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Click here for the original article on CNN
Put to the test: The SUV of laptops?
(CNN) -- As the laptop computer continues to grow from a leisure-time convenience to a work-time necessity, people are finding they need them pretty much everywhere -- on a plane, at a favorite lunch spot, even at the beach.
But what if sand jams up the works, the bellman drops it, or you slosh coffee on it?
New computers from Rugged Notebooks aim to be the SUV of laptops by withstanding heat, water, a tumble off a table and even precocious four-year-old kids. We put it to the test.
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Click here for the original article on PC TODAY
Rugged Notebooks
Is Your Computer Tough Enough?
Rugged Notebooks RNB 230
www.ruggednotebooks.com
Pros: A bright 15-inch display, covers for every port or opening, and corner bumpers
The RNB 230 from Rugged Notebooks makes a virtue of size by building a rugged notebook around a superb 15-inch display. Easily the big boy of this market, the RNB 230 delivers an acceptable balance between performance and battery life.
If ever a notebook looked the rugged part, the black and gray RNB 230 is it. Measuring 1.8 x 13.3 x 12.2 inches and weighing 10 pounds, you pay for every extra inch of display space. With the added advantage of corner bumpers, this machine is protected against anything short of nuclear annihilation. Like the other systems we tested, however, the RNB 230 uses a large AC adapter and has an onerous travel weight of 10.9 pounds, although you can drop 5 ounces by removing the carry handle.
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Click here for the original article on LAPTOP Magazine
Rugged Notebooks RNB 230
Touchscreen machine that can take a beating.
One look at Rugged Notebooks’ 8.6-pound RNB 230 makes it clear this laptop is designed to take a beating: Eight large rubber bumpers cover each corner of its black magnesium alloy case. A large metal clasp keeps the laptop shut and rubber seals protect the ports from the elements. Inside, the RNB 230 employs a sunlight-readable touchscreen (that a stylus hidden in the sturdy handle can control) and a keyboard made from a seamless waterproof rubber membrane. A 1.6-GHz Intel Pentium M Processor provides plenty of horsepower, and you can augment the system’s 802.11b/g connectivity with optional WAN, GPS, and Bluetooth modules.
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Click here for the original article on WIRED Magazine
Rugged Notebooks
RNB 230
WIRED: Toughest machine tested. Meets 810F military specs for shock, water resistance, and temperature. Rubber plugs waterproof the ports. 14.1-inch display brightest of the group. Options: keyboard backlight and built-in GPS and cellular data. Three-hour battery life.
TIRED: Apocalypse-ready features at a shock-and-awe price. Large handle either presses into groin or interferes with typing.
www.ruggednotebooks.com
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Click here for the original article
Spilling coffee won't ruin this laptop
Just how rugged is the Talon laptop from Rugged Notebooks? The company says users have dropped it, spilled drinks on it and cleaned it off under running water — with no ill effects. The notebook's durable design includes a spill-proof keyboard and magnesium casing behind the liquid crystal display (LCD) and under the keyboard. The $1,999 model has a 14-inch display, a 1.8-gigahertz Intel mobile Pentium 4 processor, a 20-gigabyte shock-resistant hard drive, 128 megabytes of memory, a CD-ROM drive, three Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, a built-in 802.11b wireless network card and the Windows XP Home operating system. Other configurations also are available.
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PC Hardware / Reviews |
Click here for the original article
Rugged Notebooks Talon
1/12/04 - Portable computing is a growing trend, but with that trend comes the risks to the equipment that is constantly being moved around. Falls from a table, drops from a computer bag or even spills from a drink can cause hundreds of dollars in damage. To address these minor accidents and the resulting repair bills, manufacturers such as Rugged Notebooks are introducing semi-rugged portables. The Talon is a semi-rugged thin and light notebook computer system offered by Rugged Notebooks. It is designed to withstand minor drops from about 3 feet while the system is operating and continue to function. It also features a splash proof keyboard that can withstand small spills during operation without causing problems.
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Click here for the origional article
Rugged goes semi-rugged
Rugged notebook maker Rugged Notebooks recently launched a semi-rugged model aimed at traveling business executives and sales professionals who don't need a fully rugged system. The Hawk Notebook includes "ruggedized" features such as a spill-proof keyboard, magnesium case and a hard drive (40G bytes) protected by an impact-absorbing gel to guard against accidental drops. The Hawk Notebook starts at $2,399, and is now available. This is the best notebook I have ever purchased. This blows Sony out of the water and the cost wasn't much more than a new Sony Viao. I would highly recommend this laptop.
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Click here for the origional article
Rugged Notebooks For Rugged Fields
RUGGED NOTEBOOKS' RNB 130
If you're in an industry that requires you to use a laptop in less-than-optimal situations--such as on an oil rig, in a mining shaft or under enemy fire--you need a ruggedized notebook. Two new models from Rugged Notebooks definitely deserve a look.
The RNB 130 ($3450) has Intel's new 1.1-GHz Centrino processor for built-in 802.11b wireless connectivity, 256MB of RAM (expandable to 1GB), a 40GB hard drive, 12.1-in. TFT XGA LCD screen, 64MB of DDR video memory, 10/100Base-T Ethernet port, and 56K V.90 modem. It weighs 6.2 pounds and measures 10.8 x 9.4 x 1.7 in. The company says its battery will last for 4 hours.
RUGGED NOTEBOOKS' HAWK
The Hawk model ($2399) is larger at 13.1 x 10.8 x 1.4 in. and weighs 6.8 pounds. It uses a 2.2-GHz Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor, has 128MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, 15.1-in XGA TFT LCD screen, built-in CD-ROM drive (with the option to upgrade to a DVD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD combo drive), 56K V.90 modem, 10/100Base-T Ethernet port, and options for adding Bluetooth, 802.11b or GPRS wireless connectivity.
Rugged Notebooks, which provides units to the Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, designed both of these new models to meet U.S. military standards (810-F MIL-SPECS) for computers in a combat environment. This requires survival from a 3-ft. drop on concrete and exposure to 4-in.-per-hour rainfall, as well as resistance to dust and desert sand. Both models use a magnesium alloy case. |
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