Semi-Ruggedised Laptops for 10% More

The Panasonic ruggedised Toughbook, a laptop that, in its most extreme configuration, can survive being run over by a truck. Those boxes cost $5000, but a semi-ruggedised version, which is speced with spill-resistant keyboards, hard casings, and gel-encased disk drives is only 10% more costly to build than a standard machine. Analysts say 20% of mainstream laptops fail in the first year, usually because of accidental damage. That rises to 35% once a notebook leaves its docking station and to more than 50% for machines that are used outdoors or on shop floors. But the failure rate of rugged or semi-rugged machines is just 5%