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By Thomas McKinnon 29 October 2008

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Whether or not 2000 US troops (fighting in Iraq) can’t be wrong is a debate for another day. The fact of the matter is that US troops love their “hardware” and that’s precisely why the GD-Itonix GoBook XR-1 is their rugged computing platform of choice. 

The XR-1 has an Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon X300 128M HyperMemory graphics controller in its arsenal. Even Jet Li understands what that means in English…

The XR-1 is the classic over-achiever; it meets and exceeds MIL-STD 810F. It is dust and water resistant (as every port is internally sealed), can survive multiple 3-foot drops (and not just on a cushy mattress) and it can survive the harshest of weather conditions from -20 to 60-degrees centigrade. It is a genuinely rugged piece of gear which is entirely deducible from your first encounter with its die-cast magnesium chassis and various hardened plastic bumpers.

From a functionality perspective the XR-1 is class leading. It has a host of wireless capabilities (WAN, WLAN, CRMA, and WWAN with HSDPA support) all of which support its fully integrated GPS. It sports a fairly responsive touch screen but more importantly the device’s 12.1-inch TFT XGA display boasts outdoor transmissive ColorVue technology which basically means that the display is visible in direct sunlight – an impressive feat indeed.

The notebook also has a full-sized 87-key sealed keyboard which comes with glow-in-the-dark or backlit options. In terms of battery life the XR-1’s primary battery pack will offer between 4 and 6 hours of life which can be further extended to 7 hours with the addition of a secondary battery pack. The XR-1 is clearly the sum of its parts; GD-Itronix has definitely set a bench mark in performance, functionality, ergonomics, security and ruggedness.

Even the device’s model number, XR-1, evokes images of a fierce weapon poised to strike. The GoBook XR-1 is an altogether rough and tumble device ready for anything you throw at it. Contact Zollhaus on 0861-111-358 for more info.

PROS
The screen can be viewed in direct sunlight and the chassis is fully rugged.
CONS
Can workout extremely expensive with all the optional extras included.
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