Motion Computing F5 Release and Our First Look Review

Motion announced today the release of their newest Tablet PC, the F5. The F5 is similar in design to the C5 tablet. It is durable and targeted toward the vertical market. It weighs in at 3lbs and sports a 1.2GHz Intel Core Solo processor and 40GB hard drive. Although, they offer a 32GB Solid State Drive, which I am sure sky rockets the price. However, the F5 may just be the perfect solution to making your business paperless.

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Motion Computing F5 specs as reviewed (price as tested: $2,699)

• Intel Core Solo processor 1.2GHz
• 945GM chipset
• 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 1.8" 40GB hard drive
• 10.4" XGA TFT (1024 x 768) View Anywhere display
• Windows XP OS
• Magnesium alloy casing
• Bluetooth
• Integrated EV-DO Rev.A Novatel Wireless
• 2.0 megapixel camera
• Optional barcode reader and RFID reader
• Docking station with three USB ports
• Dimensions: 10" x 10" x .95"
• Weight: 3.3lbs
• 3 year Field Warranty, they stand behind the ruggedness

Design and Build

The F5 is obviously aimed toward the vertical market with its military standard specs, but it's still consumer friendly. Companies can adopt this slate tablet for construction sites or warehouse distribution. The barcode scanner is integrated and so is the webcam, perfect for scanning those products on the go or snapping photos on site.

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It has a solid design and is very sturdy. It can definitely take the bumps and bruises of the daily grind. It can be dropped and wiped clean, all without losing your days work. Weighing in a little over 3 pounds it's one of the lightest rugged tablets on the market. It has a textured rubber coating on the outside so holding it is comfortable. The handle helps as well.

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Since the F5 is similar to it's sibling the C5, which is made for the medical field, they share some of the same accessories like the docking station. The dock lets you charge the spare battery and the entire slate, while giving you access to the ports including three USB ports, a VGA port and 10/100 Ethernet LAN. A convenient feature for mobile workers.

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Besides the dock the F5 comes with a USB attachable keyboard. The keyboard isn't anything fancy, but it is lightweight and the perfect size to stick in your bag and travel with. I put both the F5 and the keyboard in a tablet sleeve and had no problems. The pen is accurate and great for checking data and taking notes. It is very responsive, which is a big plus since the F5 doesn't have a touchscreen.

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Display

The 10.4" (1024 x 768) screen is quite impressive. I was surprised on how bright and vivid the colors were. The view anywhere screen comes standard now and the viewing angles are good. Although, the screen size is smaller I had no problems reading it. The F5 is the perfect mobile desktop set-up when used with the dock and detachable keyboard. By this, I mean the slate sits in the dock like a monitor, but yet can be taken out to travel anywhere you need it to go.

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The screen responds to the pen well. I enjoyed navigating with the pen and taking notes. Don't worry this is one pen you won't loose though since it is tethered to th backside of the screen. I did hit the display a few times and forgot it's not a touchscreen. You would think it would be, but since it is durable and rugged the screen is protected, so it can get wet or be wiped off.

Performance

The F5 sports a 1.2GHz Core Solo processor and a 1.8" 40GB hard drive. If you want to spend the extra money though, a 32GB solid state drive is available. My review unit has Windows XP as the operating system, but Vista Business is available, but not sure I would recommend that.

The F5 has Bluetooth and the option of Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A Broadband service. If you don't get Sprint's wireless broadband then it comes with Intel PRO/Wireless 3945a/b/g. This way you can stay connected everywhere you go.

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I had no problems with lag during boot-up or surfing the Web. The F5 isn't a gaming machine or business tablet, but it is made to run any software your business needs. The battery life is impressive as well. I was easily getting four hours and the battery wasn't even completely charged. That is why it's made for field work and on the go professionals. I will have more benchmarks and battery results in my full review, so check back.

Comparison Results for PCMark05

PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole.

Super Pi

In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits:

Overall my first impressions of the F5 are good. It's magnesium alloy chassis is durable, but still lightweight. The design is solid and fun to play with. I will have more to come in the next week after I get to spend more time testing out the F5 including some video demonstrating its rugged features. For more information on the F5 Tablet PC check out Motion Computing's website.