LXE Tecton Mobile Computer

For a while it seems that the companies building mobile devices have been really focused on building out their smart phone type products. It is nice to report that there seems to be a change in emphasis. New rugged devices for industrial applications are appearing –  starting with the Intermec 70 Series and now the new Tecton from our friends at LXE.

If you are at all familiar with the LXE product line, you’ll notice that the Tecton bears a strong family resemblance to the well proven MX7 that has been around for some time. The Tecton is indeed a derivative of the MX7 and replaces it in the line up.

The new product builds on the strengths of the older one – still designed to be robust enough for the toughest of applications, maintains the option of a version for very cold environments and keeps the same proven form factor.

As with all LXE models, Tecton has big easy to use keys – plenty of Function keys too which is always welcome.

The processor is faster than previously and the device has a decent amount of RAM and Flash memory. SD cards up to 4GB provide plenty of room for data and apps.

The display resolution of 240×320 pixels seems a little retro – then again, this is a device for improving your supply chain and logistics, not watching the movies from Netflix!

Wireless is the familiar 802.11 a/b/g with all the security features one would expect and the device is ready to run voice-driven applications.

The Tecton is a Windows based device (I’m still waiting impatiently for the first rugged Android mobile computer) so all the things we love and hate (mostly hate to be honest) about Windows Mobile are still there. One very good thing is that in addition to Windows Mobile 6.5, the device can be specified with Windows CE 6.0. This is great for anyone using apps such as the Oracle Java apps that don’t play nicely with WM out of the box.

For barcode scanning, the standout scanner is Symbol’s Lorax multirange laser scanner – great for reading linear barcodes at distances from 4 inches to 40 ft. Other laser scanners and a 2D imager provide options for other applications.

So; the Tecton doesn’t represent a dramatic change from the previous MX7 model, but it does bring a lot of incremental improvements to a product that already does a good job. For someone already using the MX7, the Tecton uses the same accessories, making the introduction simple. Anyone looking to introduce rugged mobile computers into their operation should certainly check out the Tecton. 

Want more info? Download the datasheet here!