M900P

Intel "Apollo Lake" based rugged vehicle-mount computer for data collection and logistics application (by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, October 2019) Tablets are a terrific way to bring full Windows 10 computing power and functionality into the field, vehicles, or just about anywhere else. Tablets are light and handy and, unlike laptops, can be used with or without a keyboard. As a result, tablet use in vehicles is on the rise, and that's not just for GPS but for all sorts of enterprise mobility solutions. For this sort of thing you need more than a generic tablet. It must be rugged, have a suitable vehicle mount, and be easy to operate. In order for it to be a true in-vehicle solution, however, the tablet must also be able to talk directly to the vehicle. And that is what Winmate's 8-inch M900P rugged tablet and VG100 vehicle gateway provide. The M900P measures 10 x 7.75 x 0.8 inches, which is relatively large for an 8-inch tablet. The extra size buys room for five physical buttons along the right side of the display. It also affords a generous glass margin beyond the perimeter of the actual LCD, always a good thing with a capacitive multi-touch screen. No need, of course, for a "camera notch" in the screen, and the larger footprint also allows for a lot of extra protection. The physical home and three programmable function buttons come in handy for use in vehicles and under adverse outdoor conditions. Sometimes push buttons are better than onscreen touch. The image below shows the front of the M900P as well as its side-mounted I/O. On top you can see the optional 1D/2D barcode reader window. That space can also be used for an optional RFID reader (it's either/or, not both). On the right side is an I/O block that includes a USB 3.0 Type A port, a reversible USB Type C port, an audio jack, and power. All these sit behind a protective cover. Next to it is a D-Sub connector to link to a vehicle gateway (we'll get to that).The sidebar to the right shows the backside of the M900P. Visible are the documentation camera with its illumination LED and the battery. The battery is an externally accessible rechargeable 7.6V 4,200mAH 32 watt-hour Li-Ion unit that snaps flush into the backside of the tablet. This type of design relies on a rubber pressure seal around the battery contacts, and in this case also the SIM and micro SD card slots that sit inside the battery compartment right next to the contacts. Flush-mounted batteries make optional extended batteries possible. Also visible is the access door for the mPCIe slot that accommodates the (optional) WWAN module. Performance and design For processing, the Winmate M900P uses a quad-core Intel "Apollo Lake" N4200 CPU. This is a 64-bit 14nm chip designed to idle along at a thermally efficient base frequency of just 1.1GHz, but also capable of operating at burst frequencies up to 2.5GHz to quickly handle heavier loads. There's 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Mass storage is via an M.2 module (our review unit came with a 64GB SSD module, up to 128GB is available). Should there ever arise a need to open up an M900P tablet, it's easy. Undo 11 Philips screws and disconnect the LCD/touchscreen ribbon cable and it's done. Sealing between the two Polymer haves is via tongue-and-groove where the tongue presses against a replaceable red rubber seal. Once open, you immediately see why the very compact tablet weighs a relatively substantial two pounds: it's because one of the thickest and most solid cast aluminum chassis/heat sink we've ever seen. It's massive. Below you can see the inside front of the Winmate M900P tablet (click on it for a full-size image).The insides of the tablet are heavily componentized, with a separate I/O daughterboard and optional barcode reader, RFID reader, and MSR/EMV reader. Since most M900P tablets may see lots of vehicle duty where vibration is a given, Winmate put a generous dollop of white silicon glue on any connector that might rattle loose. As far as battery life goes, the Winmate spec sheet suggests 8 hours, the manual 6-7 hours. In our BatteryMon testing we saw a minimum power draw of 4.1 watt, which translates into 7,8 hours. In terms of performance, the M900P scored 1,598.0 in PassMark v9 and 124,521 in our CrystalMark benchmark suites. Both are higher than what we saw in the Winmate M101BK keyboard tablet and the Winmate FM07 vehicle-mount, and comparable to the M900P's primary 8-inch rugged tablet competition (Getac T800 and Handheld Group Algiz 8X). Ruggedness As far as ruggedness and durability go, the Winmate M900P is far, far tougher and more durable than any consumer or even enterprise tablet. The device is well protected, materials used are grippy and won't get scratched or dented, and ergonomics are excellent for use out in the field, even with gloves on. The tablet's 5-foot drop spec means it won't break if it slips out of a user's hands. The -4 to 140 degree Fahrenheit operating temperature range allows deployment in a very wide range of settings.The Winmate M900P has an IP65 ingress protection rating where the first "6" indicates the unit is totally dustproof an the "5" that the unit can also handle low pressure jets of water, so the tablet can handle much more than just a bit of rain. Cameras Virtually all contemporary tablets have integrated cameras, and the Winmate M900P is no exception with its front (2-megapixel) and rear (8-megapixel) cameras. On the software side, the tablet comes with both the Windows Camera app and Winmate's own HotTabCam. Neither provides many options or settings. The purpose of cameras integrated into tablets designed to be used on the job is to eliminate the need to carry along a dedicated camera or use a modern smartphone for taking pictures. The cameras in the Winmate M900P can do that. The images below were taken with the HotTabCam app's highest quality and resolution settings for 16:9 aspect ratio pictures (3264 x 1836 pixels, or 6mp). Click on the sample picture compilation to see it in full size.Display Display quality and brightness is as important in a vehicle computer as in any other PC. The Winmate M900P's 8-inch screen offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, which is adequate for general Windows 10 work and the custom applications these units are predominantly used for. Likewise, the display's 189 ppi (pixels per inch) is plenty sharp enough for its intended purpose. Since tablets are used outdoors as well as indoors, display brightness is crucial. The Winmate M900P's display is rated at 510 nits luminance (we tested 480), on par with most premium consumer tablets and also with the 8-inch rugged tablet competition.Display viewing angle is crucial in tablets and handhelds, but somewhat less so in vehicle-mount deployments where they are fixed and will generally be viewed from the same angle. As is, the M900P's specs suggest 85 degree viewing angles from all directions, plenty good enough. When viewed from some angles, brightness varies a bit, but there are no color and contrast shifts. Like all glossy transmissive LCD displays, there can be reflections outdoors. Overall, the display is excellent.Bottom line: Winmate M900P/VG100 The Winmate M900P is one of the few available 8-inch fully-rugged tablet, offering full Windows 10 on an excellent display that's larger than the largest phone while being smaller, lighter and handier than 10-inch tablets. The tablet is exceptionally robust but also offers very good ergonomics and grip. The capacitive multi-touch display has hand/rain, stylus and glove modes, and is complemented by three large programmable hardware function buttons.What sets the M900P further apart is the availability of the dedicated VG100 vehicle gateway that provides CAN bus, RS485, digital I/O and vehicle power to the tablet. This vastly increases the M900P's deployment potential into SAE J1939, OBD2, CANopen and many other CAN bus-based applications. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, Oct. 2019