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Lenovo brands Thinkpad E15 Gen 3 as a 'Rugged laptop'.
It passed MIL-STD-810H tests.
Do you guys think E15 Gen 3 is indeed rugged? can it endure 20 hours of use per day through several years?
I'm a Dell M4800 laptop owner. M4800 is made out of real magnesium alloy body. It has endured 20 hours of use through past three years without a single blue screen error. But the laptop was manufactured in 2016 so I want to switch to another rugged laptop.
I'm concerned because E15 Gen 3 is made out of plastic and aluminum body.
and can I use Sabrent 4TB 4TB Rocket NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 and Sabrent 2TB Rocket NVMe PCIe M.2 2242 on E15 Gen 3? I want to get total 6 TB SSD.
Hey all! I’ve been on the thinkpad reddit a lil bit now (may or may not be the guy with a Selectric “running” ubuntu) but I wanted to get ya’lls thoughts on an often overlooked category of laptops: Rugged Laptops.
While I have a modern Thinkpad E14 Gen 5 that I use for day to day work, I’ve found it hard to convince myself to pick up an older, more durable model when I managed to get a Dell Rugged 5404 into my hands.
I still LOVE the older thinkpads - don’t get me wrong - but… would Ruggedized laptops be a fair thing for folks to consider for a durable, repairable, backwards port compatible machine?
I mean, its pretty serviceable. The RGB keyboard is replaceable (note: screws), and while it may not have a water channel built in, it is IP52 rated with port covers and everything.
Even the battery and 2.5 inch drive bay are hotswappable without tools. There’s no flimsy plastic clips when opening the bottom panel for in depth service either - just screws.
Plus… I mean it withstands a LOT of beating. You can punch the screen or shoot a bullet through it and it CAN stop it (wouldn’t guaruntee it but its tough)
Further note: Dual redundant ethernet ports, HDMI AND VGA ports, Express card slot, full size SD card that fits under the hatch, OD drive, dual redundant serial ports, etc.
They pop up for $100-200 on ebay every now and then. Not as cheap as some thinkpads, but solid workhouses nonetheless.
I know the general consensus is either “old thinkpad” or “go framework” and while I WANT both, there’s just some charm in my rugged that I can’t seem to let go. It seems to fit a lot of the checkboxes that people go got when looking at older thinkpads (serviceable, durable, long lasting) and… well I wondered if anyone else had tried them before or had a view on how they fit into the thinkpad values/repair space?
P.S. - The thing velcroed to the back of the laptop is my 2.5” Ubuntu external enclosure. Got fed up with Windows trying to brick things whenever I had two drives/partitions completely plugged in so… yea. I just plug and unplug it.
Is there an easier way? Probably. But I think it looks cool. Plus I can hang a keychain!
I am replacing a MS Surface Pro 4 and am looking for suggestions. I need something rugged and durable as this will be the PC that runs the timing software for races and will be subject to more then usual abuse. The surface tablet has been encased an Urban Armor Gear case as a reference. I would prefer to return to an x86 platform from arm, but either way Windows is required. A tablet or laptop convertible would be nice, but not required. 8gb RAM at minimum, 3+ USB ports (more is better!), smaller profile, and good to great battery life required. Budget: trying to keep it around $600 US, but could push up to/over 1K if it's an ideal option.
I personally just got a lenovo yoga 4 for myself that I've enjoyed and could fit the bill, but it's a little shy on USB ports and has been hard crashing regularly. Stability is paramount as race events will be relying on this device.
Thinking of getting a rugged dell latitude for college... is that weird or overkill? Not a warehouse worker
For added context: I need it for daily programming and virtualization
Hi all! Having a very difficult time with my current msi GS76 stealth out in the field of my work… gpu fan just died on me. At work we have a multitude of rugged laptops… I started thinking any chance of a rugged laptop with semi good gaming performance? My search has not gone well so far…
Basically have been looking at the Dell extreme rugged laptops and the panasonic toughbook 55 but they dont have good graphics and I’m aware dgpus dont really exist in this market… Just hoping to get something better than the iris xe if possible..
Budget probably around $5-7k but probably looking for used if it’ll lower costs. I mean I spent about 3 on the msi but if its not rugged seems like it’ll die out here.
Any help is appreciated… I’d hate to have to lug around a heavy pelican case “portable desktop” around. If all comes to fail that’s probably what I’m going to have to build instead.
Don't know if a Thinkpad would survive in your field of work but if they do, the Thinkpad X1 Extreme comes with dgpus but its battery life is practically non existent. If not, have you considered using an external GPU? If I remember correctly Dell rugged latitudes have thunderbolt ports meaning that a variety of eGPU enclosures should work with it. This is assuming that you don't need the GPU power while out and about of course.
