Black Diamond Advanced Technologies, a design firm specializing in development of rugged technologies has introduced a new ultra mobile PC called the SwitchBack at the Embedded Systems Conference taking place this week. The SwitchBack is the world’s first rugged UMPC and it is capable of running several different operating systems.

The SwitchBack measures in at a svelte 7.5” x 5.5” x 2” and utilizes a 1.0 GHz Intel Celeron M processor, 1GB of 400MHz DDR2 and it can run Windows XP, CE, Mobile or even Linux. A built-in thumb keyboard handles data input and storage is taken care of with up to a 60GB HDD. The display is a 5.6” WSVGA sunlight viewable touch screen that can be used with a stylus. Wireless connectivity is also built-in with Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi b/g and GPS. SwitchBack is designed for users working in harsh environments and utilizes a magnesium housing that is reinforced with rubber isolators and shock-mounted electronics. Black Diamond designed the UMPC to meet military specifications (MIL-STD) for shock, vibration, humidity and extreme temperatures.