1. Magnesium Casings. Magnesium is 10-20 times tougher than ABS plastic. This tougher casing provides significant protection against accidental drops.
2. Shock-Mounted Hard Disk Drives. The disk drive in a ruggedized computer is mounted on springs, on rubber or on a gel-like substance. This allows the disk to float so-to-speak.
3. Additional Cushioning and Padding. There are additional steps taken inside the computer to protect the vital components from drops and vibration. There may be foam rubber, Styrofoam or other cushioning materials.
4. Hardened Glass. Many ruggedized computers use hardened glass for the display screen. It is not unbreakable, but is much harder to shatter and scratch than the regular glass in a commercial computer.
5. Sealed Against the Elements. Most semi-rugged computers offer sealed keyboards and display screens. This provides protection against liquid spills. The fully-rugged computers take this a step further and seal the entire computer.
6. Outdoor-Viewable Display Screens. The displays in commercial, plastic computers are designed for indoor use and are not bright enough to be seen outdoors. All fully-rugged computers offer the option of anti-glare sunlight readable display screens.
7. Intrinsically-Safe. Some rugged computers are designated "Intrinsically-Safe". This means that they are guaranteed not to emit a spark and thus can be safely used around hazardous materials or flammable gases.
8. Three-Year Warranty. Most ruggedized computers come automatically with a three, or sometimes even five, year warranty as opposed to the one year warranty provided with commercial computers.
For more information regarding rugged mobile computing visit www.groupmobile.com or call us at 1-866-RUGGED-8.
