Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) first appeared in the market back in 2006, but it is fair to say that the earliest of these devices were let down by poor battery life and a somewhat bloated form factor. As we have commented recently, the mobile device market has improved dramatically over the past 12 months, with the latest kit capable of eight or more hours of mains-free use, improved performance and reliability through the use of solid state disks (SSD), built-in cameras, 3G and GPS, sleeker design and robust build.

The Viliv X70EX is an excellent example of a high-performance and well-built UMPC that you can simply lift from your jacket pocket and power up for instant access to your everyday office, web and media apps. This device demonstrates that UMPCs are no longer just a gimmick and that they can now be classed as highly functional, reliable and flexible tools for mobile workers.

After installing GeoField onto the device we received for initial testing, we were immediately impressed by the running speed and lightweight form factor. The build quality is excellent and the built-in GPS makes this a great choice for light-to-moderate use field workers whose jobs would be made easier by having a map book in their pocket.

Having successfully deployed GeoField within their Lake and River Assessment and, more recently, Waste Water Auditing teams, Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency have purchased a number of Viliv X70EX devices which will run GeoField in place of the more traditional tablet PC-style devices that they have been using to date.

If you are interested in seeing how well GeoField performs on the X70EX UMPC, please visit us on our stand at either the Ordnance Survey Local Government & Emergency Services Conference at Barceló Hinckley Island Hotel on 27th/28th April or the ESRI (UK) Annual Conference in London on 10th/11th May.