Ruggedized and Ideal for Harsh Environments

It’s official, a rugged laptop is tougher than a two dollar steak. They need to be as people who work in harsh environments don’t have time to worry about babysitting their laptops when the going gets rough. Under harsh circumstances, the equipment has to be able to stand up to unreasonable demands, and laptops – which have always had the reputation of being fragile – are no exception. Soldiers, firefighters and others who must operate under the worst conditions rely on these devices to communicate, strategize and gain access to critical information.

In any of these scenarios, the standard laptop would be rendered useless within minutes, and so the need for extreme equipment was born. Rugged laptops were specifically designed to withstand an inordinate amount of stress. From the dusty heat of the summer desert to the crashing waves of a stormy sea, these extreme machines offer high-performance usability every time. Water resistant, dust/sand resistant and shockproof, rugged laptops are utilized by the military under virtually all environmental conditions. Their ability to maintain peak performance at temperatures of -10 degrees Fahrenheit to +140 degrees Fahrenheit, in addition to their durability when dropped or struck, makes these devices all but invincible.

This unique line of equipment must meet strict military guidelines, and must be tested under extremely stressful conditions before being made available to the consumer. Test models are repeatedly dropped from a height of approximately one yard – more than two dozen times – and tested for extreme temperature fluctuations, humidity, and intense exposure to sand, dust and water.

These mobile computers are ideal companions for those in high-risk occupations such as laptop wielding law enforcement officers, who must work under hazardous conditions, and may be called upon to perform during a high speed car chase, when camouflaged by sand on the front lines or exposed to the water, heat and smoke of the firemen’s arena. They can typically withstand up to four inches of rain per hour, as well, which is ideal for any number of extreme weather scenarios.

While a notebook has yet to be made that’s completely indestructible, rugged laptops are the next best thing. After all, people are only as good as their performance in the worst-case scenario – and the same is true for laptops. With a rugged laptop, your performance should be of the highest quality every time.

Manufacturers of these industrial-strength devices include Terralogic, Ergo Computing UK Ltd., Itronix and Panasonic, among others. In each case, their line of rugged laptops have withstood intense testing in all of the necessary areas, meeting U.S. military guidelines.

Read More about – Rugged notebooks

Sunday, June 05, 2005

By Todd Gold – Laptopical