Perhaps a rugged laptop with thunderbolt 4 and then grab an egpu setup using thunderbolt 4. This gives you a rugged laptop and the ability to game.
Hi. I am looking for a laptop i could get in a field and with plenty of USB ports, while having Graphics card. That could handle some games
I need to uave laptop that i can take anywhere and perhaps even survive a small drop if something goes wron
I’m willing to go used or refurbished and even have to wait awhile to find the right price, but I’m hoping to find something under $300 at least (under $200 would be ideal). You can occasionally find used T430s on eBay as low as $100, but I don’t know what the comparable “you can occasionally find this really good deal” prices are for Rugged Dells and Toughbooks. I just want to be able to read, type essays, play around on FL Studio 12, and know it will survive taking a beating (the more beating, the better. For a little context here, I wear Tru XTREME pants instead of jeans on a daily basis because they have built–in knee pads and I’ve notoriously ripped holes in the knees of every pair of pants I’ve ever worn). What should I be aiming at, in your opinion?
I have a Lenovo X220. It's a bit smaller than the 4xx series, but that's a really good thing. The Keyboard is still full size and screen is great. It's lightweight and small, but doesn't feel small thanks to the big keyboard. I think you can get it as a touchscreen/swivel screen but I have the vanilla non-touch screen version. I'm typing on it right now and it's working as well as the day I bought it - in 2011. In that 5 years time, I've had to replace a battery and re-image a few times, but that is all I've done. The build quality is top notch. Metal hinges, a sturdy/solid keyboard. It just doesn't feel all 'plasticy' like some of the Dell's I've seen.
I plan on using this thing as long as I can. With minimal care she'll last me another 4-5 years. This thing is a TANK. I really can not speak highly enough about the build quality.
ebay has them for just under $200. I'd recommend you get one with an SSD drive and probably non-touch screen if you want durability.
Good luck!
Toughbooks are known as most rugged field & jobsite quality PC's, but are heavy, bulky & more expensive. Thinkpad T series known for classic corporate field quality, Dell Latitude series next best. Per other comments, some smaller Lenovo, Toshiba, Dell models are well built, lighter weight, hold up almost as well. I've never used a Lenovo X or Yoga myself, but know several others in field work who say they work well. Whatever you choose, SSD is recommended, do it keep backed up to an external USB drive.
As the title says. I'm a shipboard marine engineer, and I'm looking for a computer that is durable enough that I don't need to be concerned about babying it aboard a working cargo vessel, including the occasional excursion out into the engine room if I need to access manuals for which I lack a hard copy.
I'd also like something that can manage some light gaming. Perfectly content with low graphics settings, but I'd like to be able to play relatively recent games at a reasonable (30+ fps) framerate.
Ten years ago when I was working as a contractor in Afghanistan, there were plenty of options in business-class ultrabooks (I ended up with a Lenovo X220, which ran Mass Effect 3 without difficulty) but everything I'm seeing there now seems either underpowered or fragile looking.
Requirements:
-14" or smaller screen size
-No heavier than 4 pounds
-Durable, to the degree that Dell Latitude or Lenovo X and T series normally are.
-Strongly prefer easily user-replaceable RAM and SSD so I can upgrade them myself.
-Powerful enough for light gaming.
-Don't care about thickness.
-Budget is fairly flexible.
Thanks!
Searching for a pretty straightforward laptop that has good battery life, sturdy and compact. I don't need ultra fast processing power or high-end sound. I'm going to be having this open on a table in the kitchen while I test recipes in a kitchen. I'll be looking at CL or ebay Thank you
EDIT... I'd also consider a tablet if it checks all the boxes as I already have a BT keyboard/mouse etc
* **Total budget and country of purchase:**
USA and looking for ~15 laptops between ~500-1000 USD per
* **Do you prefer a 2 in 1 form factor, good battery life or best specifications for the money? Pick or include any that apply.**
We're looking for 2-in-1 laptops for our techs in the field.
**How important is weight and thinness to you?**
Since our techs tend to be rough on equipment, the more durable the better.
**Which OS do you require? Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, Linux.**
Windows 10
**Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.**
11-14 inches
**Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.**
Nope
**If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?N/A
**Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?**
We''ll need SD card readers as well as the option of buying cases for them.
**Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.**
Really the focus is on durability and being able to repair them in-house. Thanks!
Rugged laptops seem to be a very niche market, especially in the US. For good reason, retail prices for these things are extremely expensive. Not everyone has the budget of a government or a utility corporation. I’ve seen few of them worth noting on ebay and I may or may not getting one soon. I’ve seen a mixed reviews for regular consumers. Weather its panasonic, getac, durabook, even a X series lenovo, seem to all be considered extremely durable. Issues you have in encountered? What upgrades/customizations have you made? Price? Specs? OS? Whatever you want to share.