There are  hidden costs to mobile computing.   If you are mobile, it is probably more economical to go rugged. 

International Data Corporation (IDC) conducted a study of 350 coroporations which use laptops & notebooks.  IDC reported that 75% of those companies experienced damages at rates as high as 18% 

The reported causes of damage were:

• 64% caused by dropping while carrying
• 38% caused by liquid spills
• 38% caused by falling off a desk while in use
• 28% caused by crushing or object dropping on unit
• 18% caused by dust or dirt into unit
• LCDs and HDDs are reported to be the two components most often cited damaged
• The average cost of repairing or replacing a notebook is $1,200.

U.S. corporations spent a total of $700 million in 1998 to repair and replace damaged notebooks. That figure is expected to go up to $1 billion by 2008.  

Source IDC, 1998

 

Technology Business Research (TBR), a premier marketing research firm specializing in the high technology arena, conducted a survey to determine the state of notebook computer reliability. 

Here are TBR's key findings based on a survey of 400+ IT Managers, Front Line Managers and Notebook Users:

• Between 1999 and 2001, the rate of notebook damage increased by 22.5% and was estimated to increase another 30% to 50% through 2004
• The average damage costs $2,900 - wherein 28% of the cost is repair & labor.
• The top three causes of notebook damage
  • Drops
  • Liquid spills
  • Crushing - objects falling on the notebook
• 80% of damage involves
  • Screen
  • Case
  • Keyboard
  • Hard drive
  
  
  

Source TBR, 2001

Ruggedized laptops are designed to protect against:

• Drops & shock - ruggedization to shock is often measured in terms of height from which a laptop falls on concrete & remains operational.
• Moisture - from humidity to immersion
• Constant vibration
• Dust & sand
• Extreme temperatures -- both extreme hot & extreme cold

The degree to which a rugged laptop is protected against these hazzards varies from laptop to laptop.

There are different ways to characterize the degree of ruggedization of a laptop.

Informal Categories	Ruggedization standards
Executive Rugged  Business Rugged Semi Rugged Field Rugged Fully Rugged	Ingress Protection (IP) Rating, IP Code MIL-STD-810F NEMA 250 Intrinsic Safety (IS)

An IP Rating classifies the level of protection provided against ingress, or entry, of solid objects and water. The rating itself consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter.  The first digit indicates the level of protection against the ingress of solid objects.  The second digit indicates the level of protection against ingress of water. Where there is no protection rating with regard to one of the criteria, the digit is replaced with the letter X.

 

	SOLIDS	1st Digit	2ndDigit	LIQUIDS
Not Applicable to Rugged Laptops	No protection	0	0	No protection
	Protected against objects larger than 50mm = 1.9in  (hands)	1	1	Protection against dripping water or condensation
	Protected against objects larger than 12.5mm = 0.49in  (fingers)	2	2	Protected against water spray 15° from vertical
	Protected against objects larger than 2.5mm = 0.10in (tools/wires)	3	3	Protected against water spray 60° from vertical
	Protected against objects larger than 1mm = 0.04in (small tools)	4	4	Protected against water spray from all directions, splashing
	Protected against dust, limited ingress.  Dust-protected	5	5	Protected against low pressure jets of water
	Protected against dust.  Dust-proof	6	6	Protected against heavy seas
			7	Protected against the effects of temporary immersion of up to 1.0m = 3.3 feet
			8	Protected against indefinite immersion of up to 1.0m = 3.3 feet

 

The IP Code is defined in International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 60529.

"IP Rating" is sometimes taken to mean "International Protection Rating"

MIL-STD-810F is the most recent version of a series of standards issued by the United States Army's Developmental Test Command.  The standards specify various environmental tests that demonstrate   It is important to know which methods a device is qualified under, and different methods test for different things.

The series of standards:

Method	Condition	Comment/Description
500.3	Low Pressure	Altitude testing
501.3	High Temperature	Both storage and operating temperatures
502.3	Low Temperature	Both storage and operating temperatures
503.3	Temperature Shock	Sharp, oscillating changes in temperature
506.3	Rain	Wind-blown Rain
507.3	Humidity	High humidity
508.4	Fungus	Exposure to warm moist air in the presence of fungus
509.3	Salt Fog	Exposure to salt fog.  Check for rust and/or failure
510.3	Sand and Dust	Exposure to sand and dust
511.3	Explosive Atmosphere	Ignition by the device of an explosive atmosphere.
512.3	Leakage
513.4	Acceleration	Constant acceleration
516.4	Shock	Shock from sinusoidal, square, and triangular wave forms, and the shock of transport
519.4	Gunfire Vibration	Shock from gunfire
520.1	Temperature, Humidity, & Vibration	Traditionally sine wave - later random vibration - combined with Temp testing
521.1	Icing, Freezing Rain

The U.S. Army Developmental Test Command (DTC) is the Army's premier materiel testing organization for weapons and equipment.  The DTC tests military hardware under precise conditions across a wide spectrum of natural and controlled environmental conditions with the largest, most diverse assemblage of testing technology in the Department of Defense.