Motion Computing`s Tablet: A Superior Choice

Take one tablet and call me in the morning may very well be Motion
Computing’s slogan for the J3400, a tablet PC that has "built for the
health care vertical" written all over it.

Weighing in at just 3.6 pounds and featuring a shock-resistant
design, the Motion J3400 may be the perfect fit for industries where
electronic forms and handwritten notes reign supreme. First and
foremost on the list is the medical market, where the unit’s eight-hour
battery life (with dual batteries installed) should make the rounds for
most medical professionals. Of course, other verticals are well served
by the tablet, such as insurance adjusters, surveyors, construction,
shipping and logistics, and retail.

Some may think tablet PCs are pretty cool, but wonder if they really
need a full-time tablet PC? Motion addresses that concern with a small
dock that features a keyboard and touchpad, which turns the unit into a
notebook. Perhaps not as classy as a solution as a convertible
notebook, the Motion J3400 performs well in either configuration.

The Motion J3400 features many capabilities that should make it the
first choice in tablet computing. The unit is powered by an Intel Core
2 Duo Processor (SU9300) with an ultra-low voltage design running at
1.2 GHz (a 1.4 GHz SU9400 is optional), which sips power without
sacrificing performance. Solution providers will also appreciate the
choice of Windows Vista Business Edition or Windows XP as the primary
operating systems. Wandering users will enjoy the multitude of wireless
connectivity capabilities, which include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mobile
Broadband and a smart card slot for other devices.

A tablet PC has to be a pretty tough device since they are subject
to the bumps and dumps of a fast-paced environment. Here, Motion went
with a magnesium-alloy frame, water-dust resistant screen, chemically
strengthened glass and a rubberized housing. All of those features give
the unit 3-foot drop test compliance and a Mil-STD-810F rating.

For day to day use, the Motion J3400 proves to be a comfortable and
functional unit. It’s well balanced and the digitizer works well with
the included stylus. The optional keyboard is a little on the clumsy
side, and connects by the tablet resting on an edge connector. The
keyboard doesn’t lock onto the unit and can fall off if the unit is
carried around in that configuration. In other words, it’s best to
leave the keyboard dock sitting on a desk.

Motion also offers a desktop dock which pretty much turns the system
into a monitor with an integrated PC. Users can plug a keyboard, mouse,
Ethernet cable and other devices into the dock and use the system like
a desktop PC, albeit with a small 12.1-inch display.

Motion has included in an interesting mix of additional features in
the Motion J3400. Users will appreciate its 1600×1200 Web cam with an
illumination light, noise cancelling multidirection array microphone
and high-definition audio. Those features make the Motion J3400 an
ideal tool for mobile, instant video conferences and the integrated
camera could be used to take snapshots to be imbedded into forms.

The Motion J3400 has quite a few ports, and users will find a
gigabit Ethernet rj45 connector, headphone, microphone, two USB,
external VGA, and keyboard connectors strategically placed around the
perimeter of the device. Security-minded users can enable the included
fingerprint scanner and further secure the unit using disk encryption
and other security technologies.

With 4 GBs of RAM installed and U9400 CPU, the Motion J3400 offered
decent performance, the Windows Experience Index came in at a 3.2,
while PassMark’s Performance Test V6.1 gave an overall rating of 552.6.
That’s an acceptable score, right in the range of convertible notebooks
and far surpassing most netbooks. Starting at $2,299, the Motion J3400
doesn’t come cheap, but when compared to either a semi-rugged notebook
or a high-end laptop, the price doesn’t seem so bad.

For solution providers servicing mobile vertical markets—such as
health care, construction and emergency first responders—Motion J3400
is a superior PC option for your customers.