General Dynamics Itronix GoBook VR-2

When it comes to durability, the GoBook VR-2 from General Dynamics Itronix is a hybrid of sorts; it's more rugged than a typical semi-rugged notebook but not quite up to fully rugged standards. The $4,334 price tag may be hard on the wallet, but for those who spend a lot of time in the field, this notebook can handle the great outdoors.

 

A magnesium-alloy chassis helps keep the GoBook VR-2's weight down to a manageable 6.2 pounds, while both the hard drive and display are shock-mounted to protect against vibration and accidental drops. The black-and-gray lid is quite stiff and slightly difficult to open with one hand, but that's because it's held in place by a pair of reinforced hinges designed to protect the 13.3-inch XGA (1024 x 768-pixel) touchscreen from suddenly slamming shut.

 

The innovative DynaVue technology makes this panel easy to read in the brightest sunlight, making the GoBook VR-2 ideal for in-vehicle use. The 4:3 screen looks a bit dated and grainy indoors but should suffice for most work needs. A powerful built-in GPS receiver, which is compatible with various mapping programs including Microsoft's Trip and Streets mapping software, had no trouble acquiring a 3D fix (four satellites) from the passenger seat of our car and was spot-on in terms of tracking accuracy.

 

Mounted below the display is a pair of small lights that illuminate the keyboard for working in poorly lit environments. The keys look cramped at first glance, but that's just because the numbers printed on them are so large. Typing is actually very comfortable, with only a handful of slightly shrunken keys. We did notice some flex in the keyboard when we typed, however. Rubber covers protect the two USB ports, the power jack, serial and VGA ports, and modem and Ethernet connections from dust and moisture, but the headphone and microphone jacks are exposed, as are the ExpressCard and PC Card slots. The DVD multi-drive is also vulnerable to the elements.

 

As far as MIL-STD-810F compliance, this system has the other semi-rugged notebooks beat; it meets the standard for temperature range, vibration resistance, dust ingress, altitude, and humidity, and Itronix claims it can withstand multiple drops from 30-inch heights. It can also handle up to 13.5 ounces of liquid spilled over five spots on the keyboard with a 15-minute soak time. That trumps--by a long shot--the three ounces of water other semi-rugged systems claim.

 

The GoBook VR-2 passed our durability tests with flying colors: We saw no evidence of chassis damage, and the system didn't shut down or crash after our drop tests. Likewise, our spill tests had no effect on keyboard performance and didn't cause any component malfunctions. Unlike the other systems in our roundup, the GoBook VR-2 is built to withstand extreme temperatures (-4 to 140 degrees F).

 

Powered by a 2-GHz Intel T7300 Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of memory, the GoBook VR-2 is merely an average performer, with a PCMark05 score of 3,766. However, a DVD battery rundown time of 3 hours and 20 minutes indicates you'll be able to get a fair amount of work done unplugged. Wi-Fi performance was mostly on par with the other systems here, but a score of 13.48 Mbps from 50 feet was a bit lower than other semi-rugged notebooks.

 

You can shave a few hundred dollars off the price if you forgo the GPS option, or you can load up on wireless options such as Bluetooth 2.0 and EV-DO or GPRS/EDGE broadband; just be prepared to part with even more money for it (the Verizon Wireless EV-DO option costs a whopping $695).

 

If you spend a lot of time in your work vehicle and don't require a widescreen display or stellar performance, the GoBook VR-2 should be on your semi-rugged short list. Just be prepared to spend more for the extra toughness.