The 2015 Getac F110 ($2,099 as tested) is a rugged Windows tablet that's built to take all sorts of punishment without succumbing to such hazards as moisture, temperature extremes, or even just the bangs and bashes experienced in the back of a fast- moving truck. The F110 (2015) is the latest version of the Getac F110 tablet we tested a year ago, and the new model steps up the performance, the battery life, and the affordability. The lower price makes this an especially enticing system, and with its other improvements, it makes an easy pick as our Editors' Choice rugged Windows tablet, replacing the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1.

Design and Features
We praised the original Getac F110 we reviewed for being one of the thinnest and lightest rugged tablets on the market, and that's still the case, thanks to a chassis design that is largely unchanged from the previous model. The F110 measures 0.96 by 12.3 by 8.15 inches (HWD), and weighs just 3.1 pounds. Compared with a regular, non-rugged, enterprise tablet, like the 1.6-pound Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series (7140), it's thick and heavy, but it's no heavier than last year's Getac F110 (3.1 pounds). Weighed against a convertible rugged laptop, like the Dell Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme (6.07 pounds), it's a featherweight. That's worth keeping in mind when comparing a standalone tablet to a convertible laptop with tablet capability.

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The tablet also built like a tank, with ruggedized features galore. At each corner is a rubber bumper, protecting the system against drops. The ports are all sealed off in one way or another, be it behind a locking hatch (like the USB 3.0 port, the HDMI port, and the audio jack on the left side of the machine), or a cover to seal out dirt and moisture from a single connection, like the one for power, which sports a rubber-stopper-style plug. An expansion module can also be added for extra functionality, like a barcode reader, dedicated GPS, or 4G LTE mobile broadband (all optional, but available for custom configurations).

Fashioned out of magnesium alloy and stout Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, the tablet is made to withstand vibrations, drops and shocks, extremes in temperature, and heavy humidity, meeting certification standards for MIL-STD 801G and IP65 ruggedness.

The 11.6-inch display offers basic HD (1,366-by-768) resolution, but it ramps up the brightness to 800 nits for readability, even in direct sunlight. You can read from the screen better under bright light than most tablets we've seen. Viewing angles aren't as impressive. Even tilting the tablet slightly away from me caused a very noticeable negative effect. You expect a tablet to include touch capability, but the F110 steps it up further with 10-finger touch for both hands and gloved fingers. An included stylus is also available for tapping and swiping, and can be stowed in a built-in storage slot on the back of the tablet when not in use. The F110 has no physical keyboard, but typing and handwriting capture are available with onscreen inputs.