Why Are Rugged LCD Monitor Touchscreens more expensive than regular LCD Monitors

Most of us are familiar with LCD Flat Screen monitors that we all use at home, school or even at the office.  Most of us are also very familiar with the prices that the different types of LCD Monitors.  From different sizes in LCD Monitors to the number of pixels and brightness of the monitors, to whether it brings touch screen functionality or not, we are prepared to pay more for more the newest technology.

  

With that understanding, we would like to explore the reasons why ruggedized LCD touchscreen monitor solutions are more expensive in price initially, but are actually cheaper than regular LCD Monitors in the long run.  We also will explore a concept known as Total Cost of Ownership to see if indeed a ruggedized touchscreen LCD monitor and its related technology are actually cheaper than non ruggedized touchscreen solutions.

 

Some industries and businesses require LCD Monitors in unusual places, in situations where the vast majority of displays would not survive nor be able to operate adequately.  Some businesses need to install displays or touch screens as display interfaces integrated into different systems, in factories that are extremely cold or extremely hot, or in places and environments where water and steam may damage a regular LCD Monitor.  Changes in vibration or changes in voltage may also damage regular monitors and even office touchscreens because they are not really made to operate under such harsh conditions and environments.

 

Other companies such as automotive or airplane manufacturers, luxury yacht and marine vessel manufacturers, the military, medical device & medical equipment manufacturers, Point of Sale and System Integrators, may need small form factor sized ruggedized tough LCD monitors with more advanced technology to be able to function and withstand the harshest of environments.

 

Why is ruggedized technology pricier initially than most regular LCD Monitors?  It all starts from the components and electronics that ruggedized LCD monitors are comprised of.  All Xenarc Technologies ruggedized LCD touchscreen solutions are built from ruggedized components and electronics in order to operate and endure years upon years of use and abuse.

  

We never manufacture our Ruggedized Touchscreen LCD monitor solutions with recycled parts or components as most manufacturers do.  We also require thorough 3rd party testing and certification for our ruggedized LCD monitor solutions, and often times, we achieve certification targeted at specific industries.

 

Before we discuss the reasons why a ruggedized tablet or touchscreen display are more expensive in the short run but cheaper in the long run, let us define what is rugged or ruggedized.

“A rugged (ruggedized or ruggedised)  tablet or touchscreen display is a tablet computer specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh environments and conditions, such as outside under the sun, where there are constantly strong vibrations, under extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions.”  Wikipedia

 

In general, a rugged tablet or touchscreen display meets the military standards of MIL-STD 810 (harsh environmental conditions) and sometimes MIL-STD 461 (electromagnetic interference). They also have a high Ingress Protection (IP) Rating, which indicates safeguards against solid particulates and liquids.
 

Some computing platforms are designated “business rugged,” “semi-rugged,” or “having been built to MIL-STD.”  These platforms may or may not have rugged features; “semi-rugged” is a marketing, not an engineering term. The only reliable indication of true ruggedness is independent 3rd party testing & certifications of meeting the relevant standards.

 

Truly rugged tablets  or touchscreen displays are built from the ground up with a durable frame, shielded connectors, reinforced corners, and other strengthening/tough features. Some try to ruggedize their tablet or touchscreen displays by buying protective casings or sleeves. The effectiveness of these casings can be charitably described as “variable.” They may offer some protection, but they do not make your non-rugged computer as reliable as one that has been independently tested and certified to military and ruggedized industry standards that are accepted by your industry or system integration project.

 

Reasons for buying rugged tablet  or touchscreen displays include: the breakdown of the “fat server/thin client” model, growing utilization of “mobility” computers for business purposes, distrust of the cloud, need for support/repair services, working in hazardous environments, and more convenient, ever-smaller rugged form factors such as the ones Xenarc Technologies manufactures (7", 8", 9", 10", 12", 15", 18", 24").

 

Is a rugged tablet or touchscreen display right for you? Before you decide, consider the factors described above:

 

1. Do you work or live in an environment that is likely to subject your mobile device to damaging trauma?
2. Do you operate your rugged device indoor/outdoor for business purposes?
3. How important is your data? How much do you trust the cloud?
4. How valuable is your time? For most businesses, lost productivity, lost data, lack of repair/support, and the need for frequent purchases are more expensive than the initial higher cost of a rugged computer. Is this true for you?
5. The DB6 can run full Windows; smartphones usually have limited OS like Windows CE. Do you use business applications that require full Windows environments?

 

While the above checklist may be helpful, only you can decide if you need a rugged tablet or touchscreen display. If you do buy a rugged tablet or touchscreen display, you will discover that you need not compromise on ease-of-use, mobility, or economy. Whether you’re a soldier in theater, an engineer in the field, or a top executive making billion dollar deals, a fully rugged tablet or touchscreen display provides you the power, convenience, and peace of mind that you require.
 

Ruggedized 7",8",9",10",12",15",18",24" LCD Touchscreen Solutions Manufactured By Xenarc Technologies https://www.xenarc.com

 

As one would expect, the military is a prominent customer of rugged tablets and touchscreen displays.  Soldiers’ lives depend on their laptops, tablets, and handhelds operating even in difficult and challenging conditions. Police and firemen also want tablets or touchscreen displays that can take a pounding.

