There’s a wide range of Australian industries looking for the best quality rugged laptops but some of the biggest buyers of the technology include mining, oil & gas, defence and field service workers. They’re looking for reliable devices that will help workers do their jobs most efficiently.
Getac B360 Fully Rugged Laptop
Powered by a 10th Generation Intel Core processor and the option of six cores, the Windows 10 pro device can handle all tasks with ease.
The 5G-compatible B360 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 and optional 4G LTE and integrated GPS for fast connectivity, high-speed streaming and fewer drop-outs.
The Trusted Platform Module 2.0 checks for any signs of intrusion during system boot-up. Multi-factor authentications, including an HF RFID reader, smart card reader and face-authentication via Windows Hello provides more peace of mind that the device is suitable to handle the most sensitive data. High transfer speeds and increased bandwidth make it a device that can handle large volumes of data. The optional DVD or Blu-Ray allows for further data transmission, installation and back-up.
View the product here.
Pros
- Lightweight at 3.6kg
- 1400-nits screen for reading in full sunlight
Cons
- Small touchpad
- Limited colour reproduction
Panasonic Toughbook 40 Rugged Laptop
The Toughbook 40 is the successor of a line of highly regarded rugged laptops including the Toughbook CF-31 and CF-33. The state-of-the-art, 14-inch modular laptop can withstand the toughest environments. Panasonic claims it’s five times more reliable than other laptops, saving the organisation on the cost of downtime and repairs.
View the product here.
Pros
- Standard battery life is an impressive 18 hours and 36 hours with optional second battery
- Case built from magnesium alloy
- Fastest 4G modem in the industry
- 1200-nit multi-touch display for viewing detailed drawings in bright sunlight
Cons
- Heavy at 3.35kg and bulky
- Price can be on the more expensive side
Getac V110 Convertible Laptop
The Getac V110 is a rugged convertible laptop and tablet designed for field professionals. It features a robust magnesium alloy chassis, meeting MIL-STD-810G and IP65 standards for durability. Powered by a 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor and Windows 10 Pro, it offers strong performance.
Notably, it boasts an 800 Nits display with four advanced touch modes, ensuring visibility in bright sunlight and precision in various conditions. With hot-swappable dual batteries, it offers up to 13 hours of use.
Security is robust with NFC/RFID reader technology, a fingerprint scanner, and Windows 10 multi-factor identification. It comes with a full-size keyboard, making it efficient for typing.
Backed by a Bumper-to-Bumper warranty with accidental damage coverage, and extended support from Roaming Technologies, it's a reliable choice for challenging fieldwork.
View the product here.
Pros
- Very fast rugged device with strong performance
- Extended battery life
- Full-size keyboard
Cons
Getac X600 Fully Rugged Mobile Workstation
The 15.6 inch LumiBond screen mobile workstation fitted with Windows 11 Pro operating system makes multi-tasking easy in any environment. The Intel 11th gen i5/i7/i9 processor, (up to 8 cores), optional NVIDIA Quadro RTX3000 discrete graphics controller and 1,000 nits sunlight readable screen has made it suitable for working anywhere.
Its security features include Windows Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is standard, backed up by an optional Windows Hello face-authentication camera, fingerprint reader, and smart card reader. The Getac X600 is MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G, and IP66-certified to withstand temperatures from -29°C to 63°C. What’s more? Its dual batteries are hot-swappable.
View the product here
Pros
- Size of screen and processing power provides a desktop like experience
- 3 years Getac Bumper-to-Bumper warranty
Cons
- Heavy at 4.41kg but slimline at 52.5 x 412 x 322mm
Panasonic Toughbook MK2 55 Laptop
For those users needing a large screen, the Panasonic Toughbook MK2 55 offers a 14-inch display that is still thin and light. For those upgrading, they will appreciate the powerful 11th Gen Intel™ vPro processors, which make the device 50% faster than the first release.
The Windows 10 Pro operating system provides an improved quad-core CPU and up to two terabytes of SSD storage, with the option of increasing to 64GB RAM.
Being modular, the device can grow with the user’s requirements including upgrading the storage, memory and additional ports.
Other future-proofing provisions include authentication readers, optical drives, and dedicated GPU.
With 19 hours of battery life and hot swappable batteries, the Toughbook 55 can be handed to a colleague shift after shift. Features that make working away from the office a breeze include an infrared webcam with tetra-array microphones and a privacy cover. The four microphones provide excellent speech recognition accuracy. Security features of the unit include facial recognition and two-factor authentication, secure BIOS with Intel Hardware® Shield and a secure operating system.
Being semi-rugged, it’s not as tough as some of the fully rugged laptops but it can survive plenty of rough treatment that occurs out in the field. Dimensions of the device are 345 x 272 x 32.8 mm and 2.25 kg.
Users can upgrade to a 1000-nit full high-definition display that includes capacitive touch.
View the product here.
Pros
- 14-inch display
- Webcam
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Semi-rugged so it may not be as tough and durable
Getac S410
Getac’s S410 is the fourth generation of the semi-rugged 14-inch laptop. Powered by 11th Generation Intel® Core i7 vPro™ Processor, the S410 is ideal for field workers who need a device that can handle the knocks and drops but don’t need the protection of a fully-rugged device.
The next-gen Wi-Fi 6 connectivity enables fast, reliable wireless transmission of large volumes of data. The most sensitive data is safe with Multi Factor Authentication (MFA), capacitive fingerprint reader, Windows Hello Facial Recognition, Smart card reader, HF RFID reader and TPM 2.0.
The S410 uses Intel® Iris® Xe on the standard 1000 nits FHD 14” LumiBond® 2.0 touchscreen. Workers can read the screen in direct outdoor sunlight or inside a vehicle. Touchpoint input options include fingertip, pen or glove.
Dimensions are 350 x 293 x 38.5 mm and 2.38 kg.
View the product here.
Pros
- Configuration options available
- Number of ports
Cons
- Semi-rugged, similar to the Panasonic Toughbook MK2 55
Rugged Laptops FAQs
What are rugged laptops?
A rugged laptop is one that is built to military standards to cope with dust, water, vibration, shock and drops. Consumer laptops don’t have the same protection in their casing or components to deal with such rough treatment.
What is the best rugged laptop?
The best-rugged laptop is the one that best suits the requirements of your work.
For some, it’s the data transmission capabilities while for others the size of the display is what matters most. If you’re not sure which devices will meet the demands of your job, tell us a bit about your requirements and we can make some recommendations.
How did we choose these rugged laptops?
There are many rugged laptops on the market now that can not only survive the toughest Australian conditions but also have all the features a field worker may need in a powerful laptop. We stock the best quality brands with models that can meet the demands of a changing, mobile workforce. We’re not only stockists, we look after service and repairs so we know which laptops can’t cope with the knocks required of a semi or fully rugged laptop.
Which brand of laptop is most durable?
Years ago there were only a few good brands providing rugged laptops to the market, now organisations have multiple reputable brands offering several high-quality models.
Our top picks of rugged and semi-rugged laptop brands are Getac and Panasonic. The two brands meet the needs of every industry and field worker.
How does a rugged laptop differ from a semi-rugged laptop?
A fully rugged laptop conforms to military standard requirements to survive a harsh environment and treatment while a semi-rugged laptop is an off-the shelf consumer device with some additional rugged features. A semi-rugged is less likely to be able to withstand drops, heavy rain, heat from direct sunlight, humidity and extreme temperatures.
Still unsure of which rugged laptop to choose? Get in touch with our team on 1300 131 933, or contact us online and we'll be able to find the right rugged laptop for the job.