The Panasonic Toughbook is the gold standard for rugged laptop computers. It’s a fantastic product, that‘s for sure. Some models that have heaters to allow operation in freezing cold. Others are nearly waterproof for use in inclement weather.  A few have screens bright enough to use in direct sunlight. Nearly all of them offer some form of hard drive dampening to provide shock protection to this critical component. The cost of this all this protection is high. The comparatively large size and weight can also be an issue in many tight settings..

The MINIMOUNT offers a value oriented alternative in a very small package. The humble Netbook, when enclosed in a light weight, aluminum jacket cushioned by foam pads, becomes a viable tool for many situations. The soft compressible foam pads effectively isolate the entire Netbook from vibrations and mild impacts. By custom forming an aluminum sheet to conform to each model, the often fragile Netbook exterior is protected in a compact and very efficient manner. The exterior hinge elements operate with the computer and add significant strength to the often vulnerable Netbook hinge while in use.

Make no mistake, the MINIMOUNT is not a Toughbook. We have not undergone certified industry testing for shock certification. Such testing is out of reach for a value oriented product that supports as many different models as we do. We are not looking for military contracts. This is a common sense solution for those who can not justify the size or expense of more sophisticated options in non-critical applications. It is not every forklift operator who really needs a Toughbook mounted onboard. The same person, however, might be able to make good use a Netbook safely mounted and connected to useful information at a fraction of the cost. The range of mounting options and compact size make it possible to put computers in environments that would otherwise be impractical.

Enough of the sales pitch. The MINIMOUNT is simply an option. If you want a Toughbook for all that it offers, a MINIMOUNT may not work for you. But, if what you really need is to put a basic computer with mount to work in a space constrained location or vehicle, give it a try.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 6:18 PM and is filed under Netbooks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.