While many of us do our computing housed within a cushy office environment — with readily available IT support and few environmental dangers with which our systems need to contend — a vast portion of the PC landscape is dedicated to far tougher environs: POS setups, kiosks, factory floors, and so on. That sector has spawned its own array of ruggedized solutions, with PC giant Dell becoming the latest to roll out an update to its OptiPlex lineup targeting that very market. HardwareCentral has the goods.
Dell today introduced the OptiPlex XE, a specialized desktop computer designed to go into places that see a lot of abuse, dust and activity and very little IT support. The ruggedized PC carries a higher price tag than run-of-the-mill models, especially given that this is not exactly a high-performance PC.
But that’s what is needed in environments such as a factory, kiosk, information desk, or a point-of-sale system at a branch outlet. These PCs may run only one app and nothing else for their entire lifespans. And it may be a year between visits by an IT person.
The OptiPlex XE is designed to withstand conditions such as high heat, dust, and 24×7 operations. It has a heat tolerance of up to 55 degrees Celsius, or 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Its ‘go anywhere’ mounting capability lets it be positioned in any spot and hold firm, like a point-of-sale system.