Guides & Insights
Industrial & Medical Computer Blog
Expert buying guides and standards explainers for industrial, medical, rugged, panel and waterproof computers — how to specify the right hardware and why it matters.
Are Medical Computers HIPAA Compliant? What That Actually Means
"HIPAA-compliant computer" is a misunderstood phrase. Here's what HIPAA actually requires of hardware, which features support compliance, and how to specify a computer for PHI.
Are Medical Computers HIPAA Compliant? What That Actually Means
"HIPAA-compliant computer" is a misunderstood phrase. Here's what HIPAA actually requires of hardware, which features support compliance, and how to specify a computer for PHI.
Read article →Medical-Grade Computer vs Consumer PC: What's the Difference?
Why a clinical environment needs a medical-grade computer instead of an off-the-shelf PC — certification, sealing, cooling, disinfection and lifecycle compared.
Read article →How to Choose the Right Industrial Panel PC Size (7" to 24")
A practical engineering guide to sizing an industrial panel PC from 7 to 24 inches — based on viewing distance, screen content density, glove use, mounting and environment.
Read article →Edge AI Computers for Manufacturing: Use Cases & How to Choose
What edge AI does on the factory floor, why Intel Core Ultra and NVIDIA-class compute is moving on-premises, the top use cases, and how to specify an industrial edge AI computer.
Read article →GPU Industrial Computers for Machine Vision and Edge AI
Why machine vision and edge AI need GPU-accelerated industrial computers, how to size the GPU to your workload, which camera interfaces to specify, and how to keep it reliable on the factory floor.
Read article →Open-Frame vs Closed-Frame Panel PCs: Which Do You Need?
The difference between open-frame and closed-frame panel PCs — construction, mounting, IP rating and use cases — and how to choose between embedding one and buying a finished unit.
Read article →Sunlight-Readable Industrial Monitors: Nits, Optical Bonding & Glare
What makes an industrial monitor sunlight-readable — brightness (nits), optical bonding, anti-glare treatments and contrast — and how to spec one for outdoor or bright environments.
Read article →How Long Do Industrial Computers Last? Lifespan & Total Cost
Industrial computers routinely last 7-10+ years. Here's why, what drives lifespan, and how total cost of ownership makes a pricier industrial PC the cheaper choice.
Read article →IP69K vs IP67 vs IP66: Which Washdown Rating Do You Actually Need?
A definitive, plain-English comparison of IP66, IP67 and IP69K for industrial computers and monitors — what each test actually covers, how they differ from NEMA 4X, and how to choose.
Read article →Why Choose a Fanless Industrial Computer?
How fanless industrial computers cool without moving parts, why that means higher reliability in dust and heat, the trade-offs, and how to specify one correctly.
Read article →What Is a DIN-Rail Industrial PC (and When Should You Use One)?
A complete guide to DIN-rail industrial PCs: the 35 mm rail standard, why you'd mount a computer in a control cabinet, how it compares to panel and VESA mounting, and how to spec one.
Read article →What Makes a Computer Rugged? MIL-STD-810 and IP Ratings Explained
The engineering and standards behind rugged computers — MIL-STD-810 shock and vibration, IP ingress ratings, wide temperature and solid-state design — and how to read the claims.
Read article →In-Vehicle Rugged Computers for Fleet & Telematics
What sets an in-vehicle rugged computer apart — ignition power management, vibration tolerance, wide temperature and telematics connectivity — and how to specify one for a fleet.
Read article →Do Antimicrobial Medical Computers Actually Reduce Infections?
A clinical-grade look at what "antimicrobial" means on a medical computer, what the infection-control evidence shows, and exactly how to specify one.
Read article →Resistive vs Capacitive Touchscreens for Industrial Panel PCs
How resistive and projected-capacitive touchscreens differ for industrial use — gloves, water, durability, multi-touch and cost — and how to choose the right one.
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