Largely, computers cannot withstand any conditions beyond the ambient air conditioned atmosphere of the average office. Spill a drop of water on your computer or subject it to excessive heat, and the chances are you will be staring at a blank screen and swearing at your machine fairly swiftly. Those who expect their computers to stand up to more testing conditions will need to look for a rugged pc or a rugged transport PC. These are specifically designed to be operated in harsh environments such as extreme temperatures or wet and dusty conditions. The alternative to using a rugged embedded PC is to use a regular machine that has been upgraded for this kind of use. However, these are usually inferior substitutes, as machines specifically designed to be put under pressure will always be stronger models.
There is sometimes confusion between rugged and ‘hardened’ computers, which share the same design robustness. The two terms can be interchangeable, but the term hardened is often applied to computers which can withstand even harsher conditions than a rugged PC. These computers are available in many different forms, from laptops and desktop units to specially designed models. The kinds of design features that define a ruggedised pc would probably render a standard office system non-functional after a certain amount of time.
Vehicle environments such as utility trucks are particularly suitable for this kind of machine, as the vibration and jolts that are often unavoidable would cause certain failure in most portable computer systems. Rugged laptops, notebooks and tablets are made of magnesium alloy metals which are designed to be 20 times stronger than the plastic which is used on commercial laptops. The hard disk drive, which is usually particularly valuable to the user, are mounted with foam or reinforcing material to ensure that that will be able to withstand vibrations.
Those considering purchasing a rugged pc would be well advised to do some research first, as this is a fast-moving industry where new models are released frequently. Trade magazines and websites will be able to advise you on which rugged embedded PC or rugged transport PC is worthy of your investment. Durability is perhaps the most important consideration in this kind of purchase, as anyone investing in this kind of computer will be sorey disappointed if it fails to stand up to the kind of pressure it is expected to be able to cope with.
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