Mobility is important for military computer applications as well as Homeland Security computers. Durabiltiy is also important fo both military computers and Homeland Security computers, requiring that products can withstand extreme conditions and demanding environments. In this case, rugged computers are a must for military and Homeland Security.

For military applications, the environments that military personnel will face can be extreme and hostile. There is a necessity for rugged mobile computers as military personnel will need a computer for important operations and risks such as drops and water damage cannot be a concern for anyone who is in a hostile environment. A ruggedized mobile computer can absorb shock to avoid damage and can also be used in wet environments with little to no risk of damage to the computer.

While Homeland Security personnel may not have to face harsh environments as military will likely face, being on the move will also require rugged mobile computers. The more you are on the move the greater the risk for damages from shocks. Since rugged mobile computers are especially designed to resist damage from shocks such as drops or other forms of impact, ruggedized computers are a natural fit.

Though military and Homeland Security may find greater benefits from the utilization of rugged mobile computers, civilians may find that these tough computers have benefits as well.

In a construction environment, there are risks that can be detrimental to electronic equipment such as computers. Dirt, water, and heavy impact are common in the construction environment; all of which can cause a standard mobile computer to be rendered useless. Fortunately, since these conditions are similar to what military face, and rugged mobile computers address all of these issues, ruggedized computers are a perfect fit for the construction environment.

The office user may also find benefits with ruggedized computers. However, this is more dependent on a case by case basis. If an office user is constantly on the go and always moving his or her mobile computer from place to place there may actually be a justified reason to require the use of rugged mobile computers. As previously mentioned, the more mobile you are the more likely you will have to deal with accidental drops or other forms of impact. While the typical office user may only find limited benefits from a ruggedized notebook, the main benefit is a form of insurance to protect the investment.

Even though rugged mobile computers can be beneficial for uses other than military and Homeland Security, the main reason military and Homeland security will find the most benefit would have to be that both deal more with time sensitive information and will require a reliable computer to process necessary information. In the case of the construction or office user, it is more about protecting the investment as most information dealt with in those situations are not as time sensitive as military or Homeland Security.

For the case of construction, office, or any other type of environment, the need will be based on whether it is more cost effective as a long term investment to purchase standard mobile computers or to go with rugged mobile computers.