rugged

Panasonic today added a tablet UMPC to its rugged Toughbook line. Sure, you could buy six Asus Eee PCs and still have some walking around money left for the price of one $2,499 Toughbook CF-U1, but we doubt you'll grab your lunch pail and Eee PC and head down to the mine. Panasonic's latest Toughbook is, of course, built for use in the field. It's "engineered for the walking worker," according to Panasonic, and comes loaded with features.

The 5.6-inch LED backlit LCD touch screen is designed for viewing in direct sunlight, and below it is a backlit thumb keyboard divided by a number pad and arrow keys in its middle. On the right side, you can see a hand strap, but should you choose not to tether yourself to the Toughbook CF-U1, you can rest easy knowing it's been engineered to survive a four-foot drop and to resist rain, spills, dust, and vibration. It ships with two batteries, which, according to Panasonic, adds up to 9 hours of running time. The unit measures 7.2 inches wide by 5.9 inches deep by 2.2 inches high. It weighs a trim 2.3 pounds, which includes lugging around both batteries. It's completely fanless and uses a solid-state hard drive and an Intel Atom CPU, all of which should aid battery life.

In addition to a 2-megapixel Webcam and fingerprint scanner, it also features barcode and RFID readers and GPS. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G-mobile-broadband are also onboard. Many of these features are listed as options, so they most likely will add to the $2,499 price. Panasonic expects the Toughbook CF-U1 to ship in August.

Full specs after the break.… Read more

As part of its massive product announcement on Tuesday, HP is introducing the semirugged EliteBook 6930p, a 14.1-inch laptop that's built to MIL-STD-810F specifications for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and temperature. That means the EliteBook's brushed anodized aluminum casing and magnesium-alloy chassis can withstand temperatures ranging from -20° F up to 140° F, humidity up to 95 percent, and altitudes up to 15,000 feet, among other feats.

Like most 14.1-inch laptops, the EliteBook 5930p will include a full-size spill-resistant keyboard that's as useful around the office as it is in extreme conditions. The keyboard deck includes a fingerprint reader and a row of touch-sensitive media controls. Buyers can opt for a backlit-LED display; every model includes a 2-megapixel Webcam in the display bezel.

Inside the case, you'll find Intel's Centrino 2 platform, with Penryn-class Intel Core 2 Duo 9000 and 8000 series CPUs, the Intel Mobile 45 chipset (with optional vPro support), and a choice of integrated Intel or discrete ATI graphics. Based on Intel's delayed release dates for the Centrino 2 components, we expect the ATI-based EliteBook to ship in July, with the integrated-graphics version to follow in August.

Pricing starts at $1,179; a full list of specs is after the jump.

… Read more

NEC demonstrated its toughest laptop to date, the Versa S9100, at an event in Singapore. Despite its sleek frame, the company claims the top cover is built to withstand up to 300 kilograms (about 661 pounds) per square foot of pressure, more than the Panasonic ToughBook CF-W7.

However, apart from the addition of a hard disk sensor, the Versa S9100 does not include a water-resistant keyboard. Nor was it drop-tested like the ToughBook, though its data security features are much stronger with a fingerprint biometric sensor and TPM security chip combo.

Features aside, the biggest drawback was its price. At … Read more

This week Averatec officially announced the release of two semirugged laptops: the 14.1-inch, standard-aspect Voya 4473 and the 15.4-inch wide-screen Voya 6494. Both Voya laptops combine magnesium alloy outer cases, corner bumpers, and a shock-mounted hard drive to help withstand vibration and drops. The laptops also incorporate a spill-resistant keyboard and touch pad.

We had a chance to see these during a recent visit to the company's Santa Ana, Calif., offices. Reminiscent of the semirugged Twinhead Durabooks we've reviewed in the past, the Voya laptops felt sturdy enough to withstand a drop or two (we'll … Read more

Ninjas, John Locke, and Bear Grylls take note: your active lifestyle have nothing on the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk. But even if you're not trekking through the trenches and sinister islands, you'll still appreciate LaCie's latest version of their rugged hard disk with an impressive 500GB capacity.

We loved the previous models so much that we gave them our much coveted Editors' Choice back in '06, and we're happy to see that LaCie stepped it up to an improved Hitachi Travelstar 5K500 2.5 inch internal hard drive. Like previous models, this also connects via USB … Read more

Recently we've seen some innovative clear hard-shell cases for iPhones and iPods, but somehow we don't think they'd meet the demands of the super-rugged "Vigor Evo HD." Why? As you can see in the photo, this PC has a 17-inch LCD stuck on the side of its case.

It's unclear why someone in need of a rugged computer would want this kind of exposed monitor, which seems to be begging to be smashed. Still, NextComputing describes the machine as its "highest-performance rugged workstation," according to Engadget, with a 3-terabyte hard drive, dual-layer … Read more

The Latitude XFR D630 from Dell is not sexy.

But that's not the point. The PC maker's first ruggedized notebook isn't having a New York coming-out party with runway models a la the colorful Inspiron and XPS laptops from last summer. But the company does hope that an option for a tough exterior whets the appetites of some of its most loyal customers, large IT departments.

The Latitude XFR D630 is basically a Latitude D630 in full body armor built to withstand extreme temperatures, falls, moisture, dust, and more.

Dell isn't really breaking any new ground … Read more

Two months ago, Lenovo competitive analyst Matt Kohut wrote a blog post, Thinkpads are Ruggedized Machines, explaining why the laptop brand favored by many corporate wonks isn't available in a box you can drive over with your 7 Series. But it's not like the company is a stranger to expensive laptop packaging: It's releasing a $5,000 version of the X60 that's swaddled in leather and coddled by a special support staff.

On a recent trip to Lenovo HQ in Beijing, Kohut was shocked--shocked--to see a Lenovo-branded fully-rugged PC on display in the company's Innovation … Read more

Frankly, we're a little disturbed by the latest naming trends for rugged notebooks. Previously, we had the straightforward ToughBook and the innocuous XTG630. But last week we saw the fully rugged Victum, and today Systemax announced the 14.1-inch Assault. Despite its tough name, the Assault is not built to military specifications; in fact, many of the Assault's ruggedized features--a magnesium alloy case, antishock design, and a spill-resistant keyboard and touch pad--can be found on corporate models from Dell and Lenovo.

Still, those features aren't exactly common on a laptop with a starting price of $1,000. … Read more