NextComputing unveils Vigor Evo HD

A manufacturer of high-performance mobile workstations and servers has launched a new system optimized to provide computing power in rugged environments such as oil and gas research sites.

NextComputing says its next generation of extreme-performance, rugged, portable computers, the Vigor Evo HD, is a "flextop". Vigor is billed as a high-performance mobile system incorporating the company's privately designed FleXtreme(TM) architecture. This architecture features open standards components, support for COTS software and hardware, multi-core processors, high-capacity storage, support for multiple operating systems, and PCI Express x16 expandability. The Vigor Evo HD is a ruggedized version of NextComputing's most powerful "flextop," the NextDimension Evo HD. Both systems are designed for applications requiring the features of the most powerful desktop workstation in a portable form factor.

"With the Vigor Evo, we have combined our experience in the deployable ruggedized market with the innovative architecture of the first line of flextop portable computers,” says Bob Labadini, President and CTO of NextComputing. “The Vigor Evo brings to the market a number of firsts. For example, it is the first rugged portable to incorporate up to eight processing cores from Intel or AMD, it incorporates the highest number of PCIe or PCI-X 64-bit slots, up to four, and the entire system is encased in an unsurpassed floating chassis which provides maximum shock and vibration absorption with no metal to metal contact," said Labadini.

About the size of a briefcase and weighing as little as 13.5 lbs., the Vigor Evo HD is the smallest and lightest, high-performance rugged portable to come to market. The chassis offers a mounting kit, convenient for mobile environments such as humvees and helicopters. The system's modular processor boards support up to (2) single, dual or quad-core AMD Opteron(TM) or Intel(R) Xeon(R) processors. Its storage capacity surpasses leading ruggedized systems by offering up to (3) 3.5" drives at 1TB each or (13) 200GB/7200RPM hard drives plus internal RAID 0, 1 and 0+1 capabilities. The Vigor Evo HD offers superior graphics with up to (4) PCIe or PCI-X 64-bit slots for single or double width cards. The integrated 17" LCD is covered by a disposable protective screen, featuring anti-glare, hardening, and optical enhancement coatings. The system supports any COTS keyboard, allowing for the use of the latest rollup, portable, or ruggedized