Rugged Notebooks

Built to withstand everything from drops and moisture to dust and vibration, rugged notebooks can take a beating and keep on booting. They’re heavy, bulky, and expensive, but if you need a PC to work under extreme circumstances, this is the class of machine for you.

The military is the largest purchaser of rugged notebooks, followed closely by state and local governments for use by emergency services and law enforcement personnel. In the private sector, rugged notebooks are ideal for construction contractors, telco workers, and factory floor managers, as well as professionals who find themselves in the field more than at a desk.

View top-rated rugged notebooks >>

Types of Rugged Notebooks

When shopping for a rugged system, it’s important to decide which class of rugged notebook you need. There are three:

Business-Rugged notebooks are designed mainly for indoor use, and are light enough for frequent travelers. A magnesium alloy exterior casing protects interior components from drops and bumps. They offer shock-mounted or solid state hard drives, and feature spill-resistant keyboards and touchpads.

Semi-Rugged notebooks have a level of durability that is greater than business rugged systems, but less than fully-rugged systems. Geared toward the outdoor workforce, these systems can handle their share of physical and moisture abuse. Most semi-rugged systems feature daylight-readable screens. The magnesium alloy shell typically is thicker than the casing used on business-rugged systems, and you’ll usually find rubber corner covers and, in some cases, a built-in, briefcase-style handle. Semi-rugged notebooks will meet some MIL-STD-810F military specs, and many models come with port covers to prevent circuitry damage due to dust and moisture intrusion.

Fully-Rugged notebooks represent the top end of durability. Designed to work in the harshest of weather conditions, and used by military personnel and first responders, these notebooks are typically the heaviest and priciest of the pack. Magnesium cases, shock-mounted components, daylight-readable screens, and sealed port covers are all standard. A fully-rugged notebook will meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810F specs for use in extreme hot and cold temperatures, and can survive wind-driven rain and dust storms. They are also designed to withstand extreme changes in temperature (thermal shock), as well as repeated drops from a height of three feet.

What Can You Expect From A Rugged Notebook?

• Chassis: Magnesium-alloy or aluminum outer shell.
  
  
• Internal Components: Inner skeleton protecting vital components.
  
  
• Storage: Solid state drive or shock-mounted hard drive with active protection system.
  
  
• Keyboard and Ports: Sealed keyboard and port covers.
  
  
• Display: Indoor/outdoor screen for better viewing in sunlight.

Buying Tips for Rugged Notebooks

• Decide how rugged you need it: If you only plan to use the notebook outdoors on occasion, get a business-rugged system. If you’re in a primarily outdoor business (construction), a semi-rugged system makes sense. If you’re in the military or are a first responder, you may need the comprehensive protection of a fully-rugged system, but most others can get by with a business- or semi-rugged notebook.
  
  
• Get integrated mobile broadband: Don’t let an open PC Card slot be the weak link in your otherwise element-proof machine. Look for integrated 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options, as well as WWAN and GPS if those suit your needs.
  
  
• Endurance matters: Since your rugged notebook is likely to see lots of use outdoors, go for a system with the longest possible battery life and lowest weight. Having the ability to get online from a construction site is meaningless if you have no juice.