 

Other customers include:

 

• Warehouse and logistic workers who do not want to stop conducting inventory when their handheld falls three feet on a concrete floor.
• Surveyors who work outdoors in all sorts of weather.
• Scientists who want a reliable platform to store and manage difficult-to-obtain data collected in rough remote areas.
• Food processors whose devices need to survive being hosed down with high pressure water. 

 

Ruggedized tablet PCs or Ruggedized Touchscreen Displays cost more initially and are more economical in the long run

 

Increasingly, enterprise users who do not work in rough environments are buying rugged tablets or touchscreen displays. They are motivated by the most basic of business reasons, the bottom line.  Understanding TCO (total cost of ownership), you’ll see that rugged tablet computers & LCD monitor touch screens actually cost less than consumer-grade devices.

While the initial price of a rugged computer may be more than a non-rugged one, the long term cost (Total Cost of Ownership, i.e. TCO) is much less. A highly publicized study by VDC Research identified specific areas in which rugged tablets or touchscreen displays save money:

 

• Rugged tablets or touchscreen displays break down less often, so the cost of managing and supporting them is less.
• Less downtime means lower lost productivity costs, fewer lost data hours, and fewer repairs.
• Rugged tablets or touchscreen displays have much better support for parts than their consumer counterparts and therefore have longer life cycles.
• Longer life cycles mean less need for training, reconfiguring, and integrating new devices.
• Frequent downtimes can alienate and lose customers.

 

There is a noticeable difference between consumer and ruggedized tablets or touchscreen displays in terms of price. Consumer tablets tend to be inexpensive; depending on the brand, they can range from $200 to $300 or more. A good rugged tablet PC or small form factor touchscreen display LCD Monitor will usually cost upwards of $500.

 

Rugged tablets and small form factor touchscreen display LCD monitors cost more for a reason: they are specifically designed to withstand wear and tear, even in extreme conditions. This isn’t to say consumer tablets are poorly made; they just aren’t built for high-risk environments.

 

Although the initial price of consumer tablets and regular consumer LCD monitors looks attractive, it is important to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO), or the estimated price of an item over the course of its life. Buying consumer tablets can save money initially, but they typically require more repairs than rugged tablets or ruggedized LCD touchscreen LCD monitors. Repairs cost extra money that’s not built into the initial price tag. Plus, the downtime that comes with a broken device will also hurt business by slowing down operations and decreasing output.  Critical operations cannot afford any down time.  Time equals money for a business that needs to be in operation for 24/7/365 days.

 

 

 

Rugged tablets or touchscreen displays, as the name implies, are extremely tough and durable products. Even though they are much more expensive than consumer tablets and consumer or business office monitors or touchscreens, they are built for tough environments. Therefore, they require less maintenance during their lifespan.

 

Consumer devices have a lower cost up-front, but when you consider the amount of money you’ll spend on repairs, they end up costing more over their lifetime. Tablet cases and LCD Monitor panel cases are available to increase durability — but even though they can offer some protection, no case, no matter how durable, will turn a consumer tablet into a rugged tablet.

 

Here are a few things you can get from a rugged tablet or touchscreen display that a consumer tablet simply can’t offer:

 

Drop/shock protection: Rugged tablets or touchscreen displays are built to withstand the impact of a jarring fall. Because of their industrial purpose, warehouses aren’t ideal places for most types of technology. However, a fall on concrete won’t affect a rugged tablet or touchscreen display. Consumer tablets, with the help of a case, might appear to withstand a fall, but the shock of just one fall could ruin the tablet’s components internally.

 

Water/dust-proof: This is an important one. Even in office settings, spills frequently happen around electronics. A rugged tablet or touchscreen display that can resist bad weather or a dirty/dusty workplace is invaluable in industrial environments like warehouses, distribution centers and most vehicles.

 

Operate in extreme temperatures: Unlike temperatures in office environments, temperatures in warehouses fluctuate more and are harder to control. Tablets or touchscreen LCD monitors that shut down due to extreme heat or cold result in downtime, lower output, and ultimately, lost revenue and increased costs.

 

Longevity: In addition to failing less often than consumer tablets, rugged tablets and ruggedized LCD touchscreen monitors also have longer life spans. This means that they won’t need to be replaced as often, reducing their TCO.  Xenarc Technologies Xenarc Rugged Touchscreen Monitors 7", 8", 9", 10", 12", 15", 18", 24" are built tough to last.  

 

The Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) for a Xenarc Technologies Rugged Monitor is > 55,000 hours OR 6.2 Years of continuous operation and with an industry leading 3 Year Warranty, a Xenarc Rugged Monitor gives you true peace of mind.   Xenarc Technologies All-Weather Rugged 7", 8", 9", 10", 12", 15", 18", 24" LCD Monitors are perfect Human Machine Interfaces for Smart Homes, Smart Factories, Smart Offices, Smart Vehicles, Smart Stores, Smart Cities, IIoT, IoT, Industry 4.0 and for low voltage and indoor or outdoor applications.

1. Drop and Shock Resistance Testing & Certification
2. Liquid Resistance Testing & Certification
3. Vibration Resistance Testing & Certification
4. Particle Resistance Testing & Certification
5. Humidity Resistance Testing & Certification
6. Temperature Tolerance Testing & Certification
7. Pressure Resistance Testing & Certification
8. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Testing & Certification
9. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Testing
10. Water and Dust Ingress Protection IP65 and IP54 Testing

 

 

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