Rugged Computers, Worth the Price?
You may be wondering whether or not rugged computers are really worth the extra cost. The answer is yes; if you want to be sure that your computer equipment is going to work wherever you need it and whenever you need it, ruggedized hardware is really the only choice.
In order to qualify as rugged or semi-rugged, there are some tough standards these computers need to meet. They've been carefully designed to be protected against damage of all kinds. Let's take a look at a few of the regular, everyday situations where your computer might run into damage, and how a rugged machine would prevent the problem from occurring.
Drops and falls happen all the time - your notebook might fall from a security table or overhead storage during air travel, take a fall from a car seat or tumble around in a car bonnet, or just fall off the surface of your desk. It doesn't really matter how the drop happens - the outside casing, LCD, and hard drive could all be seriously damaged.
Moving vehicles that don't offer vibration protection could do a number on portable electronics, too. Vibration will make computers eventually develop all sorts of internal problems, including keyboard and hard drive failure - real dangers unless your computer is ruggedized.
Moisture and liquid are well known problems when it comes to electronics, and can ruin them. Rain, spilled drinks and condensation from temperature changes are all problems, and do damage to most parts of a portable computer. Look for rugged machines with moisture seals to prevent this problem.
It might seem like dust is less dangerous than liquid until you take a computer to a construction site, storage location or other area where there's a lot of dust in the air. Particulates can cause serious issues if you're dealing with moving parts. Disc drives and any other moving component may simply quit functioning.
Extreme temperatures will do a number on high quality electronics without proper insulation or heating and cooling mechanisms. If your car is stored or used outside, in an unheated car, or in a building without climate control, the electrical components and battery are going to suffer.
Choosing rugged computers instead of ordinary ones keeps you up and working no matter what kind of conditions you work in, and it helps prevent failure even in ordinary office situations. There are very few environments where humidity and temperature don't change, shock is never a danger, and dust is nonexistent.
Devices that do not use rugged technology have failure rates of around twenty-five percent per year, compared to one and a half percent for rugged devices. The numbers show that using rugged computers is the best way to feel safe and confident that you will be able to get your work done, no matter what.
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