3 laptops that should be marketed in the same way as work trucks.
Let’s face it, not everyone has a cushy desk job these days. A lot of us are out in the field, in construction zones, up in the mountains and in other harsh environments, where a laptop’s slick and cool finish won’t last very long.
We are not saying looks aren’t important, but when it comes to getting the job done, priority should go to making sure your laptop is still in once piece at the end of the day.
In the following Top 3, we showcase five laptops for which Sam Elliot should definitely consider doing the voiceover.
Getac has a reputation for making some extremely tough laptops, often adopted by military personnel and law enforcement. The B300 is no exception, featuring a MIL-STD certified briefcase-style, magnesium alloy casing able to withstand drops, spills, vibrations and shocks.
Tough, cold-blooded, and locked-down tight.
The B300 is definitely locked-down tight for a laptop, with a fanless design using copper piping to dissipate internal heat, needing no outside ventilation, which allows for a completely sealed design protecting the internal components from dust, smoke, water spills and any other hazardous particles found in extreme environments, and it allows for smooth operations at extreme low temperatures, featuring a heating blanket protecting the hard drive, which lets this device work at temperatures as low as -20 Fahrenheit.
Long haul, no sweat.
The B300 features two batteries, for a total of 30 hours on continuous use. Batteries are hot-swappable, and each one can last up to 15 hours on a single charge.
Under the hood
The B300 supports 4th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, featuring hyper threading, which enables clock speeds from 2.9GHz up to 3.6GHz. It also supports up to 8GB of RAM, and Intel HD Graphics 4600, with advanced 3D processing.
Anti-glare display, and backlit keyboard
The 1400 NITs QuadraClear display featured in the B300 is LED based and free of mercury. This energy efficient technology adjusts automatically the screen brightness to deliver optimal visibility at any time of day or night, and in any light conditions.
Stuck working under a crawlspace, or in a totally dark environment? The B300 features a red backlit keyboard, with island style independent keys for increased durability and typing comfort.
802.11ac WIFI
The B300 features the latest 802.11ac WIFI hardware, with up to three times the coverage of any previous WIFI interface.
GammaTech is a 26 years old rugged laptop manufacturer with a worldwide footprint, and the R3800 is its flagship product for a few reasons:
Combat-ready
The R3800 showcases 810G, 461F and IP65 MIL-STD certifications, making it perfect for battle-field operations. Drop tested up to 26 times from a height of 4 feet, the R3800 is able to operate smoothly, unscathed by vibration, shocks, drops, and various degrees of impact, with an IP rating of 65.
Always Cool, always in control
The R3800 operates at a low temperature of -22 Fahrenheit, and at a maximum temperature of 140 Fahrenheit, making it ideal for use in freezing conditions, as well as in desert-like environments.
Horsepower and mileage
Much like most ruggedized laptops, the R3800 features modest but respectable specs, designed to perform in tough environments. Fast Intel Core i7 2.0GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and support for up to 1TB HDD storage, or SSD, make this rugged laptop a trooper on the field.
The optical drive can be hot-swapped for an additional battery, extending the R3800’s battery life up to 13 hours.
Display
The integrated Intel QM77, Intel HD Graphics 4000, offers outstanding graphic performance on the anti-glare TFT touchscreen 13 inches display, with multi-touch technology.
Panasonic’s presence in consumer electronics is world-renowned. Its line of Toughbooks lives up to its name with bar-raising specs and performance. The Toughbook 31 is a hard-to-beat example of what a rugged notebook should look like:
Tough as nails
While not completely impervious to water and dust (i.e. not completely waterproof), with an IP rating of 65, the Toughbook 31, is not only capable of withstanding rain, dust, sand, smoke, altitude and shocks: it can survive a 6 foot drop.
Smart design
The retractable handle isn’t found in most laptops, but it does make a difference when available, as it allows for a smarter space management around the unit when docked or stored.
Tough and smart
Toughness meets high-end specs: powered by an Intel Core i5 2.6GHz vPro processor, the Toughbook 31 boasts 4GB DDR3, Intel WIFI a/b/g/n, Dual Pass WLAN, GPS kit and backlit keyboard, as well as a 13 inch touchscreen, and desktop-class video/3D graphics.
Panasonic’s CircuLumin™ technology delivers ultra-bright 1200 NITs, for crystal clear visibility in daytime glare.
Which one should you pick?
While each one of the above laptops has its merits, these laptops aren’t listed entirely based on processing power or other internal specs, their ability to survive the toughest work environments is the main focus of this review. when choosing a laptop for field work, toughness factors into the cost of ownership and lifespan of a product, as much as processing speed, memory options and storage space, and sometimes more.