Durability In Practice
Unfortunately, the one performance test we could not run on the Dell Pro Rugged 12 Tablet is potentially among the most important, and that is just how rugged the tablet really is. Which is not to say there’s a lack of desire – going Gallagher on a piece of PC hardware can be quite cathartic at times – but it does not mean much without a systematic way of running that testing to compare results. And swinging a sledgehammer at a tablet is far from a systematic test.
None the less, the hazing we gave the tablet in our labs certainly puts it in a positive light. The thick casing and rubber port covers do exactly what they are meant to do, absorbing blows that would damage more exposed consumer hardware.
The display remains a potential weak point since it is a single 12-inch pane of glass. But with Dell already employing thick bezels as well as Gorilla Glass 5, I do not know what else they could have done. Especially with the keyboard accessory doubling as a screen cover, the tablet’s screen is quite well protected in transit. That leaves accidents when it is in use, to which there’s only so much that can be done while having a visible and bright display.
Final Words
Wrapping things up, the Dell Pro Rugged 12 Tablet is unlike anything else we have ever reviewed at ServeTheHome. And this goes for both the good and the bad.
If you have never had the chance to work with ruggedized hardware, is really is a different world in a lot of respects. Thin form factors give way to bulky bezels and rubber caps that are seemingly always in your way. But when else are you going to handle a tablet that is designed to survive a desert or frozen tundra – or maybe just a really angry 4-year-old?
In either case, the Dell Pro Rugged 12 Tablet is designed for a specific niche of users. And for that user base, the ruggedized tablet delivers on exactly the kind of durability features that define that niche – the kind of reliability and resiliency to damage that warrants looking at a ruggedized tablet to begin with. All the while Dell has managed to pack in a rather powerful hardware platform in the form of Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware, making excellent use of the ultra-low-power hardware to deliver a rugged tablet that can still provide ample performance for almost anything the tablet could ever be used for.
If there is a trade-off to all of this then, it is cost. Niche, low-volume products fetch high prices, and that is definitely the case for the Dell Pro Rugged 12 Tablet. With our review configuration retailing for $5,655.12 (including the optional rugged keyboard accessory), the Rugged 12 Tablet is priced like a premium PC. And this is exactly what it is: a premium PC for the ruggedized market. As a result, it is fair to say that it is not a tablet for everyone. But for those users who really do need a ruggedized x86 tablet or 2-in-1 for harsh environments, Dell’s kit certainly warrants a look.
Where To Buy
If you wanted to find the Dell Pro Rugged 12 Tablet online, here is a Dell web store affiliate link.
