With first hand experience using a wide selection of Tablet PCs, Allegiance Tablet PC Experts is in a unique position to provide product reviews.  Since we sell most makes and models available on the market, we don't have to be partial to one brand or manufacturer.  Also, with such a wide customer base, we have been able to get our clients to contribute their independent reviews.  This gives you a real life, daily use perspective that will help you make an informed decision.

Review of the Motion F5v

I have had the opportunity to test and demonstrate the Motion Computing F5v Tablet PC over the last two weeks. My one sentence summary? For people who are truly doing "computing while walking around", the Motion F5v is the best balance of power, ruggedness, battery life, viewability and price that I have ever seen.

Previous generations of the Motion F5 and C5 were well designed and offered features that were ahead of their time, but those units were underpowered for some applications and lacked some features. If the Core i5 and i7 processors seem like their primary benefit is to allow users to run more powerful application (and they do that), I think that the power management features that greatly extend the run time of the F5v are their strongest attribute. Also, Motion has finally extended the ability to run 4Gb RAM in these units which not only contributes to better battery life but also allows users to run more powerful applications like Dragon Naturally Speaking. Another major feature is what Motion Computing calls the "bridge battery". This is a small, internal battery which lets you hot swap the main battery without stopping your work. While Motion says users have to do this in one minute, I have seen the bridge battery support the unit for over 5 minutes. In a busy medical office or for someone performing an inspection in a large warehouse, the ability to hot swap batteries is a key feature.

Another aspect of the Motion F5v that I found particularly exciting is the inclusion of Gorilla Glass in the Standard as well as the View Anywhere indoor/outdoor display. Gorilla Glass is a truly amazing product as I have demonstrated to many customers by literally pounding on the screen with my knuckles until they hurt. Instead of being like normal glass, brittle and hard, it feels more like a thick piece of plastic which can easily bend to pressure without breaking. Despite this attribute, the display is clear and bright. The View Anywhere is bright enough that I was able to do a forms demonstration outside at a picnic table on a sunny day and everyone could easily read the screen.

With the Motion F5v, a USB port has been added. This was an item sorely missed in previous versions. While the 3MP camera in the back of the unit is an upgrade, some customers need to take and import higher quality photos while in the field and the USB 2.0 port, which is covered and next to the AC adapter, is a key improvement. In addition to the 3MP digital camera, the F5v has a webcam on the front of the unit.

A carryover from the previous generations of the F5v, the barcode scanner works much faster than previous models. This will save time for nurses that are using it to scan patient wristbands and medications as well as for people using it for inventory applications. While they don't offer a 128Gb SSD yet, Motion now includes a 160Gb hard drive with the base model and a 64Gb SSD is an option. With the Core i5/i7 processor option comes Intel vPro technology. For individuals using the F5v this doesn't have much meaning, but for enterprise organizations, the remote management features of vPro are an incredible benefit.

The last significant improvement is in the Broadband wireless option. The Motion F5v now offers Gobi 2000 wireless. Instead of being limited to Sprint and Verizon, you can now choose any mobile broadband carrier that offers Gobi compatibility.

Motion Computing has really done a wonderful job in offering a solid, workhorse Tablet PC that is well designed for the field or medical offices. It has all the features that one could ask for in a device that weight only 3.3 pounds, has the power to run any Windows application and starts at under $3,000.

Check out the F5v in the ALLTP Store!

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