Value Proposition
Why Rugged?
Rugged Notebooks Value Proposition
For every capital or equipment purchase transaction you make you want to ask your vendor three major questions as follows:
- How does your product differentiate from your competition?
- How does your post sales support differentiate from your competition?
- How will you protect my purchase and investment on your product?
1. How do our products differentiate from our competition?
Every "Rugged Notebooks" rugged PDA and rugged portable device is assembled with quality and brand name components, such as Intel processors, plus Toshiba and Seagate G-Force shock proof hard drives with encryption capabilities. All ruggedized, rugged, and fully-rugged computers are tested to the most rigorous quality control measures created for military standards, such as MIL-STD 810F, 461E emission control, TEMPEST certification, and IP 54/IP 67 to pass and become certified as "Water Resistant laptops" and "Dust Proof Laptops" in harsh environments (See ruggednotebookreview.com for details on "How to Buy a Rugged Notebook").
- Shock — Operating: 15g / Non-Operating: 50g
- Drop — 3ft Free Drop Test Surface: Concrete
- Vibration — Operating: 10-55Hz/0.075G / Non-Operating: 55-500Hz/2.0G
- Water — Not water-proof but water-resistant up to 4 inches of rain per hour thus providing a spill proof shield for your Rugged Notebook against accidental spills on components like keyboard and I/O ports
- Enclosure — Die-Cast Magnesium Alloy with Individually Sealed Ports
- MTBF — 10,000 hrs before failure
- TEMPEST — Safeguards your most sensitive information assets and confidential information from those who may do harm by shielding and protecting electronic devices and limiting the emanation of compromising electromagnetic signals. We offer TEMPEST Level II (NSTISSAM TEMPEST Level II) certified notebooks.
For more detailed information see the "rugged notebook review" website www.ruggednotebookreview.com
2. How does our post sales support differentiate from the competition?
Rugged Notebooks, Inc. is among a handful of rugged notebook providers fully staffed with in-house service, parts departments and qualified, trained technicians. This allows Rugged Notebooks to offer fast and prompt response to your service needs with 80% efficiency on the first call, and 20% within 2 hrs of your inquiry.
3. How does Rugged Notebooks protect your purchase and investment in our product?
With 18 years of experience and knowledge in the portable computing industry and 10 years in the rugged portable computer market, Rugged Notebooks has been recognized as one of the pioneers and leaders among all rugged notebook manufacturers.
With a host of convenient online features available at www.RuggedNotebooks.com, such as a service request form, easily downloadable drivers for all models, LIVE technical support, optional world-wide service depots in 150 countries (ask your sales representative or see "rugged notebook guide"), and optional 24x7 technical support, we can extend your portable notebook, tablet or PDA coverage for up to 5 years after your purchase.
Rugged Notebooks is also the only provider of rugged computers offering a unique commercial lease option with buy-backs or trade-in plans to upgrade your Rugged Notebooks product to the latest technology at the end of your lease term (See rugged-notebook review for more information). Current Rugged Notebooks users have the benefit of leveraging their investments to stay current with the latest hardware.
Value of the Investment in Rugged Notebooks Computers
Compare the purchase of off-the-shelf laptops with the Rugged Notebooks brand
Comparison of off-the-shelf versus a ruggedized notebook. Using the construction industry as an example, off-the-shelf laptops show a 100% replacement rate during a three year refresh cycle.
Return on Investment (ROI)
| Three (3) year refresh cycle | Off-the-Shelf (OTS) computer | Semi-Rugged computer (Rugged Notebooks Stealth) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment of 10 computers | $10,600 | $14,990 |
| Cost of extra warranty | $6,690 | $0 |
| Units replaced after 3 years (construction industry example) | 10 | |
| Cost of ownership for 3 years | $22,890 | $14,990 |
| ROI (% savings) — Oil & Gas Industry | 53% |
Summary of ROI Savings
| Industry | Failure/damage rates | ROI % Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Light Industrial | 30% | 3% |
| Heavy Industrial | 50% | 17% |
| Oil & Gas Expoloration | 100% | 53% |
Notebooks for Special Applications
Rugged Notebooks offers fully-rugged laptops for specialized applications:
- MIL-STD-461E certified laptops
- Fully-rugged TEMPEST certified laptops
- TEMPEST certified Panasonic Toughbook laptops
Call (866) 278-4433 for more information
Talk to our Rugged Notebooks experts
Sales Hotline (866) 278-4433
Find out more
ROI savings using ruggedized notebooks
| Industry | ROI Savings |
|---|---|
| Light Industrial | 3% |
| Heavy Industrial | 17% |
| Oil & Gas Exploration | 53% |
Can an ordinary notebook survive this?
Article
An Introduction to Rugged Notebooks and Laptops
Rugged mobile computers come in a wide variety of flavors and various configurations to meet the needs of any mobile user looking for a rugged PC. These flavors include ruggedized laptop computer, rugged notebook computer, and rugged tablet computer.
The need for a ruggedized PC started with the need for a military laptop that could withstand all of the harsh conditions that a mobile computer would have to deal with. These would include the need to be shock and water resistant. Naturally, these would be introduced to civilians though they were not exactly the most portable or even inexpensive laptop computers. Fortunately advancements in technology would introduce the semi rugged laptop which was not quite as durable as the standard rugged laptop, but was more portable and well suited for the needs of most people. Along with these advancements came the aforementioned rugged notebook computers, and rugged tablet computers.
Since most of these ruggedized PC products come at a higher price tag then the standard computer, one has to determine if the need for such a computer outweighs the cost, like any other purchase. These factors are cost, expected usage, and environment.
The first factor, being cost, is the most obvious. It does not matter how much you want or even need a product. If you lack the money you will not be able to purchase it. Considering that these are not cheap computers, it might be difficult to attain for some. However, there are ways around this.
Some retailers may have a computers sale allowing you to take advantage of a lower cost. This can be great for those willing to wait but for those who may not be so patient or have that option may consider a refurbished computer. One can find relatively cheap refurbished laptops from retailers. The refurb laptop will likely only have minor cosmetic damages and function just as well as a new one. Additionally, it will come with a warranty.
Cheap used laptops can be purchased from private users through auction sites or classifieds. These are a hit or miss as you can save considerably compared to purchasing through retailers. However, this is not recommended as these will likely not be covered under warranty and should it fail you may end up with an expensive paperweight.
The second factor to consider when purchasing a ruggedized computer is the expected usage. This is not so much whether the product will be used as business computers are or if the usage will fall under the category of student laptops. It is more how often you will be using it. If you are not likely to use the computer very often and not likely to move around much then spending extra for durability is likely to be impractical. Of course, if you will be using this product often then it might actually be in your best interest.
The last factor to take into consideration is the environment you will likely face. If you are typically in environments where there are strong chances of water or shock damage then a ruggedized laptop, ruggedized notebook, or rugged tablet PC will serve you well. If you are not likely to face any of this then the only way the purchase of a rugged mobile computer can be justified is if you or the people around you are incredibly clumsy. Accidents do happen, however, and this is actually a good reason to purchase a rugged computer.