The sector is peppered with rugged tablets and at Field Service News our inbox gets inundated daily with new product announcements. Even as a specialist field service magazine and website we just about keep on top of the latest hardware but for the modern field service professional, where time is a premium, knowing what device is best for you and your team requires time. 

The goal of these reviews is to pinpoint the right device for your environment and in this review we're taking a look at Durabook's R11 rugged tablet, which packs a punch both internally and externally and we think worth your time and consideration.

Durabook forms part of the Twinhead International Group. The Taiwanese company began in 1984 specialising in mobile devices and have already forged a strong reputation among an array of sectors including health care, utilities and the military. It was creating products for the armed forces - arguably the toughest of environments -  that ultimately influenced their line of specialist rugged tablets and laptops.

A clue is often in a name and here the product's durability qualities make it ideal for the service arena; another key vertical for the firm. Their latest tablet, the R11, is aimed squarely at the service engineer, but what makes it so suitable?

Firstly, let's see if this device lives up to its name: How durable is this Durabook?

Not surprisingly, given its military origins, the R11's protection is more than robust. The solid Aluminium-Magnesium Alloy chassis protects the tablet stylishly and its subtle casing doesn't impede on the tablet's usability. It weighs in at a very portable 1.2kg which is 2.7lb; and measures 298mm (11.73 inches) in length, 192mm (7.56 inches) in width and 20mm (0.78 inches) in height, making it very easy to handle and transport.

The device is, as you would expect, IP65 certified, ensuring it repels dust and jets of water. It can handle drops from 4ft and is certified to military level MIL-STG-810G, which replicates the environment and conditions the devices is expected to encounter during its life-cycle including shock and vibration and extreme high and low temperatures including humidity. 

Futhermore, it's been rigorously tested against electromagnetic interference, meeting the MIL-STG-461G/461F standards, so it's protected from internal circuit damage if exposed to such conditions. It has a wonderfully crisp 11.6 inch Full High Definition Screen, delivered by Intel's UHD 620 graphic package and the multi-touch visual surface comes with an optional sunlight readable display of 500 nits of DynaVue Technology, ideal to negate any persistent glare when on-site.

But is that external performance matched by what it offers internally? Let's take a look under the R11's bonnet:
Powered by Windows 10 Pro; a familiar operating system, means users can access MS Office and its associated features including Outlook, Word and Excel.
The software is complimented by 8 - 16 GB of memory and holds 128 GB of storage in a Solid State Drive device and it runs smoothly, with no lag making toggling between applications a breeze.
There are two USB ports, a docking connector and a microSD card port and it also comes with an optional smart card and bar code reader. 

It offers an excellent two camera system, the front shoots to a 2.0 MP quality, and the rear to 5.0 MP which, when tested, was easy to operate and delivered sharp and clear images. Snapping and sharing pictures on the R11 is straightforward, something that any service pro will appreciate. In terms of power, the R11 can reach 16 hours of use-time when a high-capacity battery is used, while a standard battery creates eight hours.

Overall, this is a great, solid all-rounder. Its easy to use features, slick operating system and physical toughness make it the ideal tablet for most conditions. Furthermore, it comes in at an affordable price point, meaning your bottom line won't take a battering from investing. Instead, you can leave that to the R11, a device more than happy to take a hit. 

Varlink recently announced a deal with the Taiwanese firm to stock its products. To find out more about the Durabook range click here or call Varlink on +44 (0)1904 717180