Bulletproof laptop takes a hit for a U.S.soldier in Iraq..

In 2003, I toted a teeny-tiny Panasonic Toughbook laptop through the mountains of southeastern Turkey and into the war of Iraq. It was my constant companion and I did all my daily reporting on it. While small, it was a dream to use, living up to its name. The only problem I had with it--other than it not being a Macintosh--was a surly "I" key.
But I wasn't the only one served well by the CF-M34. It's used by the U.S. armed forces--the 82nd Airborne Division, to be exact--and it was one of these laptops that saved a soldier's life.

In April 2003, a soldier was carrying a CF-M34 Toughbook on his hip in an unarmored Humvee. A 7.62mm round ripped through the vehicle's door and buried itself in the computer. Thanks to the Toughbook's magnesium casing, the bullet pierced the outer case, cracked through the LCD's glass screen and cratered the left side of the keyboard. But it didn't make it all the way through and it didn't enter the soldier.The executives at Panasonic's Kobe, Japan, factory love this story. They told it to me several times during a recent tour of their production floor.This is a big place, with 350 employees and 290,625 sq. ft. of floor space. There are multiple assembly lines for each of the Toughbook's 11 models. Like factories everywhere, it's a beehive of activity. Tired-looking employees piece together the machines that are designed to work through wind, rain and snow.The factory can produce 2500 units a day, but Matsu#a, which owns the Panasonic brand, wants to bump that up to at least 2875 units a day by the end of 2004.

But what is a "rugged notebook"? It is defined by a set of design features that conform to Department of Defense (DOD) test procedures. These tests are:
Drop Test: While turned off, the laptops are dropped onto each face, edge and corner for a total of 26 drops from a height of 36 in. The drop surface is a 2-in.-thick sheet of plywood over a steel plate over concrete. After each drop, the laptops are visually inspected and booted up.
Vibration Test: In the vibration test, the computers are clamped to an aluminum plate and subjected to 0.04 g2/Hz at 20 to 1000 Hz and minus 6 dB/Octave at 1000 to 2000 Hz for 1 hour per axis.
Water Resistance: This test subjects the laptops to 15 minutes of dripping and splashing water with the lid open and the unit operating.
Humidity: The computers are sealed in a chamber for 10 24-hour cycles with the temperature cycled between 86� and 140�, with the relative humidity at 95 percent. After the fifth and 10th cycles, the computers are booted up and tested.
High And Low Temperatures: The computers are again sealed in a chamber for a number of 24-hour cycles and subjected to temperatures ranging from minus 60� to 160�.
Altitude: Finally, the laptops are subjected to the equivalent of 15,000 ft., which is the DOD standard for the highest altitude of the cargo hold of its military airplanes.
I wouldn't be surprised to see all laptops ruggedized in five years or so. After all, laptops are supposed to be carried around, and anything that's portable is going to see wear and tear.So, if you're looking for a tough notebook computer that can take a bullet--or at least handle the trials of everyday life--think about the Toughbook line. I know it will stand the pounding that would flatten other notebooks

My Dream Super Rugged Laptop,though has To be The Extreemly Gorgeouse Go Book 3..
Launched in September 2004, the GoBook� III is the new standard in STATE-OF-THE-ART fully rugged wireless laptops available today. The GoBook III is more than the world's most advanced wireless rugged mobile computer. It is proof of Itronix's industry-leading legacy in the development, implementation and support of computing products and services that improve the productivity of mobile workers, worldwide. Highlights of this ground-breaking rugged product follow:

The GoBook III was developed with multiple input options, a first-class graphics capability, upgradeable memory, and a "no tools needed" removable shock-mounted hard drive. Rain or shine, day or night, the GoBook III is packed with features that make field computing as simple as possible. A NiteVue� glow-in-the-dark keyboard and TFT XGA Outdoor transmissive display overcome the problems of nighttime data entry and full-sun viewing.
Features one of Intel's most high performance processors�the Intel� Pentium� M processor 745 (2MB cache, 1.8 Ghz, 400 Mhz front side bus)
Intel Pentium M processor 745
Intel Centrino processor Mobile Tech

Complies with Ingress Protection rating of IP54 for dust and rain intrusion sealing
Its 12.1" Outdoor-Viewable Transmissive XGA display comes with built-in Touchscreen capability (30% brighter than other outdoor viewable standard displays). Graphics/Video Advanced management capabilities through the ATI MOBILITY RADEON� with 32-bpp color rendering and 3D graphics and dedicated 64MB DDR SDRAM
Ati Radeon Graphics Tech.
One of the few wireless notebook computers to simultaneously support up to three radio technologies�W-WAN (GPRS/EDGE or CDMA/1xRTT), wireless LAN (802.11 b/g) or PAN Bluetooth.
GPS Innovation!! Optinal high performance integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) module is positioned on the top edge of the display for optimum perfomance and satellite access,through a custom internal helical antenna.

This is One Laptop I would not hasitate sleeping with..The Epitamy Of Brilliant Reliable Technology.. I'm in LOVE...........

But as we know it just doesn't stop there now more recentl there's what they call Laser Beam Profilers
Spiricon has introduced laser beam profilers using FireWire cameras, called LBA-FW. FireWire cameras connect directly to laptop computers without a frame-grabber card, providing a very portable beam-analysis instrument. Both CCD and pyroelectric cameras are provided, covering the complete spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared. Cameras are either 12-bit or 14-bit digital.
Until now, making a compact and portable laser beam profiler has been frustrated by the camera interface to a laptop computer. A frame-grabber card was required for both analog and digital cameras. A PCI-to-PCMCIA laptop adapter box was a partial solution, but the large and stiff parallel, multiple-wire cable was less than ideal. FireWire cameras solve this dilemma using a thin, flexible FireWire cable.
Multiple FireWire cameras can operate on one FireWire bus, enabling multiple simultaneous laser beam profilers. This is especially useful for single-shot, high-power lasers when a user wants to capture a single event in multiple locations in the optical train. Cameras easily capture CW and pulsed lasers beams.
Spiricon's LBA-FW uses industry standard magapixel CCDs. Using Spiricon's fluorescent plates, lasers in the UV can be inexpensively analyzed. Spiricon's Ultracal baseline offset compensation continues to be the industry standard for accurate measurements.
These machines are going at the retail price of 5000$,so I would suggest checking your balans first..

almost makes those $300 ashtrays and $1400 toilet seats worth it

Tough books are great. You can run over them in a truck and they take it. Like the old Timex commercial. "It takes a licking, but keeps on ticking."

Hahah there we are, new body armour just strap a load of laptops to ya

I wonder why this hasn't been done earlier ?Doesn't the military have its own brand of notebooks which are "tough"?
Nice piece of info BTW! Doesn't it get heavier the tougher it gets?

Originally posted by IAF101
Nice piece of info BTW! Doesn't it get heavier the tougher it gets?

a soldier was carrying a CF-M34 Toughbook on his hip in an unarmored Humvee.

yeah, sure it does. you can use lightweight materials, but in general it would. he was in a humvee though, it dont matter.