November 17, 2009, 8:03 PM — When the going gets tough, the tough get rugged PCs, phones and other gadgets. Just a few years ago, there was hardly anything worth buying in this category. But now, there's a world of devices that can survive water, shock, dirt and extreme temperatures.
[ See also: What kind of digital nomad are you? ]
Windows 7 offers touch-screen capability, which doesn't make sense on a laptop, but is really nice on a tablet device. Dell last month shipped it's first-ever rugged, touch-screen laptop/tablet convertible called the Dell Latitude XT2 XFR. I haven't tested the device, but the specifications look very promising. This is the kind of mobile computer that provides all the power you need to get real work done, but you can also take it with you when climbing volcanoes. It's fortified against water, dust, shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures in both directions.
I've owned a couple of Casio G'zOne cell phones. They're great. You can even make phone calls underwater. Unfortunately, the G'zOne phones have been rugged but boring regular clamshell "dumb" phones. But just this month, Verizon started selling the Casio G'zOne Brigade, which has a full QWERTY keyboard. It has a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, a speakerphone, a document viewer for Microsoft Office files and other goodies. Meanwhile, it's MIL-STD-810F-certified, so it can take a beating.
One potential point of failure while traveling in rugged conditions is your audio headset. While traveling around the world, I've often found myself in very noisy environments trying to hear what's going on on my laptop. Water damage and shock can also take out headsets. Ryobi headsets are designed for electronic noise suppression on eardrum-shattering construction sites, oil rigs and factories. They're waterproof, ruggedized and dust-resistant. But here's the thing: They have standard audio support, so you can plug in your iPod, iPhone or other media player, or laptop, and get clear sound quality, minus all the environmental noise.
Ordinary laptops, cell phones and headsets are fine for office dwellers, city slickers and business travelers. But for global travel, adventure travel and location-independent living, rugged gadgets are welcome indeed.
These three devices are examples of brand-new options that have emerged in just the past month. I can't wait to see what comes out next.
