro
Memory	Single channel 8GB, 16GB or 32GB DDR5
Display	11.6-inch/1920 x 1080 pixel (190 ppi) Lumibond 2.0 IPS TFT with semi-matte surface and protection film, sunlight-readable (1,200 nits)
Digitizer	Capacitive multi-touch; optional: Dual mode touchscreen (multi-touch and active digitizer)
Keyboard	Power button and four programmable buttons; optional detachable 88-key full-scale keyboard
Storage	256GB PCIe NVMe SSD; optional: 512GB / 1TB / 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
Expansion slots	Optional Smart Card reader
Housing	Getac ABS+PC and magnesium alloy
Size	12.4 x 8.15 x 0.98 inches (314 x 207 x 25 mm)
Weight	Starting at 3.29 lbs; 3.56 lbs as tested with two batteries, scanner and stylus
Operating temperature	-20° to 145° Fahrenheit (-29° to 63° C)
Ingress protection	IP66
Drop	6-foot drop
Humidity	95% RH, non-condensing
Other environmental	e-Mark certified for vehicle usage; optional: ANSI / UL 121201, CSA C22.2 NO. 213
Power	Hot swappable dual 11.4V 2,680 mAH 30.6 whr Li-Ion batteries; optional dual 11.1V 4,200 mAH 46.6 whr Li-Ion batteries
Security	TPM 2.0, cable lock slot; optional: fingerprint reader OR smart card reader OR HF RFID reader, optional Windows Hello face-authentication camera
Camera	Front-facing FHD webcam; 8mp auto-focus rear camera; optional: 5mp Windows Hello face-authentication camera
Interface	1 x Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1 x headphone out/mic-in, dock, opt. 1 x HDMI, RF antenna pass-through for GPS, WLAN, WWAN; Choice of 1D/2D imager barcode reader (Honeywell 6703) OR RS232 OR Ethernet OR MicroSD OR 2nd USB 2.0 port
Wireless	Intel Dual Band Wi-Fi 6E AX211 802.11ax Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3; optional dedicated GPS, 4G LTE, 5G Sub-6 with integrated L1/L5 GPS
Price	Inquire
Contact	GETAC us.getac.com
Web	F110 G7 web page
Spec sheet	F110 spec sheet (PDF)
Warranty	3 years Bumper-to-Bumper
Contact	GetacSales_US@getac.com www.getac.com/us 949.681.2900 Getac, Inc. 15495 Sand Canyon Ave., Suite 350 Irvine, CA 92618

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