This goes to show that choosing a gadget takes more than just style or form factor like what Caesar Solidus
got for us, and here it is!
Mobile users require a computer of some sort. This could range from a laptop to even a PDA. For this article's purpose, we will cover laptop computers as laptops are the preferred form of mobile computers in terms of versatility and power.
While most mobile users will purchase a laptop for their everyday needs, the laptop purchase is typically based on form factor and power. These two factors are very important to the purchase of a laptop for the pure reason of computer mobility and usability of software. As important as these are, one factor that is often overlooked by mobile users is durability, and durability requires a rugged laptop PC.
It's understandable as to why durability is not a main concern for mobile users. Most will convince themselves that they will be extra careful or place their laptop in a padded case when they carry their laptop with them. Some will even go as far as purchasing an extended warranty. While being extra careful and using a padded case are a definite must, it is not an effective means to protect the investment. Let's not forget that extended warranties are just that: they extend the warranties in time length that the laptop is covered. Extended warranties typically do not cover negligence such as drops or water damage.
Mobile users looking for computer mobility should strongly consider a rugged laptop PC. Today's rugged laptop PC is designed with not just durability now, but also form factor and power. In the past, these tough computers were designed to simply have basic computer functionality in harsh environments such as military and construction. However, mobile users are now finding the benefits of computer mobility in a rugged laptop PC package.
With a rugged laptop PC, mobile users will find that these laptops can prevent damages from drops and water damage. These benefits are of high importance since the mobile user will undoubtedly run into these accidents. No matter how careful a person is there will likely be a drop, bump, or spill. Even with a padded case, a laptop does not stay in the case while in use. The moment it is out of the padded case it is open to damage. As previously mentioned, rugged laptop PC addresses these issues.
While the main concerns of computer mobility have been about how slim a laptop can be and the speed of the CPU, durability should also be a factor. No matter how careful a person is or how strong a carry case is, accidents can and will happen. Mobile users should do themselves a favor and avoid the hassles of a standard laptop and go for a rugged laptop PC.
Single Board Computers
Good to know that someone like vestatech came up with an idea on what to get when it comes to practicality and economy! Don't scratch your head, go on and read!
As you may or may not have guessed, single board computers, like the Arm7 sbc, are simply complete computers contained on a single board. Where a motherboard based computer has a single board with interchangeable parts, a single board computer is just that, an all in one, single board computer including all requisite parts.
Single boarders, once the dominant form of computer, have seen substantial decline in the realm of home personal computers, with modern home PCs now being developed with a motherboard and what we call “daughter boards” or a Mezzanine board, wherein disk drive controllers, graphics cards, serial ports and the like are connected separately.
production cost. When, say, Toshiba puts out a new notebook, they don’t have to mass produce a whole new system, but rather, they can keep mass producing the old mother board, but maybe add one or two different parts.
The custom single board computer has remained popular in industrial applications, however. When a computer is only needed for a dedicated purpose and needs to be custom built to that end, it actually makes more sense, and you can actually save money by going with a single board rather than trying to create the perfect machine out of various components.
As an example, a simple computer built around a microcontroller can be pretty cheap, as it’s not hard at all to find a 32 bit microcontroller for somewhere around five dollars. The cheapest in mass production actually goes for around twenty five cents (it may not be the most powerful microcontroller out there, but it goes to show how inexpensive this stuff can be).
One advantage of single board computers is the availability of backplanes offering nearly every type of slot configuration, whereas motherboards usually offer only the latest or most popular slot technology.
Many technologies are dependent entirely on single board computers, such as the CompactPCI, the PXI, the VMEbus, the VXI, and the PICMG. With an Intel PC, the intelligence and control circuitry are placed into a plug-in board and then inserted into a backplane, resulting in a system with a built in motherboard, but with a backplane determining the slot configuration.
While single board computers offer advantages for industrial use, and while many technologies are incompatible with motherboard based computers, there can be the issue of buying one or several single board computers without pending too much money. Where motherboards can be more easily mass produced, single boards have to be built around the buyer’s needs, therefore, fewer numbers means that it will cost more money to buy even a single unit.
The answer to this is to simply try to find a lower price. If you don’t shop around a bit, you do stand to lose a few bucks and pass up a great deal. Single boards do offer advantages, but the price may turn you off if you don’t have a good manufacturer who can cut you a deal.
Vesta Technology offers both custom and standard embedded controllers for industry and commercial applications. VestaTech.com arm7 rtos, embedded boards and 32 bit microcontrollers have been used in data acquisition and monitoring products in industries including agriculture, medical, food processing, semiconductor equipment, and robotics. Vesta Technology also offers embedded system design, embedded application development and manufacturing of its sbc board and Industry Pack products.
As you may or may not have guessed, single board computers, like the Arm7 sbc, are simply complete computers contained on a single board. Where a motherboard based computer has a single board with interchangeable parts, a single board computer is just that, an all in one, single board computer including all requisite parts.
Single boarders, once the dominant form of computer, have seen substantial decline in the realm of home personal computers, with modern home PCs now being developed with a motherboard and what we call “daughter boards” or a Mezzanine board, wherein disk drive controllers, graphics cards, serial ports and the like are connected separately.
production cost. When, say, Toshiba puts out a new notebook, they don’t have to mass produce a whole new system, but rather, they can keep mass producing the old mother board, but maybe add one or two different parts.
The custom single board computer has remained popular in industrial applications, however. When a computer is only needed for a dedicated purpose and needs to be custom built to that end, it actually makes more sense, and you can actually save money by going with a single board rather than trying to create the perfect machine out of various components.
As an example, a simple computer built around a microcontroller can be pretty cheap, as it’s not hard at all to find a 32 bit microcontroller for somewhere around five dollars. The cheapest in mass production actually goes for around twenty five cents (it may not be the most powerful microcontroller out there, but it goes to show how inexpensive this stuff can be).
One advantage of single board computers is the availability of backplanes offering nearly every type of slot configuration, whereas motherboards usually offer only the latest or most popular slot technology.
Many technologies are dependent entirely on single board computers, such as the CompactPCI, the PXI, the VMEbus, the VXI, and the PICMG. With an Intel PC, the intelligence and control circuitry are placed into a plug-in board and then inserted into a backplane, resulting in a system with a built in motherboard, but with a backplane determining the slot configuration.
While single board computers offer advantages for industrial use, and while many technologies are incompatible with motherboard based computers, there can be the issue of buying one or several single board computers without pending too much money. Where motherboards can be more easily mass produced, single boards have to be built around the buyer’s needs, therefore, fewer numbers means that it will cost more money to buy even a single unit.
The answer to this is to simply try to find a lower price. If you don’t shop around a bit, you do stand to lose a few bucks and pass up a great deal. Single boards do offer advantages, but the price may turn you off if you don’t have a good manufacturer who can cut you a deal.
Vesta Technology offers both custom and standard embedded controllers for industry and commercial applications. VestaTech.com arm7 rtos, embedded boards and 32 bit microcontrollers have been used in data acquisition and monitoring products in industries including agriculture, medical, food processing, semiconductor equipment, and robotics. Vesta Technology also offers embedded system design, embedded application development and manufacturing of its sbc board and Industry Pack products.
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