Rugged Notebooks Guide

This may seem incredible and impossible to do, but many computer technophiles are going “green” when they travel with a laptop in tow these days. If you are familiar with “extreme” or remote computing this may not seem too far fetched. Let’s not forget that many professionals enjoy rugged recreational activities, but just can’t always leave the office behind.

The idea of solar power for remote computing is finally catching on. It is working for everyone from the cross-country cyclist and weekend camper, to regular working stiffs that have to rough it on the job.

Solar power is not just a possibility, but could be a necessity for those that go remote. Solar panels are used to collect solar energy for direct use or storage in batteries to power up later.

Here is how solar, or photovoltaic energy is realized from the “How Stuff Works” website. If you are not an electrical engineer or scientist of some sort, don’t be surprised if this does make light bulbs go off in your head. You can always come back and do further research on the Internet.

“The solar cells that you see on calculators and satellites are photovoltaic cells or modules (modules are simply a group of cells electrically connected and packaged in one frame). Photovoltaics, as the word implies (photo = light, voltaic = electricity), convert sunlight directly into electricity. Once used almost exclusively in space, photovoltaics are used more and more in less exotic ways. They could even power your house. How do these devices work?

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is currently the most commonly used. Basically, when light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor. The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely. PV cells also all have one or more electric fields that act to force electrons freed by light absorption to flow in a certain direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by placing metal contacts on the top and bottom of the PV cell, we can draw that current off to use externally. For example, the current can power a calculator. This current, together with the cell’s voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), defines the power (or wattage) that the solar cell can produce.”

To continue, we will discuss the smaller hand held devices for cell phones and PDAs, all the way to powerful self-contained and fully remote commercial solar systems. Here are several links that describe the use of solar power for mobile computers and other wireless devices from the Do-It-Yourself perspective.

How-To-Green-Your-Electronics:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/how-to-green-your-electronics.php

DIY Solar System for $180:

http://blogs.experience.com/Patrick/2007/01/portable-solar-power-for-1_.html

How To – Laptop Solar Power:

[http://rmowe.home.att.net/photovoltaic.html]

It is amazing what is already available and out in the marketplace for solar power options. As energy costs and energy conservation continue to garner interest as mainstream issues, we should see the rapid development of solar integrated design features. Soon it may be a standard feature and part of everyday portable computers.

Let’s hope so, because going green is good for everyone, not just an intriguing proposition for rugged notebook users and remote computing,

Hand Held Solar Kits

Solar kits are designed to be self-contained. They combine solar cells, rechargeable batteries, and a wide selection of cables. These won’t power a portable laptop yet unless it’s a miser on energy, but they will keep you connected with a limitless power supply for your cell phones, Smart phones, PDAs, and smaller devices. As long as the sun is shining, or the batteries are charged up, you will have power.

Many purists will argue anything solar is not really “green”, either because it will never be energy positive (will never generate more power than it took to manufacture), or because it has a battery, making it environmentally unfriendly by default.

Arguments aside, at issue for rugged and remote users is a reliable power source, and having some sense of being connected. So, solar charging devices can be considered either as “convenience efficient” or “emergency efficient”. Don’t take this as a challenge to engineer types that will want to get their slide rules out, just a notation that these solar kits are an honest attempt at the “plus” column for reducing the human carbon footprint. Wider adoption and acceptance of new technology usually results in greater efficiencies.

Two promising examples that have had good reviews are the reasonably affordable products from Solar Style Dot Com, and the pricier Solio Dot Com. Do a search on YouTube and you will find many videos of Solio in action. If it did not work, we would know it by now.

Portable Solar Power Docking Stations

The idea of using solar power in remote situations is nothing new. The question for us is how well, and how fast, a solar power station will power up your notebook or laptop. Other considerations are the size, weight, and portability. You will find many products in this category, but few online reviews that confirm that these products will actually perform as advertised. The best source I have found for honest reviews in this regard is TreeHugger.com.

There are very few winners in the category of a portable solar power docking station to efficiently run a laptop computer. One that does get good reviews on the subject is the “PowerDock System”.

Do an online search for PowerDock System, and you will find many retailers and dealers at different price points. So be patient and shop around. Your Mobile Desk Dot Com is the best resource for a complete descriptions of the PowerDock product line. These include from the least expensive to the most expensive: PowerDock Lite, PowerDock Basic. PowerDock Executive, and PowerDock Elite.

Power Dock Systems are relatively expensive, and range in price form a few hundred dollars on up to $450.00. The PowerDock is an attractive product design an weighs in from 5 to 13.5 pounds.

Another potential winner is the Notepower Solar Laptop Charger from Sierra Solar Systems. You will see the Notepower Solar Charger pop up along with the PowerDock in a search engine query for these type of solar products. Plug in the SmartAdapter with extended 10 foot cord included, and start charging or topping off your computer battery as long as sunshine is available.

