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Not Your Mama’s iPad

As far as computers go, a tablet is a tablet, right? The only variables are the operating system, I/O ports and software compatibility. Wrong!!! The GammaTech TA10 tablet computer is a mission-specific wonder in an M1A2 tank’s body. It’s the ultimate tablet system for cops — yeah, you patrol types who share cars and the gear in them — no need to treat equipment as though you spent your own hard-earned money.

Awesome, ridiculous, seriously, hashtag, hero and ruggedized are just some of the most misused and over-used words in our vocabulary. But in this case, the TA10 gives new meaning to the word ruggedized. Most systems available to law enforcement touted as “ruggedized” really fall short of that descriptor and should be placed in the category of semi-rugged. Sure they passed a few Mil-Spec protocols, but in most cases those are the easy ones.

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There are two compartments for batteries. You can power the TA10 for 4.5 hours
on a single battery, or up to 9 hours when both are installed. You can check
battery life with the push of a button.

Look Out Below

The TA10 can handle 5′ drops, meeting the standard of 26 drops (from 5′) onto 2″ of plywood over concrete. The well-protected corners of the tablet help, as they’re heavy rubber bumpers. That’s a low-tech but effective solution for drop protection. Sealing — protecting its guts — is at the IP65 level. The “6” means it’s completely dustproof, and the “5” means it’s protected against low-pressure water jets from all directions. The top IP67 designation would be nice, but the TA10 has a lot of ports and slots. The tablet can handle operating temperatures from -4 to 140 degrees F. Also, GammaTech supplies ruggedness data for vibration, salt fog, humidity and more.

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And behind door No. 3 we have two USB 3.0 ports and an audio jack.

Power & Cool Features

The TA10 can operate with one or two Li-Ion batteries. They’re externally accessed at the back of the tablet. The TA10 will run for up to 4.5 hours with one battery, and over 9 hours with both installed. You can also hot swap them when necessary. A handy feature on the battery casing is the “fuel gauge.” You can keep track of the remaining battery life by pressing the button on the battery. Up to four green LEDs will light up as an indication.

A couple other features handy for law enforcement are worth mentioning. The bottom right side on the face of the tablet is slotted for the addition of a fingerprint reader for the extra security needed in a law enforcement information system. If the tablet winds up in the hands of a ne’er-do-well, he won’t be able to access information on the computer without the actual user’s fingerprint.

The push-button area on the right side of the face has a button with a symbol of an upside down triangle within a triangle. Have you ever tried to sneak down an alley way in stealth mode only to have your computer screen light up the inside of your cruiser like the outside of a theater during a movie premier? GammaTech calls this button their stealth button. Push it and all the external lights on the tablet go off including the backlit screen. This way you won’t have to wait for your computer to reboot after shutting it off just to kill the lights.

Another nice feature is the built-in card reader. There are slots for SD cards, Mini-SD cards with the adapter, SDHC cards, Type II PC cards, a Smart card and a SIM card for WWAN, Gobi 3000 or an LTE module connection.

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The well-protected card reader slot handles a variety of SD cards, Type II
PC cards, Smart cards, SIM cards for WWAN, Gobi 3000 or an LTE module
connection. I think it can toast a bagel too.

Cops In Mind

This system is built with cops in mind. The features accommodate our work needs from its rugged construction to the fingerprint reader and down to mounting dock connections for use in a cruiser. It’s certainly a worthy competitor in the ruggedized computer market and worth a look next time your agency decides to outfit their officers with an updated information system.

Quik Specs

Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge i5
System Memory: Two 204-pin SODIMM sockets each for DDR3-1600 up to 16GB max
Display: 10.4″ XGA (1024×768) LCD with resistive multi-touch panel. Optional sunlight readable resistive multi-touch panel
Chipset: Intel QM77
Audio: HD Audio, one speaker, Analog mic. array
Interface: Two USB 3.0 connectors; docking connector; audio jack; RJ45, Mini
USB, DC-in; SD card slot (SDHC); PCMCIA
Webcam: Front facing 1.3M pixel camera. Optional rear facing 5M pixel auto-focus camera
Wireless & Connectivity:
Internal 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet LAN, Intel WiFi 6235 module that supports 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. Optional GPS/WWAN (AT&T, T-Mobile & Sprint)
Power Supply: AC power input: 100V-240V, 50Hz-60Hz, 65W, output: 19V, One 6-cell battery pack (5200mAh, 57.72 W) is 4-5 hr. Optional Second Battery (2nd battery is
available if main storage is changed to m-Sata) Dimensions & Weight: 11.2″x8.46″x1.63″, 4.9 pounds

For more info: www.americancop.com/index
By Dave Douglas

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