GETAC T800
Second generation of Getac's compact, rugged 8.1-inch Windows tablet more powerful, more efficient, and sporting a terrific new IPS display
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
The T800 is Getac's entry into the compact 8-inch rugged tablet market. Its footprint is just a little larger than that of an iPad mini, making it easy to carry around and stow almost anywhere. The T800 was initially introduced Spring 2014, then received a tech refresh in 2016. Getac designed this tablet for use in extreme working environments including those found in the utilities, military, field service, field-based professionals, public safety and transportation sectors.
Where the Getac T800 fits in
Almost anywhere. The second-generation Getac T800 measures 8.9 x 5.9 inches, is about 0.9 inches thick, and weighs just over two pounds. It's smaller than it looks in pictures. The image below shows how the T800 compares with Getac's larger 11.6-inch F110 tablet (
see our Getac F110 review).
The Getac T800's 8-inch display makes it super-compact and very handy, while at the same time offering a full third more display real estate than most 7-inch class tablets. Getac, in fact, is one of the very few who offers a rugged tablet in the 8-inch size class.
This being a rugged device capable of handling plenty of punishment on the job, don't expect a sliver-thin tablet. Between sturdy construction with beefy corner protection and plenty of connectivity, the T800 is a tool for the job rather than a media consumption tablet. The image compilation below shows the tablet from all four sides.
A great new IPS display
With tablets, usability in a very wide range of settings and conditions is everthing, and for that you need the best possible display. The Getac T800's 8.1-inch screen has 1280 x 800 pixel resolution (that's 186 pixels per inch, about the same sharpness as a Dell UltraSharp 4k desktop monitor), uses capacitive multi-touch, and has a bright 600 nits backlight. A huge improvement here is the switch from an older TN display to an IPS LCD which brings near perfect viewing angles from all directions, as well as complete elimination of color and contrast shifts.
The new screen also benefits from Getac's sunlight-readable LumiBond 2 display technology that employs direct bonding of touch panel, glass and the LCD, and also allows wet and glove touch modes as well as a stylus with a hard, narrow (3.5mm) tip. An active digitizer is optional.
State-of-the-art technology
The processor is now a quad-core Intel "Cherry Trail" X7-Z8700 running at 1.6GHz (
see Intel X7-8700 page). The chip — which is based on super-efficient 14nm process technology and can reach burst frequencies of up to 2.4GHz — has integrated Intel Gen 8 HD graphics, essentially scaled-down Broadwell-generation Intel HD graphics. Standard configurations include 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM (expandable to 8GB) and 64GB or 128GB of eMMC solid state storage.
That said, do not expect the kind of full Intel Core processor performance available in Getac's full-size tablets or ultra-rugged B300 laptop. The purpose here is to make available the full Windows 10 operating platform in a small and handy tablet for the field. It's not, however, for the kind of processing-intensive deployments Getac's heavy-duty machinery was designed for. The table below shows how the T800 compares to some of Getac's other rugged products:
Getac T800 Gen 2 Benchmarks/Comparisons
PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
Getac
Getac
Getac
Getac
Model
T800
B300
F110
RX10
Type
Tablet
Laptop
Tablet
Tablet
Year
2017
2017
2015
2015
Processor Type: Intel
Atom X7
Core i7
Core i7
Core M
Processor Model
8700
6500U
5500U
5Y71
CPU Speed
1.60 GHz
2.50 GHz
2.40 GHz
1.20 GHz
Turbo Speed
2.40 GHz
3.10 GHz
3.00 GHz
2.90 GHz
TDP/SDP
2 watts SDP
15 watts TDP
15 watts TDP
4.5 watts SDP
CPU Mark
1,620.3
4,577.3
3,864.1
2,798.1
2D Graphics Mark
104.7
490.2
514.7
507.1
Memory Mark
284.1
1,335.3
1,215.6
1,008.4
Disk Mark
601.1
2,916.0
3,790.4
2,829.2
3D Graphics Mark
162.6
564.6
399.1
310.6
Overall PassMark
643.0
2,195.8
2,140.1
1,611.2
ALU
21,118
48,741
45,208
38,206
FPU
18,082
51,552
41,610
29,166
MEM
17,648
58,244
30,389
37,364
HDD
18,620
33,772
41,405
34,611
GDI
3,420
17,007
16,218
16,010
D2D
4,000
6,194
6,438
4,425
OGL
2,984
15,246
10,543
7,747
Overall CrystalMark
85,882
230,756
191,811
167,529
The numbers show where the T800 fits in. Note that both the Getac B300 laptop and the Getac F110 tablet are among the highest-performing rugged mobile systems available on the market today. While the small T800 doesn't come close to those numbers, it's actually more than 50% faster than the original heavy-duty, high-performance B300 laptop we tested nine years ago.