Once again, this is not a review recommendation, but the Notepower has had favorable comments by TreeHugger.com and other reliable sources, giving no pause to mention it here. The 3 lb. Notepower is not designed with a storage battery, but the 20-30 watts of power will charge and run most laptop computers, according to the specs.

You may not consider the Notepower as a true solar docking station, but it is an attractive portable solar package for a temporary power solution. Originally priced around $250.00.

Commercial and Military Grade Solar Power Systems

Some of the best remote solar power systems are designed to meet military standards. You could even say that anything designed for military use is pretty much guaranteed to perform. These systems will compliment anything in the fully rugged notebook computer category.

Energy Technologies, Inc. in Ohio, USA makes a wide assortment of military standard power equipment for field use. Things like field deployable inverters, converters, UPS, engine-generators, along with solar power stations with the trade name Tactical Solar Products.

The product features for these Tactical Solar Products include various combinations of charge controllers, power storage batteries, AC/DC power adapters, multiple DC outputs, and a large selection of folding solar panels. The specific product line is the Solar Suitcase I, Solar Suitcase II, Solar Suitcase III, Solar Suitcase IV, along with the folding SolarTacticalPanels.

Solar Suitcases I-IV can charge Lead Acid, Li-Ion, NiCad, NiMH & other types of rechargeable batteries. The nearly bullet proof folding solar collection panels are available from a 15 Watt to a hefty 330 Watt output panel set. This is “green power”, but you are out of luck if you prefer a color other than the two camouflage patterns available.

You will have to call ETI for costs, as product pricing is not published on the ETI websites.

Computing Solar Power Wrap-up

We have looked at several of the many possibilities for solar power, and going “green” with remote computing. The possibilities are becoming more reliable and starting to make more economic sense. You can try to go solar and Do-It-Yourself, or for the less technically inclined there is a wide range of retail and commercial applications for sale. We have attempted to highlight a few of the proven DIY options, and find some of the readily available products, and systems from various online reviews.

Some of the solar power resource websites you might want to keep an eye on include: Altapower.com, RadioLabs.com, and CTSolar.com. There obviously are many more you will find now and in the future with your favorite search engine.

As computing devices become smaller and more mobile, and with nascent technology soon to push the boundaries of wireless networks, solar power could prove to be a factor in your computing future.

Michael Beck is a blogger, author and digital nomad. He writes The Digital Nomads Blog and The Rugged Notebooks Blog, and contributes to other blogs that deal with the paradigm shift to mobility and wireless technology.

http://digital-nomads.blogspot.com

http://theruggednotebooksblog.com

If your job requires you to be outdoors on a regular basis you may want to consider getting a rugged laptop computer. Information is vital to almost every task in this day and age and being without your computer can cause delays and losses in both time and money. Having to send your laptop in for repairs costs more than just the cost of having the computer fixed when you factor in the lost time, productivity and ability to do your work on it. A rugged laptop is built for your lifestyle and meant to handle even the toughest outdoor situations.

Rugged laptops are specially designed to withstand the elements. They have sealed keyboards and casings that do not allow any moisture to enter the computer so they are protected from various weather hazards including rain, snow, sleet and hail. It is important to keep in mind that even excess humidity can cause damage to a plastic laptop, but a rugged laptop will keep the excess moisture from getting inside and destroying your components or screen. When your job requires you to work “no matter what” you absolutely need a ruggedized laptop that can stand up to any kind of conditions.

A rugged laptop is also made from tougher materials to withstand shocks such as being dropped or bumping around from driving in a truck. For military personnel, law enforcement, construction workers and anyone who spends a good deal of time working outdoors, a ruggedized laptop is an absolute must. These rugged notebooks are also designed with extra protection against vibrations so the vital components of your computer including the hard drive, display will remain in good functioning condition even after regular driving in difficult terrain or in a construction vehicle.

You can use your ruggedized laptop for any applications you would use a standard laptop for, although you may not have quite as much speed. Something has to give in order to make the laptop weather resistant and durable; there is less air flow and heat displacement so the components are usually a little slower. For people in these types of demanding professions, this is a welcome sacrifice to have a computer that lasts despite the constant abuse they put it through. A fast computer that breaks the first time it falls to the ground or gets rained on won’t be fast at all.

Obviously, a rugged laptop is the only logical choice for anyone who works outside. These computers cost a little more, but the durability and reliability they offer more than compensates for the difference in price. You could easily go through two plastic laptops during the lifetime of one ruggedized laptop. They are several manufacturers of rugged laptops and each offer the features mentioned above such as weatherproofing and vibration protection along with their own unique benefits and style.

