Brawny and resilient: Panasonic's Toughbook 29 and Getac's M220 have protective port covers.Our informal testing shows that some everyday products absorb rough treatment surprisingly well. If you can't take a chance with your hardware, though, you may want to spring for ruggedized products. They tend to be pricey, but they are built to withstand falls, spills, and extreme conditions.
To see what sorts of knocks these hardy machines could take, we looked at two ruggedized notebooks--the Getac M220 and the Panasonic Toughbook 29--both heavy, magnesium-alloy-clad models that resemble sturdy suitcases.
We had hoped to test standard notebooks from Apple and IBM that promise to park their hard drives during a fall, to protect your data. However, Apple wanted us to catch the notebook rather than let it fall to the ground, and we didn't think that would be an adequate test of its capabilities. IBM declined to participate in our review because the company was uncomfortable with our testing methodology.
To formulate our test plan, PC World Performance Analyst Tony Leung analyzed the U.S. military testing specification (MIL-STD-810F), which delineates how to test products that will be used in extreme conditions. We tested the laptops by powering them down and dropping them 3 feet onto carpet-covered concrete four times--on the front, back, top, and bottom. After each drop we booted them up to make sure they were functioning properly. We also poured 10 ounces of water on each keyboard.
Both notebooks sailed through our tests. After the Panasonic's final drop, its hard-drive connection came loose, and we had to reseat it for the system to return to normal and reboot. The Getac sustained some minor scratches to its handle, but it functioned fine. The water that we spilled on both models didn't affect them.
Both notebooks are designed to handle hard knocks. They each have sturdy port covers to protect all the connections and drives, as well as water-resistant touch screens and keyboards. The Getac has a 1.4-GHz Pentium M processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 14.1-inch screen, while the Panasonic has a 1.3-GHz Pentium M, 256MB of RAM, and a 13-inch screen. The extra toughness comes at the cost of added weight: Both models weigh over 9 pounds. And neither model is cheap: The Getac costs $3995, and the Panasonic costs $3848.
In the course of an ordinary day, most people don't need a ruggedized laptop. But if your work takes you into extreme conditions in which you're rough on your notebook, a ruggedized model would be worth the investment.
