14 DAY TRIAL // Ideal for working in extreme conditions, such as at very high or very low temperatures, as well as in environments with high humidity and dust, rugged computers sometimes see the need to sacrifice functionality in order to increase reliability. Even so, GammaTech has been working on a model capable of offering end-users the performance and configurability required even while maintaining a high resistance to drops, spills and dust. The device line is based on the GAMMATECH DURABOOK D14RM and is known as the D14 E-Series.
“Our customers demand configurability, performance, durability and a reasonable price for their rugged notebook computers,” Steven Gau, president, says. “The GAMMATECH DURABOOK D14 E-Series now extends the GAMMATECH rugged product line and provides an affordable solution with greater value to our customers.”
The press release touts this product as “the first rugged notebook computer with one terabyte hard disk space.” The E-Series is made up of three systems, all powered by an an Intel Core 2 Duo processor at over 2GHz. As such, the notebooks are excellent for multitasking and are also efficient and productive.
The three laptops (E0, E1, E2) may come with either 7,200-rpm disks and RAID-0 drives, each option providing a higher performance and faster data access, respectively. The E0 uses the RAID-0 solution for a maximum data capacity and performance, whereas the E1 employs RAID-1 for eliminating data loss through real-time data backup and synchronization. Finally, the E2 has two separate 500GB hard disks for users interested in clear delimitation between their data types.
Of course, being rugged laptops, the E-Series devices are especially focused on durability. Tests using Military 810F guidelines proved that their magnesium alloy case protected them against drop, shock, spill and dust. Reliability features include a spill-resistant keyboard with an insulation system around it. The laptops also boast anti-shock materials around their vital components, whereas I/O rubber caps keep the dust away.
Other specifications of the devices include up to 8GB of RAM, GMA 4500 integrated graphics and a 14.1-inch display with a maximum resolution of either 1280x800 or 1440x900. The notebooks may come with six- or nine-cell batteries, with the latter allowing for a battery life of up to eight hours.
The entire GAMMATECH DURABOOK product line, including the D14 E-Series, is available through authorized GammaTech DURABOOK resellers. Product information may be found here. Prices have not been mentioned, but may be around $1,500, similar to the previous DURABOOK.
