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46 E&MJ; • JANUARY 2017 www.e-mj.com OPERATING STRATEGIES Throughout the global mining industry, the computing tool of choice for personnel in remote locations, or for those constantly on the move, has generally been the laptop. In recent years, though, the growing capa- bilities and sophistication of smartphones have chipped away at the edges of tradition- al laptop territory such as email and video communications — but some tasks simply require a standard keyboard and larger screen for effi ciency and convenience. However, the changing nature of the mining industry, with operations and en- campments increasingly located in areas without typical infrastructure or person- al-convenience amenities, puts a premium on computing simplicity, battery life and mobility — and that's opening a window for wider use of handheld ruggedized tab- lets, the latest of which can provide most or all of the capabilities of a conventional laptop in a lighter, more compact package. The mention of tablets invokes imag- es of Apples's iPads, Microsoft's Surface models or any number of generic Android products. There may be useful roles for these popular consumer products in offi ce or light industrial settings, but most mo- bile-computing experts point out that even when they are mounted in protective cases, they will always be consumer-grade prod- ucts that are not designed or built to with- stand rough use in harsh environments. For a user or company contemplating a step up from consumer units to indus- trial-grade tablets or computers, the price jump can be daunting, with the cost of an ultra- or fully ruggedized tablet often two to four times that of a consumer model. But, as with any type of equipment of- fered by multiple vendors, the primary approach for making a purchase decision should be based on total cost of owner- ship — including how often a buyer would be willing to repair a marginal product, or perhaps more importantly, the cost of what doesn't get done while the unit is out of service. Other important factors include how compatible the unit's operating system is with a company's IT setup, how easy or diffi cult it is to customize features and performance to meet company or user needs, and repair expediency; i.e., can common problems be fi xed by swapping out a module on site or must the unit be shipped to a repair facility? Data security features are also a growing concern, and connectivity is important. Can data be downloaded, uploaded or transferred us- ing common, standard industry protocols and ports, or does it require a proprietary cable or dongle that may be hard to re- place if broken or lost? Can a unit's mem- ory or storage capacity be easily upgraded to meet future requirements? A Look at Android for Enterprise A recent entry in the ruggedized tablet market highlights many of the new fea- tures and advances available in this sector, and it comes with a twist on the usual con- fi guration — it's an Android-based tablet. According to Explore Technologies, its new XSlate D10 10-inch (in.)-class tablet is designed to provide reliable operation in direct sunlight, rain and dusty environ- ments, while running on Android 5.x (Lol- lipop). The unit, which weighs 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) and measures 7 x 11 x 0.9 in. (178 x 280 x 23 mm), offers: • Ruggedness – An IP65 Ingress rating provides protection from dust, as well as from low-pressure water streams from all directions. A magnesium alloy mid- frame contributes to the unit's resis- tance to damage from multiple 5-ft drops on side, face and corners. • Battery Life – Two hot-swappable bat- tery options allow users to supplement the 8-hour internal battery with battery "backpacks" that extend battery life up to 14 or 20 hours. • Outdoor Viewable Display – A high con- trast, direct-bonded IPS screen provides 500 Nits of luminance and an 800:1 contrast ratio. • Performance – The D10 has an Intel Quad Core Processor and 4GB RAM, along with 64GB of internal SSD storage. • I/O and Communications – Standard ports include two USB 3.0, Micro SIM, MicroSDXC, HDMI-out, and RJ-45 10/100/1000 Ethernet. Wireless con- nectivity is furnished by 802.11ac Wi-Fi and optional 4G LTE capabilities. The D10 has a number of confi gurable options, such as a detachable keyboard that turns it into a two-in-one device; ve- hicle and stationary docking mounts; car- rying handle; and battery charging stands. As Explore Technologies pointed out, development and adoption of Android products for enterprise applications has been sluggish for special-purpose tablets such as the D10. However, with the re- lease of Android 5.1 in 2014, the updat- ed operating system offered several new features attractive to corporate IT manag- ers, including: Taking the Job in Hand By Russell A. Carter, Contributing Editor An Australian company has developed an in-the-cab, portable operator training system that allows instructors equipped with a ruggedized tablet computer and headset, and working from a centralized location, to observe and comment on operator behavior as if the instructor were actually in the cab.