Which Laptop is Best For Extreme Users? One Out of Four Passes “Torture Test”

Whereas desktop computers lead sedentary, uneventful lives, laptops are the “Indiana Joneses” and “Lara Crofts” of the computer world. They get dropped, spilled on, left in hot cars, frozen, rained on, stepped on, and more.

Durabook, Itronix and Panasonic have special “armored” laptops for National Geographic writers, scientists studying global warming in the Antarctic and war correspondents in the world’s “hot spots.” Unless you work in one of these fields, chances are you won’t need anything this overbuilt. On the other hand, if a laptop is your primary machine, you’ll definitely want something sturdy.

Recently, four of the top PC-compatible laptop manufacturers submitted their latest models to a series of “torture tests.” Models tested were Dell‘s Latitude D620, Gateway’s NX560X, Hewlett-Packard Compaq NC6420 and Toshiba‘s Tecra M5-s433, all using Intel Core Duo processors running between 1.66 and 2 GHz. 

All four models demonstrated durability under a variety of abuses. The ultimate test, however, involved a 36-inch drop (about a meter) onto a piece of plywood atop a slab of concrete. While all four models continued to boot up and retain their data after “The Drop,” only one model – the Toshiba – remained fully functional.

Conclusion? While the Toshiba is definitely the durability champ, all four models have points in their favor, with Gateway’s having the lowest price tag and Dell’s having the most features. HP’s had a nice array of “goodies” as well, but is more expensive than the others.

Via Computer Shopper

Whereas desktop computers lead sedentary, uneventful lives, laptops are the “Indiana Joneses” and “Lara Crofts” of the computer world. They get dropped, spilled on, left in hot cars, frozen, rained on, stepped on, and more.

Durabook, Itronix and Panasonic have special “armored” laptops for National Geographic writers, scientists studying global warming in the Antarctic and war correspondents in the world’s “hot spots.” Unless you work in one of these fields, chances are you won’t need anything this overbuilt. On the other hand, if a laptop is your primary machine, you’ll definitely want something sturdy.

Recently, four of the top PC-compatible laptop manufacturers submitted their latest models to a series of “torture tests.” Models tested were Dell‘s Latitude D620, Gateway’s NX560X, Hewlett-Packard Compaq NC6420 and Toshiba‘s Tecra M5-s433, all using Intel Core Duo processors running between 1.66 and 2 GHz. 

All four models demonstrated durability under a variety of abuses. The ultimate test, however, involved a 36-inch drop (about a meter) onto a piece of plywood atop a slab of concrete. While all four models continued to boot up and retain their data after “The Drop,” only one model – the Toshiba – remained fully functional.

Conclusion? While the Toshiba is definitely the durability champ, all four models have points in their favor, with Gateway’s having the lowest price tag and Dell’s having the most features. HP’s had a nice array of “goodies” as well, but is more expensive than the others.

Via Computer Shopper