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A quick google came up with the following website: http://www.ruggednotebooks.com/
They have notebooks with sealed keyboards, low reflectivity (especially greate for the desert conditions :) ).

I'm the IT Manager of a large construction company and my employees put a lot of strain on their laptops (jobsite's are very dusty and whatnot)

I've looked into the Panasonic Toughbook series and they aren't nearly as bulletproof as everyone thinks they are....at least the older ones weren't....

Dell does make a single hardened model: the Latitude ATG 630. It has all the requirements of a hardenend unit but from a Cost Benefit point of view, the extra $900.00 for the body and internal armor, the piddly 32GB Solid State HD, and the bright-light viewable screen.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_atg_d630?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04

The only drawback with these machines is they come with integrated graphics, but that might not be an issue for you. You can get it with either XP or Vista, and they have some Ubuntu drivers listed on their support page.

You can also look at these guys: http://www.ruggednotebooks.com/ but I think that would probably be overkill

I don't know if the breakable issue is such a big deal for HS students (I think it depends on the HS). But if it is then there are very sturdy laptops that can handle drops, are waterproof...

http://www.terralogic.co.uk/
http://www.dolch.com/html/notepac.html
http://www.ruggednotebooks.com/index.asp
http://www.panasonic.ca/English/Office/notebook/to ugh_story.asp
http://www.argonautcomputer.com/laptops.htm

agreed. While it would be easy enough for a handheld manufacturer to make a super-tough version for outdoor enthusiats who are willing to take on the extra bulk, I just expect a design that is conscious of the fact that this thing will be lugged around in my pocket everyday, will experience a variety of temperature changes, some potential static charge when I wear my flannel undies, and might experience the occasional drop or get squashed a tad if I happen to get a lap dance.

Ouch, poor laptop. Might I suggest a Rugged Notebook for your abuse? Mostly shock proof, spill proof, even waterproof(?). I still don't think it'd help if you accidentally press the power cable against the wrong connecters on the back, though...

Bull, Dell places fall limiters on your parts selection to increase their profit margins.

Example, Pentium 4 Laptops are only available with Geforce4 video cards unless you get the one (/. is SOOO going to mess up that link, it is a link to the Inspirion 8200) model that they have that comes with a video card that is NOT insanly powerful AND has a Pentium 4 chip on it.

This model also happens to need a lot of 'other' upgrades to bring it up to the range of the next cheapest laptop and then you end up paying the same price (or greater) then the bottom most default configuration of the next laptop one level up but without a good video card.

it is insane.

Their Pentium 3 based laptops are decent enough, but for anybody who wants to do a lot of CPU intensive work and NO gaming AT ALL, well hell, heh.

That and they only sell Intel kit, Dell has a significant dedication towards caring more about what Intel says then what AMD says.

Getting a well built laptop is NOT easy, and often times to get a REALLY well built one you have to deal with yee as old technology.

See Here for an example of this tendency. Yeesh. Who knew that waterproofing could cost so much? ^_^

Here is another example

Yeesh. That much money and it can just stand a water STREAM. Ugh. Nothing about full immersion. :(

Anybody know of an x86 laptop that has a 15" screen, 1ghz+ chip, assloads of ram, and is fully submersible? No? Until they make one I am not buying a laptop. :(

dude, that's sweet. I was going to get one of these or these but you changed my mind.

welp its not the same co - but here is one... with an easy to member url to boot (pun intended)
ruggednotebooks.com