Is Your Business Laptop Tough Enough?
Posted by Madwire Media on 10th Jul 2015
Life on the road isn’t easy for a business laptop. From being stuffed into bags and thrown onto airport security trays to getting pushed under seats and crammed into overhead plane compartments, these notebooks take a lot of abuse. Commonly referred to as business rugged laptops, these machines offer enhanced durability features yet aren’t noticeably armored or unduly heavy. But how tough are business rugged laptops, and how do they compare with their semi- and fully rugged laptop cousins?
Many laptop makers claim that their machines meet specific rugged standards, such as the military standard called MIL-STD-810 referenced in our previous blogs. his spec covers a wide range of extreme conditions, including drops, shocks, vibration, and humidity. Sometimes a third-party group is brought in to verify that a given system is business rugged, but most often laptop makers do their own testing. It’s up to the vendor to explain what they mean by business rugged since these standards are really defined by marketing and the customer base target.
As a consumer, it's up to you to determine exactly what your rugged needs are and how much of a premium you're will to pay to get them. Here's a breakdown.
Semi-rugged Top Pick: Getac S400
Costing about $1,500 (or more than a basic laptop), semi-rugged machines are often touted as meeting some of the MIL-STD-810G criteria for toughness, including the ability to withstand drops from as high as 3 feet. The GETAC S400 is one of the best semi-rugged computers ever built, developed specifically for utilities, public safety, field service and military applications.
Fully Rugged Top Pick: Panasonic Toughbook 31
The Panasonic Toughbook 31 is a work of art, from the Intel Core i5-3320M processor and the bright 1200 NIT Sunlight Readable LCD. More bang for your buck with the fully rugged Toughbook 31; with so many more standard options than before. The power, performance and the down right toughness of the Toughbook 31 is what you need on your team.