X500 Is Getac's Mightiest Rugged Notebook

Getac might not act often, but when it does, it definitely knows how to garner whatever attention it needs to move forwards, such as, in this case, launching its strongest rugged notebook yet.

Although they don't get released often, rugged laptops definitely exist and are the only ones capable of withstanding hard weather and any other sort of harsh environment conditions.

Still, the amount of work put into making a machine as durable as possible would be wasted if its performance made it useless.

Getac definitely did not let its EPEAT gold-certified X500 even get close to having performance drawbacks, having made a point of using a powerful Intel CPU, namely the Core i7 2.66 GHz CPU, among other things.

Users versed in such things will know that Intel processors have the Turbo Boost technology, which dynamically overclocks used cores whenever one or more are underused.

In this case, the 2.66 GHz chip can jump to 3.33 GHz, while the 4MB of Intel Smart Cache memory makes sure things run smoothly and quick.

Getac also put in the NVIDIA GeForce GT330M MXM GPU (512 MB VRAM) and a 15.6-inch, 1000 NITs QuadraClear high definition display.

Memory and storage aren't specified exactly in the press release, beyond mentioning two storage devices (RAID compatible).

Either way, all the hardware, complete with multi-touch and various connectivity capabilities, is packed inside a case that has everything needed to withstand the rigors of military use, even on the battlefield (shock, vibration, dust, water and even heat/fire resistance is conferred by the rugged case).

"Designed for our core military customers, the new X500 is the most powerful and configurable rugged notebook we’ve ever made,” said Jim Rimay, president, Getac.

"New from the ground up, the X500, with it’s signature design, combines the best features of our B300, M230 and A790 models all while providing over twice the performance of the A790."