This niche-y DT Research Windows tablet is fascinating

9 hours ago 7

DT Research 323MD medical tablet

ZDNET's key 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 as durable as it is versatile.
Its extreme durability is geared toward the healthcare industry, and as such rather expensive.

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I've reviewed so many laptops, desktops, and tablets that it's rare something comes across my desk that raises an eyebrow. When I was contacted by DT Research to review their latest rugged tablet, the 323MD, I of course said "yes," but assumed it would be more of the same.

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What I didn't realize was that this tablet was more than just a devce that could take a beating and keep on computing. The 323MD tablet comes with durability specifically designed for healthcare environments.

What does that even mean?

To begin with, the 323MD tablet has an anti-microbial coating, which means it's safe in clean environments. This tablet is also:

ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1 certified for antimicrobial enclosure
IP65 water & dust resistant
MIL-STD-810H certified for vibration and shock resistance
MIL-STD-461G certified for EMI and EMC tolerance
Operational in extreme temperatures from 14 degrees F to 149 degrees F
NIST compliant
Energy Star certified
EPEAT Bronze

If you're in the healthcare industry, the above list will mean quite a bit; otherwise, it'll read like a bunch of acronyms. So, yeah, this laptop is quite niche. However, the rep I spoke with also mentioned that these tablets are useful in the food industry because the coating won't allow dirt, oil, or other nasty tidbits to compromise the integrity of the device.

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My experience

Suffice it to say that I'm not in either of those industries, so instead of approaching this review as though I were, I decided to review this as a device with a rather particular feature list, which includes:

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

Because this is a Windows tablet, I knew that setup was going to take a while. Little did I know that the Microsoft passkey experience would be as bad as that of Google's.

Fortunately, I set the tablet up using domain authentication. To my surprise, however, Windows didn't attempt to connect to a domain, but it did allow me to set up a local account (something that may no longer work in the near future).

The 323MD anitmicrobial detachable keyboard.

Ollama jamma

As with every tablet and desktop PC I review, the first task I undertook was installing Ollama and Msty to see how well they could perform under a heavy load.

I was certain the tablet would collapse under the weight of a local LLM, but I was pleasantly surprised. The 323MD could not compete with my System76 Thelio, but the tablet actually performed quite well with the local LLM installed. Sure, when it was churning away to answer my query, other apps started to lag, but that's to be expected when dealing with a tool that requires serious overhead.

Security

The tablet was shipped with two different detachable keyboards: one with the anti-microbial treatment and one without. I tried using the anti-microbial keyboard, but it proved to be very hard (frustrating, even) to use.

Fortunately, the company shipped a more standard keyboard, which made my life exponentially better. I was finally able to type like a writer, instead of a chicken, poking around the yard for food.

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Even though the 323MD runs Windows 11, I found it to be quite a pleasure to use. The attached keyboard folds up and locks in place with magnets, allowing you to grab the carry handle and take it wherever.

Speaking of which, this is the first time I've ever used a tablet and not had to worry about spilling things on it. The rubber-like coating really keeps dust, debris, and liquid from gaining access to the internals. Although I didn't find the antimicrobial keyboard conducive to anything but quick data, if I needed to actually type, I could attach the standard keyboard and go at it.

Finally, there's the dual-frequency RFID feature, which means workers are able to quickly log in by way of an RFID-enabled badge.

Swappable battery

If there's one aspect of the 323MD that impressed me the most, it was the swappable battery and the removable SSD.

Other (not included) accessories are:

Slim keyboard
Rubber keyboard
Digital pen
Six-bay battery gang charger
Battery packs
Wall mount
Desktop charging cradle
X-handstrap
13.3" screen protector

ZDNET's buying advice

As far as price is concerned, I assumed the 323MD would cost a metaphorical arm and a leg, but I was surprised. You can purchase the DT Research 323MD tablet on CDW for $2,066. If you need a tablet that can convert into a laptop with the optional antimicrobial keyboard, and you need it for a clean room, this tablet is hard to beat. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a traditional tablet or laptop, look elsewhere.

I can say that the 323MD tablet is an impressive piece of hardware, even though it's geared toward an industry I rarely interact with. It may not blow you away with performance, but the protective coating, detachable keyboards, and durability make it stand out.

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