Jack Levine once famously remarked, ‘Most artists like to think of themselves as rugged individualists, as independent characters.’ And we know very well that most are not what they believe they are. Had every artist been a replica of his beliefs, we’d have been overrun by clichés. And we need to thank God that something almost similar is there in the devices that are now all around us.
Yes, technology has this uncanny ability to mimic humans… for instance, every tablet out there will claim to be rugged and full of independent traits. But knowing humans as you do, you’d immediately know that most of them are bluffing. Like artists, every tab believes that it is rugged… but are we surrounded by this rugged cliché in the world of gadgets and devices? No.
Let me first define what rugged is.
Rugged is when a gadget is able to be slim, light, and premium but yet withstand a 1.2 metre fall.
Rugged is when a gadget doesn’t make you run to the charging point but couples a robust design with replaceable battery that allows you to work on it efficiently wherever and whenever you need to.
Rugged is when a device comes with the assurance of IP67 dust and water resistant certification.
Rugged is when even the battery that we are talking about is a 4,450 mAh power workhorse that doesn’t dream of stopping before 10 hours.
Rugged is the presence of a capacitive stylus that is tougher than the conventional ones.
Now that you know what rugged really means, you’d know that the ordinary tablet doesn’t really stands a chance if compared. So the Galaxy Tab Active is almost like a Rambo or Arnold Schwarzenegger in your hands. You can call it a Bruce Willis if you wish to… or any other favourite toughie that you are fond of. Yes, the galaxy Active is indeed a toughie that comes with NFC built in, a 3-pin pogo connector to quickly and easily connect a group of devices and charge them all at once, a bar-code scanning solution, and supported by Samsung KNOX for a defence-grade, comprehensive mobile security solution.
‘The Galaxy Tab Active features business enhancing functionality and powerful technological capabilities allowing professionals to work without limitations in and out of the office,’ informs Anuj Jain, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business, Samsung India Electronics. This device has been created based on the feedback from top companies across industry verticals and Samsung’s own market insights and is the first ever tablet designed specifically for enterprise to boost business productivity.
For the uninitiated, ‘KNOX gives employees the freedom to customise their device with personal apps and data. Galaxy Tab Active allows users to address platform security with Trusted Boot, Trusted Zone-Based Integrity Measurement Architecture and Security Enhancements for Android (SE for Android)’. Now the thing is that there will always be people who might question the need for ruggedness that comes for approximately fifty-two thousand rupees. The tab is, of course designed for industry use and we know the sort of rough and tumble that gadgets have to bear in the hands of workers.
It is only when a tablet is able to withstand the high pressures of a rough use in rough conditions that ruggedness can really be appreciated. So something like this is of immense use for SMEs as well.
The obvious question that some users might ask is, ‘Can anyone other than from the industry go for this tablet?’ Sure, you can, as my information says that the tablet will be available for purchase by the general consumer as well. For everyone, the tablet also has 3.1MP Auto Focus (Rear) with Flash + 1.2MP (Front) camera. The Video Features include recognising formats like MP4, 3GP, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM with a recording ability in HD (1280 x 720) @ 30fps and a playback in FHD(1920 x 1080) @ 30fps. You may download free apps to use ChatON, Flipboard, Group Play, S Translator, Samsung Link, Story Album, TripAdvisor, Businessweek+, Side Sync, Barcode Scanner, Hanshow, Hancell, and Hanwrite. Besides NFC, connectivity is limited to USB 2.0 High Speed , BT 4.0 BLE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n… and I must admit that 3G would surely have made the tablet more useful as not everyone is in a wifi zone all the time.
Let me also add here that it is innovative steps like these that have probably given Samsung India the advantage of volume market share of 42.9% and value market share of 51.2% in the tablets category in 2014. According to the company release, in the October-December 2014 quarter, Samsung continued to lead the market with innovative and exciting offerings. The Company’s volume market share in the tablets segment during the period was 40.6%, while the value share was 49.0%.
Now then, gadgets really need to be rugged not just for the enterprise workers but even for those who are going to travel the world and blog about its nuances from the craziest nooks and corners… by the activist who is going to have to brave the elements and human opposition and yet would want to tell the world to come over and support… the foodie who will not always be comfortably seated in a starred restaurant but would be exploring the wonders of street food… the politician who risks his gadget being trodden over during a rally. Not all of them will need the advantage of KNOX, and so even without it, the ruggedness would make life so much easier for others.
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The rugged one – Samsung Galaxy Active Tablet 8″
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Arvind Passey
24 February 2015
