ASUS durability?

To continue on some previous posts...I was debating between a toughbook y5and asus w7j or z35 (or portable one SX)... I am pretty sure I am going to go with the portable one SX because of the trioview screen and I don't want to fork over 3k for a toughbook. Has anyone done anything bad to the ASUS line? IE drop it on corner from 3+ feet? spilled something on it? Gotten it super dirty and dusty?

I noticed that geared2play.com offers a one time accidental protection plan. Anyone used this?

From the reputation they seem pretty durable. I will be nice to it, but it is always the unforeseen problems...ie someone else dropping it.

 

I've had an Asus L1400B for 4 years now...

It is solid. I've only managed to chip a corner near the hinge (just cosmetic as the lcd hinge is secured separate to the corner piece) and dent the aluminium panel on the top of the lcd screen. (can't remember what I dropped on it that caused the dent).

It still works fine... and I carry it almost everywhere.

 

You can't really compare a toughbook to much of anything... for a construction site or a marine atmosphere - there is no other choice for a semi-rugged system.

However, Asus' sysems hold up quite well to abuse, although a drop from 6"+ gives you about a 50/50 shot at ruining the hard drive........ the system should due fine. My brother has a tendency to drop systems of his own and he's found that he'd killed a hard drive on a 6" drop when the notebook was off....... but at the same time dropped his W1 from waist high onto pavement while the system was on and the unit didn't even shut off...

Spill soda, beer, coffee on any system without a spill proof keyboard and you're asking for a 25 day repreive from system death at the very best....

Now, when you say dirty and dusty... why don't you give us some sort of idea of exactly what you're planning on getting into. If you're going to be using it in an environment just asking for damage, my suggestion would be to contact your insurance company (if you have any) and see if you could add your computer to any policy you currently have or any other ideas they may have. That would be the best way to cheaply guarentee all possible damage and even theft.

... and if someone else drops it, just send them the bill after they come to from you hopefully sockin' them one.

 

dropping from 3 feet? what exactly do you intend to do that would make you consider something as extreme as a toughbook?

 

I work on a racecar team...and dirt and dust are a constant. The drops occur fairly irregularly but they do happen. What happens is....I have to give my computer to one of the other guys (a mechanic) to talk to the computer on the car sometimes. Of course, his hands are dirty and greasy and sometimes they are careless. I haven't had to worry about it in the past because I had a company dell but now I am on my own and have to buy my own computer (Which is also why I will be less willling to give it to someone else).

 

Ah, I gotcha..... There isn't much you're going to do about that level of grease and dirt...... and those chances of droppage...... no matter what.... but there has to be some sort of insurance for your and your particular job - there just has to be.

Regardless of that though, I can tell you that worst case senario is that you may want to replace the outer chassis after a couple years..... then you can retire it to home or something like that. The carbon fiber chassis and magnesium lid of the W7 is about as durable as you're going to get in that form factor.

 

The W7 has a magnesium lid?

...

/me wants to upgrade already

 

are the w7j and the z35 built the same in terms of chassis/lid with the magnesium/carbon fiber

 

I would imagine that being a Built On model, the Z35 has a regular lid, just like my Z33. Since the W7J is an Ensemble it gets the magnesium.

 

as far as drops are concerned, you probably want a model where the hard drive is protected from shock. Certain Lenovo Thinkpad models have it as well as Twinhead's Durabook line (which are semi-rugged)

 

Actually there isn't any said term that gives one model a certain lid over another..... Yes, the Z35 has a plastic lid.... and chassis...... just like all of the other current Z models (Z62/Z96)...... This doesn't go for last years Z models that mainly came as barebone systems off what were ensemble (complete) models.....

But for Jumper - the M5 (Z33) lid is magnesium.... same as the S5, V6, W7.... What's funny is that the W5 uses a carbon fiber lid... it's the only S/W/V/R lid that isn't a metal........ while the W1/W2/W3 all have the anodized brushed aluminum lids.

In terms of hard drive protection.... there is some built into the hard drives, like Hitachi and Seagate in terms of a fuild shock..... and all of the systems have a rubber hdd isolator under the hard drive covers which help a lot. Nothing is going to help a 3 foot drop, except for maybe a little prayer and a dash of hope. If the system is writing to the hard drive when it drops, you're about out of luck... but if it's in standby or off, you'll have a great chance that damage wasn't done. By default, Asus systems anyway automatically go into standby when you close the lid.... and that would obviously also be the best way to travel from one point over to another anyway..