RSSDell challenges Panasonic in rugged notebooks
By Tim Conneally | Published March 4, 2008, 1:47 PM
Today, Dell announced the availability of its Latitude XFR D630, a ruggedly designed notebook meant to serve as competition to Panasonic's Toughbook.
Though it cannot claim to have made the strongest nor first rugged laptops, Panasonic's Toughbook line of computers undoubtedly is the most recognizable rugged laptop brand on the market today. Dell, however looks to be moving in on the territory, by making direct challenges to Panasonic's performance.
Dell's Latitude XFR D630 meets the oft-cited MIL-STD 810F, or the Department of Defense-certified standard of toughness. MIL-STD is a series of specifications that cover resistance to different conditions including pressure, temperature, and humidity variance, fungus, fog, sand, dust, acceleration, shock and even gunfire.
The new notebook line features a sealed keyboard, shock-mounted solid state drive, a 14.1" widescreen LCD display designed for outdoor use by outputting 500 nits (sRGB standard luminance is 80 nits, most LCD displays go up to 300), and ExpressCharge batteries, which Dell claims can achieve an 80% or greater charge in 60 minutes.
The XFR directly challenges Panasonic's CF-30 in its initial marketing push, claiming 23% greater performance with its 2.2 GHz Intel Core2 Duo T7500 processor against Panasonic's Intel Core2 Duo L2400 running at 1.66 GHz.
Availability of the XFR begins today, starting at $3,899.
Hmmmmm...where can one get detailed specifications and MIL Test reports from??
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|I just checked out the specs. Batteries look good, but does not mention Sunlight Readable screen, or anything about heat pipes.
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|It's true. Mac fanboyz might break a nail on one of these beasts. Could you see one of those boyz carrying something heavy, never mind this thing? It would ruin their whole day already! :)
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|We need something like this for the "clumsy" executive, priced a bit lower (maybe not quite gunfire resistant).
One of my co-workers (not me...no, really) keeps dropping his. Actually, dropped it *and* stepped on it last time.
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|Does it still work for you... I mean, your co-worker? :)
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|That's nothing... I have a user who has backed over 2 cell phones and a laptop with his car (yes, in 3 separate instances).
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|:P
Had to replace the HDD. I'm amazed the display didn't shatter under my^WHis foot.
Nah, really, it wasn't me. It'd be a good story if it was, but I keep mine in a lappy bag.
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|*laughs*
Ouch. He's buying his own now, right?
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|First an iMac knockoff and now a Toughbook knockoff.
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|I hope someone does try firing guns at it and then asks for their money back.
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|the gunfire bit depends on where hit and how far it penetrates, I believe.
It does not specify that the lappy be undamaged.
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|Booooooooring.
I want it at least Uzi-proof.
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|Here's the 2-ton lappy you requested, Sir.
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|Now we don't need an Under Seige 2 moment. "never thought about that" guess it wasn't a toughbook. Frankly the reviews on the Toughbook is that it sucks. Not that it can't tolerate a drop, but that it's so slow.. who would buy one.
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|Duh...military, oil & gas companies, utilities, mining, fire & rescue, police, public safety, EMS, medical services, construction, industrial, anyone that works outside and does not want to have to replace a laptop every other week.
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|Ugly. Please die. ty
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|These are the best looking laptops on the market that meet or exceed the MIL-STD 810F standard.
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|Well you go take your pretty little white MacBook to the work site and tell me how that goes.
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|They are good looking. Don't know if they are the toughest, though. There is Rugged Notebooks, Inc., Itronix and others that have been around a lot longer. Mil-Spec is nothing special these days. To compete you have to "exceed" 810F, plus some other electrical and industrial standards for EMI and atmospheric tests.
The rugged thing is nothing new and has been around for 10+ years, but everyone always goes gaga over brand name stuff.
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|You are right. Lots of comments here about the fact they are heavy and not too pretty. This is where the market is headed though...Panasonic knows it, and now Dell.
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