Tangent's upgraded mini PC is small, fanless, and, from the looks of it, can take one hell of a beating. The company's new Rugged Mini Fanless also features a compact flash storage option (for added stability) and a convection-based passive cooling system that eliminates the need for CPU and chassis fans than could get clogged with dirt, sawdust, or blood (depending on where the unit is deployed).
Douglas Monsour, Tangent's president explains that, unlike office computers, the Rugged Mini Fanless is really designed to withstand just about anything--shock, dust, vibration, humidity, extreme cold and heat, and even electro magnetic interference. It's therefore ideal for industrial, manufacturing, mobile, and construction applications, the company said.
In addition to its rugged exterior--which measures 9" (W) x 7" (L) x 2" (H)--the mini PC also comes with your choice of low voltage Intel Celeron M, Core Solo, or Core Duo processors, an optional solid state hard, as well as high speed memory and mounting brackets. And despite its tank-like appearance, the Rugged Mini Fanless remains less than four pounds and consumes only six and 44 watts in standby and active modes, respectively. A typical PC generally uses 75 and 125 watts.
Tangent also says its Rugged Mini Fanless design integrates broad compatibility with current Wi-Fi standards and uses a Cisco LEAP compatible Wi-Fi solution offered with a variety of antenna options.
The mini PC also has VGA and DVI output so it can be connected to a touch screen or regular flat panel monitors. Dual displays are also supported in landscape and portrait modes, the company says.
The Rugged Mini will start around $1195, according to Tangent, and come pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows XP Pro.