Slashdot Mirror
A Few Baaaaaad Apples
SONET writes: "Why aren't all laptops made like this? I'm always putting my lappie in my otherwise empty briefcase. Even if it's just Photoshop/GIMP vapor, I really like the idea of a more rugged shell ... and the design is exceptionally clean. I know there are ruggedized laptops for the military and the like, but they really aren't for the average consumer as I envision something like this could be. The page is in Japanese, but the images really speak for themselves." I'm assuming it's just a mockup, the nicer to be proved wrong about ;) For the Exacto knife-and-firesale crowd though, an anonymous reader whispers that "Some guy modded his G4 Cube to have a Propaganda tile mapped inside the case. Looks excellent. That it does.
Bah, you call that rugged? Where's the waterproof keyboard and G-force ratings? Besides, a case doesn't protect hard-drives if they're not shock mounted.
Check out the Panasonic Toughbook.
Yep. You can tell O1 owners because their right arm is slightly longer than their left.
I still have mine around, somewhere.
The company I used to work for, Root International, sells these cases. I have one very similar to the one this gentlemen used for my laptop (thought it's just a case). They can build them to do just about anything, custom foam inserts, etc. They even sell cases just like that one for Palm Pilots, etc.
Random Musings
I kicked myself when I bought my iBook SE (lime green - 340MB RAM, 10 gig HD, OSX) because Apple came out with the next generation iBook soon after. I would have really liked to have the bigger screen and external display support. But after working with it for several months I was consoled. This thing is rugged and convenient! Rubberized case and a reinforced handle make it quite close to what this fellow has mocked up.
I stand firm behind my assertion that Apple makes the most durable and usable consumer grade notebooks available. OS X is still a little rough around the edges, but to have Mac classic and BSD running at the same time without major hakkij you can't beat it.
Why does everyone say you pay a premium with Apple computers? My bro's iBook was $1299 and it's *great*. My own PowerBook Titanium G4 was $2,599. I couldn't find a single laptop for less money that could beat the Ti that I bought. A $599 15" LCD that is the BEST in the industry (even the biased CNET says that).
I'm not trying to sell Apples here, I'm just saying, I work with them every day, and they're not overpriced, especially considering the greater number of features you get. Come on, even the Sony laptop doesn't have a standard CDRW (or even CD-ROM), you have to add that on.
The next comment I write will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
Don't be a moron. The PowerBook G4 is very fragile. I own one. I've had it since February 2001 and I always treat it with kid gloves. So far, I've smashed the screen latch by simply picking it up with one hand instead of two, I've ripped off all four rubber feet by dragging it a little ways across a tabletop, and I've nearly ruined the screen by grabbing it too hard. The PowerBook G4 is so flimsy that you can cause a short on the motherboard by lifting the machine in a particular way, and if you pinch the right side of the machine while a CD or DVD is spinning, you'll scratch the disc.
My self contained portable Linux server... :)
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~tw/serv.jpg
--------
It's OK to be social, just don't tell anyone about it.
It would sure make those 3am Taco Bell cravings much easier to deal with the next morning.
This space for rent.
I must respond to this:
:-D )
1. Don't need PCMCIA cards on the iBook. It has USB, firewire (IEEE1394), 56k, and 10/100 ethernet.
What PCMCIA would you commonly need besides this. (you say token-ring and I kill you.
2. Incorrect. The iBook does drive external monitors at 1024x768. It does this in a video mirroring method where the same display on the LCD is echoed on the monitor. If you could turn off the mirroring function, the external display could get 1600x1200 at millions of colors.
The Ti wasn't meant to compete with bland ole Dells, it was meant to show up the sleek VAIOs. Comparing Apple to Dell is like comparing apples and lemons. (yes, I meant lemons. Dells have consistently gone bad on me, in laptop, desktop, and server form. Lousy hardware that a Dell tech has to come running to replace while I sit in downtime.)