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Dell's first rugged tablet runs Windows and can be thrown out of one too

Dell's first rugged tablet runs Windows and can be thrown out of one too

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Don't hesitate: defenestrate

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The latest addition to Dell's Rugged line of rough-and-tough computers is the Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet: a burly device that's designed to be used by anyone from the emergency services to "adventurers" and industrial workers. The company says the device can survive "water spills, sand and dust, drops from over 4 feet and extreme temperatures," while a maximum battery life of 12 hours and options for mobile broadband and dedicated GPS mean that users don't have to be near a Starbucks to get some work done.

With a keyboard cover and Windows 8.1 this is essentially a heavy-duty Surface

The Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet features a 11.6-inch touchscreen that works fine with gloves and comes with Dell's Direct-View technology for better readability outdoors. There's also a fifth generation Intel Core M processor (chosen for battery life rather than power), SSD storage of up to 512GB, and as much as 8GB of RAM. The tablet runs Windows 8.1 and offers an optional full-size keyboard cover (with its own dust and water resistance rating of IP-65), as well as dock accessories for desks and cars. Essentially, this is a Microsoft Surface you could knock someone out with.

The Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet. Probably don't run over it though. (Dell)

Dell says the tablet will be available "by the end of July" with prices ranging from $1,600 to $2,000, according to TechRadar. This may sound expensive for a Windows tablet, but as rugged devices go it's pretty reasonable. Dell's own Latitute 12 Rugged Extreme notebook retails for $3,649, while Panasonic's rival ToughPad FZ-G1 Windows 8.1 tablet starts at $2,399. Presumably buyers need shockproof wallets, too.