As far as communications capabilities go, there's speedy 802.11ac WiFi and Class 1 Bluetooth v4.0, now via an Intel Dual band Wireless-AC 7265 module. Optionally available are 4G LTE WWAN (Verizon XLTE-ready, which means it adds the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum) and GlobalSat dedicated GPS, as well as either an integrated 1D/2D barcode reader or an RJ45 LAN port or a legacy RS232 serial port or or a Micro SD card slot via a fully integrated expansion slot.
Minuscule power draw
The T800's primary 31 watt-hour Li-Ion battery is said to provide up to eight hours of operation between charges, easily surpassing run time of the first-generation unit. A second battery of the same capacity can be added as a SnapBack module, doubling runtime. Our battery draw testing showed power draws as little as 1.8 watts, and only 3.2 watts with the backlight at 100%. This would indicate that Getac's 8-hour estimate is conservative.
Excellent expandability and data capture options
The Getac T800 excels in configurability and productivity-enhancing data capture capabilities. Its industrial-grade scanner provides low-light sensitivity, omni-directional rotation, and much better speed and reading distance than software-based solutions. A discrete GPS option can work in conjunction with the unit's e-compass and 3-axis accelerometer for extra location precision.
SnapBack add-ons can provide a Smart Card reader plus either 13.56MHz RFID/NFC or a magstripe reader. Or a second battery. The picture below illustrates the Getac T800's "SnapBack" approach of adding functionality and features. The system is called SnapBack because it simply snaps on; no tools needed.
The Getac T800 tablet has dual cameras, the front one a webcam with full 1080p HD resolution for video calls, the rear one an autofocus unit with 8mp. There is a USB 3.0 port, Micro HDMI, and, for vehicle deployments, triple pass-through antenna ports to simultaneously connect high-gain GPS, WWAN and WLAN roof-mounted antennas. The Havis Docking Station for the Getac T800 comes in no fewer than eight specialized versions to meet any conceivable vehicle and mounting need (see Havis dock page).
Beefed-up security
Security is becoming ever more important, and Getac addressed this in the second generation of the T800 with a standard TPM 2.0 module (the first gen had an optional TPM 1.2 module), strong multifactor authentication, and full support for Windows 10 security features to help protect against known and emerging threats.
This includes BitLocker hard drive encryption that protects data at rest, in use and in transit. Microsoft Passport and Credential Guard provide additional protection, using virtualization-based security to isolate certain data so that only privileged system software can access them. In the event that the system is ever stolen, optional Absolute DDS allows it to be disabled remotely. There's also a slot for the simple but effective Kensington lock, and customers can specify either a fingerprint reader or Smart Card reader.
Toughest tablet in Getac's lineup
On the ruggedness side, the T800 remains Getac's toughest tablet. It can handle 6-foot transit drops, has a wide operating temperature range of -6° to +122° degrees Fahrenheit (-21°C to +50° Celsius), and carries IP65 sealing, where the "6" stands for complete protection against dust, and the "5" for protection against low pressure water jets from all directions, with limited ingress permitted. Getac likely performed MIL-STD-810G testing for all pertinent ruggedness categories.
A big step forward
With this second generation of its very compact and very rugged T800, Getac offers a fine-tuned implementation of this handy tablet with updated technology, higher performance, longer battery life, and enhanced security. Perhaps best of all, the combination of a new IPS-based display and a much better hard-tipped stylus should make for drastically better real-life outdoor usability.
Specifications Getac T800 G2
Added/updated
Added 06/2016
Form-factor
Rugged Windows tablet
OS
Windows 10 Professional
Processor
Quad-core "Cherry Trail" Intel X7-Z8700 w/ 2MB cache
CPU Speed
1.6 GHz (2.4 GHz Turbo Boost)
CPU SDP
2 watts