Ruggedized Notebooks

It's safe to say that the hot-pink laptop Reese Witherspoon used in the movie Legally Blonde 2 would not qualify as a "ruggedized" notebook.

Ruggedized notebooks and Tablet PCs are the John Waynes of portable computing. They're macho--ready for action anywhere, anytime, in any condition. Drop them, spill liquid on them, expose them to harsh weather conditions; these machines can take it.

While ruggedized portables are designed with specialty markets in mind (such as law enforcement), anyone who travels frequently with a notebook may want consider one when buying a new computer. Let's take a closer look and see if a ruggedized portable makes sense for you.

A portable computer especially designed for use in or on a vehicle, in the field, in a factory or warehouse, outdoors, or even in armed conflict, is said to be ruggedized or semi-ruggedized.

Ruggedized computers are, at heart, fairly typical notebooks; they've got standard processors, built-in wireless networking (usually), and so on. Unlike typical notebooks, though, ruggedized models come with a suit of armor and internal shock absorbers.

Consider the features offered in the Panasonic Toughbook, perhaps the best-known line of ruggedized portables:

• Shock-Resistant Hard Drive. Toughbook internal hard drives are mounted in shock-absorbing polymer compounds, which protect the drive--and the data--from the impact of a fall or other jolt, according to Panasonic.
• Spill and Dust Resistance. Sealants prevent liquid and dust from getting through the cracks in the keyboard and touchpad. An overlay panel on LCDs in some Toughbook models provides added protection against moisture and dust, the company says.
• Magnesium Casing. Some Toughbooks feature full or partial magnesium casing, which promises extra protection against bumps, knocks, and falls.
• Sealed Ports and Slots. To protect vulnerable areas where liquid and dust could easily enter--such as PC Card slots--Panasonic has added hinged aluminum alloy covers with environmental seals to certain Toughbook models.
• Outdoor-Readable Displays. Some Toughbooks feature screens designed to be read outdoors or in. By comparison, the majority of commercial notebook screens look washed out when viewed outdoors.
• No Fan. Internal fans are designed to cool notebooks, which can become overheated after hours of use. Panasonic claims its "unique" sealed case construction allows its Toughbooks to work without a fan or vents--which can expose internal components to dust and dirt. Not surprisingly, though, the lack of a fan can cause overheating in some ruggedized notebooks. For instance, Itronix's GoBook II was infamously dubbed the "quesadilla cooker."
• Tested for Ultra Reliability. The most macho of Panasonic's Toughbooks have been designed with MIL-STD-810F test procedures to measure environmental reliability levels, according to the company. The U.S. government created the MIL-STD-810F specifications to test equipment against drops, shock, moisture, dust, exposure to extreme temperatures, and more.

Ruggedized notebooks cost--and weigh--more than portables aimed at general business users.

Consider the Toughbook 29, which Panasonic says is its most rugged. A Toughbook 29 comes equipped with a 1.3-GHz Pentium M processor, a 13.3-inch XGA display, 256MB of memory, a 40GB hard drive, the Centrino mobile chip set architecture, 802.11g wireless networking, and Windows XP Professional. In addition, the notebook includes built-in support for Bluetooth, wireless wide-area networking (via cellular networks), and GPS. Total weight: 7.94 pounds. Total system cost, at Group Mobile's Web site: $3677. And that doesn't include a CD/DVD drive. That's a lot of money for what is, ruggedized and wireless features aside, a fairly basic notebook.

For a nearly equivalent sum ($3710, at this writing), you could get a Dell Inspiron XPS multimedia powerhouse, with a much faster processor (3.4-GHz Pentium 4 with hyperthreading technology), four times the memory (1GB), and a hard drive twice the size (80GB). With Dell's notebook you get other extras that the Toughbook 29 lacks, such as a 15.4-inch WUXGA wide-aspect screen and an 8X CD/DVD burner; though 802.11 b+g wireless networking costs $80 extra and wide-area networking is another $149 or $179. GPS isn't offered as an option. Bottom line: You get a much more powerful system for your money.

Still, if you travel on business frequently, sometimes need (or want to) work outdoors, and often worry (with or without reason) about dropping or spilling liquids on your computer, you should consider a ruggedized or semi-ruggedized portable.

Plenty of choices are available. In addition to Panasonic, Amrel, Getac, Hewlett-Packard, and Itronix make ruggedized notebooks. (For more on HP's line of rugged notebooks, read "HP's New Notebooks Take a Beating.") Soft Intelligence, Inc. specializes in ruggedized computing equipment.

Keep in mind that some mainstream notebook makers have begun including in their products a few features similar to those in ruggedized computers. For instance, the ThinkPad X40 includes IBM's Active Protection System. The system includes built-in motion sensors that detect movement, such as a fall, and automatically spin the hard drive down to prevent data loss. Read PC World's review of the X40; for current prices, check our Product Finder.