I pad

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

How does it compare to the likes of a panasonic toughbook?

I am looking for something rugged and waterproof but the toughbooks are astronomically priced!

What does everyone else use?

[PhilBeech]

It depends what you want to run on it, windows mobile is awful. If you want to run proper survey software then you better off with a rugged laptop.

 

I hate tough books with a passion, take an age to boot up and always going wrong.

 

How important is rugged anyway when the alternative is paper?

 

I use paper with a weather writer for complex surveys and the iPad with tables on for simpler sites. I have been known to put the iPad in the weather writer!

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Thanks Phil are they really that bad?

I need something that will run AutoCAD, and will stand up to wet weather.

Paper gets wet even in a weather writer!

[PhilBeech]

iPad will not run autoCAD mate, why would you want to run AutoCAD in the field?

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Because sometimes it is good for triangulating tree positions with known features on the plan directly into the program. Also when I am working away from home for several days I need to be able to use autoCAD in the evenings rather than wait till I return to the office to find I have missed something!

So what is the problem with the toughbooks? I would have thought by the Mark IV they should have ironed out any problems and that the boot up would be fairly quick. But I have no experience with them. What alternative would you recommend? I had been using a HP tablet but it is painfully slow and difficult to read in daylight!

[PhilBeech]

Daylight reading issues, boot up times, poor battery life, crap data entry, software gremlins... if it was 400.00 I could probably live with it but I demand better when spending thousands.

 

When running a Picus etc I use an ordinary laptop and keep it in the van with just the cable running to the Picus. I'd look at a Mobilemapper with Digiterra or similar if you want to put tree features in accurately.

 

Even they have there problems though, dense tree cover being one of them.

 

I think the underlying problem is, we are a small industry so the products are always and compromise from another industry.

 

Perhaps have a look on eBay for a reconditioned one and see if it fits your needs.

[Paul Barton]

The Motion computing tablets look great for a semi-rugged PC to use in the field. Still on the pricey side though. J3500 Tablet PC - The rugged, all-in-one device that is the ideal productivity tool

 

Ref the Magellans - we have one of the new(ish) Mobile Mapper 100s. It performs very well even in dense tree cover - much better than the old MMCX.

[PhilBeech]

Not in Wales it doesn't Paul! Agreed on the motion tablet though.

[Paul Barton]

Really? Have you got the GLONASS enabled version?

 

This new offering from Motion looks like the mutts nuts...CL900 Tablet PC - Rugged Small Form Factor Tablet

[PhilBeech]

Yes, without GLONASS its even worse... parkland environments are fine but as soon as you get into thicker tree cover its a PITA. You have to go out into the open to get a signal and then back under the canopy cover.

 

Still way better than anything else on the market though!