I Tested A $2,000 Medical Tablet For Research, And It Turned Out To Be A Windows Beast

3 weeks ago

DT Research 323MD aesculapian tablet

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The DT Research 323MD tablet is avaialble from CDW for $2,066.
With an antimicrobial coating, hot-swappable battery, and exchangeable keyboards, this tablet is arsenic durable arsenic it is versatile.
Its utmost durability is geared toward nan healthcare industry, and arsenic specified alternatively expensive.

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

I've reviewed truthful galore laptops, desktops, and tablets that it's uncommon thing comes crossed my table that raises an eyebrow. When I was contacted by DT Research to reappraisal their latest rugged tablet, nan 323MD, I of people said "yes," but assumed it would beryllium much of nan same.

Also: How I provender my files to a section AI for better, much applicable responses

What I didn't recognize was that this tablet was much than conscionable a instrumentality that could return a beating and support connected computing. The 323MD tablet comes pinch durability specifically designed for healthcare environments, making different Android tablets I've tested ray successful comparison.

What does that moreover mean?

The backmost broadside of nan 323MD Tablet.

To statesman with, nan 323MD tablet has an anti-microbial coating, which intends it's safe successful cleanable environments. This tablet is also:

ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1 certified for antimicrobial enclosure
IP65 h2o & particulate resistant
MIL-STD-810H certified for vibration and daze resistance
MIL-STD-461G certified for EMI and EMC tolerance
Operational successful utmost temperatures from 14 degrees F to 149 degrees F
NIST compliant
Energy Star certified
EPEAT Bronze

Also: What is an AI PC exactly? And should you bargain 1 successful 2025?

If you're successful nan healthcare industry, nan supra database will mean rather a bit; otherwise, it'll publication for illustration a bunch of acronyms. So, yeah, this laptop is rather niche. However, nan rep I said pinch besides mentioned that these tablets are useful successful nan nutrient manufacture because nan coating won't let dirt, oil, aliases different nasty tidbits to discuss nan integrity of nan device.

My experience

Suffice it to opportunity that I'm not successful either of those industries, truthful alternatively of approaching this reappraisal arsenic though I were, I decided to reappraisal this arsenic a instrumentality pinch a alternatively peculiar characteristic list, which includes:

13.3" display
Intel i5-1335U CPU (base model) aliases i7-1355U
OS - Windows 11 IoT Enterprise aliases Windows 10 IoT Enterprise
Security - TPM 2.0 and NIST BIOS compliant
Materials - ABS + PC plastics pinch a magnesium-aluminum alloy enclosure
Optional keyboards, docking stations, and e-pen
Attached grip for easiness of carrying

Because this is simply a Windows tablet, I knew that mounting it up was going to return a while. Little did I cognize that nan Microsoft passkey acquisition would beryllium arsenic bad arsenic Google's.

Fortunately, I group nan tablet up utilizing domain authentication. To my surprise, however, Windows didn't effort to link to a domain, but it did let maine to group up a section relationship (something that whitethorn nary longer activity successful nan adjacent future).

The 323MD anitmicrobial detachable keyboard.

As pinch each tablet and desktop PC I review, nan first task I undertook was installing Ollama and Msty to spot really good they could execute nether a dense load.

I was definite nan tablet would illness nether nan weight of a section LLM, but I was pleasantly surprised. The 323MD could not compete pinch my System76 Thelio, but nan tablet really performed rather good pinch nan section LLM installed. Sure, erstwhile it was churning distant to reply my query, different apps started to lag, but that's to beryllium expected erstwhile dealing pinch a instrumentality that requires superior overhead.

How's nan security?

The tablet was shipped pinch 2 different detachable keyboards: 1 pinch nan anti-microbial curen and 1 without. I tried utilizing nan anti-microbial keyboard, but it proved to beryllium very difficult (frustrating, even) to use.

Fortunately, nan institution shipped a much modular keyboard, which made my life exponentially better. I was yet capable to type for illustration a writer, alternatively of a chicken, poking astir nan gait for food.

Also: How to tally DeepSeek AI locally to protect your privateness – 2 easy ways

Even though nan 323MD runs Windows 11, I recovered it to beryllium rather a pleasance to use. The attached keyboard folds up and locks successful spot pinch magnets, allowing you to drawback nan transportation grip and return it wherever.

Speaking of which, this is nan first clip I've ever utilized a tablet and not had to interest astir spilling things connected it. The rubber-like coating really keeps dust, debris, and liquid from gaining entree to nan internals. Although I didn't find nan antimicrobial keyboard conducive to thing but speedy data, if I needed to really type, I could connect nan modular keyboard and spell astatine it.

Finally, there's nan dual-frequency RFID feature, which intends workers are capable to quickly log successful by measurement of an RFID-enabled badge.

If there's 1 facet of nan 323MD that impressed maine nan most, it was nan swappable artillery and nan removable SSD.

Other (not included) accessories are:

Slim keyboard
Rubber keyboard
Digital pen
Six-bay artillery pack charger
Battery packs
Wall mount
Desktop charging cradle
X-handstrap
13.3" surface protector

ZDNET's buying advice

As acold arsenic value is concerned, I assumed nan 323MD would costs a metaphorical limb and a leg, but I was surprised. You tin acquisition nan DT Research 323MD tablet connected CDW for $2,066. If you request a tablet that tin person into a laptop pinch nan optional antimicrobial keyboard, and you request it for a cleanable room, this tablet is difficult to beat. If, connected nan different hand, you're looking for a accepted tablet aliases laptop, look elsewhere.

I tin opportunity that nan 323MD tablet is an awesome portion of hardware, moreover though it's geared toward an manufacture I seldom interact with. It whitethorn not rustle you distant pinch performance, but nan protective coating, detachable keyboards, and durability make it guidelines out.

Also: 5 reasons you should ditch Windows for Linux today