When choosing which rugged notebook is right for you, you will want to consider where you will be using it, what applications you need to run, the price and the overall look of the computer. There are several styles to choose from so finding the right one for you should be a breeze.

Visit http://www.OCRuggedLaptops.com for more information about the rugged laptop industry.

What is a Toughbook?

Toughbooks are a brand of extremely durable mobile computers (laptops) that are manufactured by Panasonic. Panasonic is a huge name in the electronics industry so I’m sure that you’ve heard of them. They make all kinds of things, from blenders to 3D plasma TVs to Toughbooks, and they’re great at what they do. When they decided to plunge into the rugged laptop market, they did the same as they do with everything else; they provided the best solution possible.

Most people have had their fair share of experience working with a laptop, and as most of you know, they aren’t the most durable pieces of equipment. The screens wobble around, keys pop off the keyboard, the case gets scratched, etc.. Since these problems are easily fixed/repaired, usually for a relatively small price, they are not the main concern. Since your laptop is most likely mobile and travels with you, it is often subjected to being dropped, having things spilled on them, and large amounts of dust are sucked into the computer through its fans.

These common issues might be easy to avoid if you’re able to control the environment that your laptop is subjected to, but what if that is out of your hands? That is the problem that is faced by many working professionals in the EMT, Police, and Fire departments, as well as many others, which I will most likely detail in my next post. I’m sure it is easy for you to imagine situations where the individuals using the laptop need that computer to get their job done but cannot guarantee that their equipment will be treated with the delicateness that you would use when handling your own laptop in your living room. These are the people that need something like a Panasonic Toughbook.

What makes a Toughbook Special?

Toughbooks are different because they aren’t built to look stylish and sleek like a laptop that you would want to purchase for personal use, they are built to withstand abuse. These laptops are not branded as a Toughbook unless they pass various tests and examinations that measure the amount of abuse that they are capable of withstanding. There are generally three difference families of Toughbooks, the Fully-Rugged, the Semi-Rugged, and the Business-Rugged, which vary in degrees of “tough” that they must be able to show in order to be a part of the family. The Fully-Rugged usually weigh more but are the most rugged of the bunch, followed by the semi-rugged, and then the business rugged. In the future, my posts will go into each family and the tests that are necessary for these laptops to meet the requirements of a Toughbook.

Who Needs Them?

Now that you are familiar with the “what” of Toughbooks, it is time to learn about the “who.” So you already know that Panasonic sells a very rugged line of laptops that they call “Toughbooks,” which are ready to take any kind of punishment you send their way. In most cases, these Toughbooks cost significantly more money for the same amount of computing power that you would get from your average laptop. Exactly who is it that is willing to spend the extra money to have a ruggedized laptop, and why?

Communications

When a communications network has problems, it is most likely going to have a detrimental effect on every part of their work flow. Making sure that they are reliant on computers that aren’t going to let them down ensures that they will be able to have their network back up and running no time. Because Toughbooks are so durable, they can be brought out into practically any type of climate without having to worry about being damaged.

Police Officers

I’m sure you’ve seen the laptops that police officers have mounted in their vehicles. These laptops are almost certainly Toughbooks. When police officers are patrolling around in their squad cars, they are doing more than looking for people who are speeding; they are typing license plate numbers into their Toughbooks in search of drivers with expired licenses, insurance and registration violations, and other outstanding criminal warrants. This system is much more practical than relying on two-way radio calls to busy dispatchers, it is an almost immediate wave of information. Additionally, this information presents the officer with a better understanding of what type of person he is dealing with when he has to make contact with a suspect, such as whether or not the suspect is believed to be armed or dangerous.

EMT

When emergency medical transport is required, the patient is most likely going to be in a situation where they need emergency medical attention. In an effort to make sure that the care they are provided with is as best as it possible could be, the EMT professional needs to have access to the patient’s medical history. The government is pushing for all medical records to be recorded electronically, and these EMTs need a way of quickly accessing this information while they’re in the field. Using a laptop that is equipped with wireless internet capabilities is one possible solution. Obviously, the environments that they are going to be in when they need this information will not always be satisfactory, which means that they are going to need a very durable laptop that won’t let them down. Since Panasonic’s Toughbooks are the leading rugged mobile computing solution, they are an obvious choice in an environment such as this.

Others

You have been given a small sampling of a few of the different types of people who can benefit from using a Toughbook rather than your average laptop. These fields, however, are not the only areas where using a rugged laptop makes more sense. I’m sure that, after reading some of these examples, you can imagine some other situations that would be improved if a Toughbook were to be involved.

Telrepco Inc. is an authorized Panasonic reseller that offers great deals on new, used, and refurbished Toughbooks. Their refurbished Toughbooks are examined by their own in-house certified technicians who also take care of the repair services that they offer. For more information, visit Telrepco, a provider of Panasonic Toughbooks.