[Nhcoll-l] field laptop computer suggestions?

Wed Aug 1 13:10:48 EDT 2012

The gold standard is the Panasonic Toughbook, a Windows machine built to military specifications to withstand just about any conditions (6 ft drop, shock, vibration, rain, dust, sand, altitude, freeze/thaw, high/low temperature, temperature shock, humidity, and explosive atmosphere). Many have built-in GPS and 3G/4G wireless. They, however, are not inexpensive. A Toughbook 31 starts at $3211.00. Perhaps you can find a used/refurbished one that meets your needs. If you are mostly data collecting, some tablets can work (Panasonic also makes a ToughPad for extreme environments) and they latest/greatest processor and tons of memory may not be needed.

Roger

*******************************************************************
Roger J. Burkhalter
Collection Manager
Department of Invertebrate Paleontology
Division of Collections and Research
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma
2401 Chautauqua
Norman, OK 73072
Phone: 405-325-1097
Fax: 405-325-7699
www.snomnh.ou.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Lewis, Deborah A [EEOBS]
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 11:12 AM
To: herbaria at NACSE.ORG; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] FW: field laptop computer suggestions?

Folks who do fieldwork,

Can you suggest a rugged laptop for fieldwork as described by a colleague below (withstand high temperatures, long battery life, good outdoor screen resolution, etc.)? She didn't mention being somewhat water-resistance (e.g., getting caught in a rain shower), but that might be a useful feature, as well. If you've had bad experiences with laptops that were advertised as suitable, that would be helpful, too. If you wish to contact me off-list, I'm happy to receive your suggestions to pass them along to Dr. Toth and also compile the responses to post to the lists.

Many thanks!
Deb Lewis

Deborah Q. Lewis, Curator
Ada Hayden Herbarium                        Phone:  [1] 515-294-9499
Iowa State University                            Email:    dlewis at iastate.edu
340 Bessey                                                 FAX:       [1] 515-294-1337
Ames, IA  50011-1020                            Web:      www.herbarium.iastate.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Toth, Amy L [EEOBS] [mailto:amytoth at iastate.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 10:00 AM
Subject: field laptop computer suggestions?

Hi everyone,

We are looking to purchase a laptop for field use, and wondering if anyone has any suggestions of a sturdy, yet affordable option.  Standard laptops are probably not going to do the trick for us-- my postdoc Jenny Jandt tried to bring her own laptop out in the field this week, and it overheated and shut down several times.

In a nutshell, we need a laptop that has long battery life (9 hours), ability to withstand high temperatures (Iowa heat wave in the sun-- so as high as 110F), a screen that is visible in the sun, and a lot of RAM (8GB would be ideal), and wireless internet.  Oh, and we only have a budget of $1000-- but from the looks of things we are finding online, we may have to go over that amount to get what we need.

Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated!

Amy
__________________________________
Amy Toth, Assistant Professor
Iowa State University
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
309 Bessey Hall
Ames, IA 50011
office phone: (515)-294-3121
amytoth at iastate.edu
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~amytoth/Toth_lab/Home.html

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