Robs rant and rave thread against anything that isn't a Toughbook!

There are some funny comments in this thread.

The toughbook range is designed to solve problems that most people (thankfully) do not have.

Therefore it shouldn't really be surprising that some people don't see the value in using a toughbook. It simply means that those people don't encounter the type of problem that the toughbooks are intended to solve.

To put it another way, if your problem requires a screw-driver then you won't see any value in a hammer.

 

If a drunk pukes on your Dell, you will find out how quick you will wish you had a Toughbook.

 

yeah good luck with that gaming notebook=high price
toughbook= high price
and you want both combined at a low price? not enough rolleyes. what's the saying "wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one gets filled first"

 

Ask Alex and the other guys how I put a big crack in the magnesium alloy in my toughbook... . I have learned that alcohol is the ONLY thing that breaks Toughbooks...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=458095

 

... and keep in mind that companies need people buying their stuff to stay in business! And people tend to buy what they know (eg. same brand they used before.) ... built-in obsolescence is the the cure. Why build a machine to such good specs/quality when you know it "needs" to be replaced in 3-4 years? So build components to last a bit longer. Think how many TVs from the 80's still work! They're thrown out because they're obsolete, not that they're broken.

Bloated code is the answer for hardware manufacturers so they keep selling faster machines. Not to mention programming monkeys (especially overseas) are a dime a dozen - REAL programmers are not.

The same trend is true for cell phones. The life of a cell phone is measured in months until the new "faster" ones come out that allow for more bloated code... grrr.

 

Yea Rob, alcohol kills Toughbooks just like guns and cars do! Put a bottle of Jack next to that CF-30 and watch it just tear the crap out of it! Oh wait, I think I am leaving something out here.....

 

Isn't that what SquareTrade is for?

And how quickly that drunk will get a fist to the face.

Trust me I have an infant and a toddler, so I know what crap can get on a notebook. Most of it I don't know what it is and usually don't want to know. I do like the toughbooks, believe me, I just was stating that first time you go to look at them it's a sticker shock. And I wasn't serious about a gaming Toughbook. I was just saying it would be a nice thing, but obviously not realistic. You guys here are a serious bunch.

 

Well, I'm new here, but I thought I would add my $.02 about "other" laptops, which explains how I became obsessed with the Toughbook line.

First, I'll rip on my previous failures. . .

IBM- I bought a used ThinkPad. DVD Drive, PII processor, very basic unit. It was great, for a while. I never had any problems with the motherboard, the only thing that really killed me was that the battery ended up dying about a year and a half after I bought it, and it had to be plugged in constantly. I was in HS at the time, so I didn't exactly have the funds to buy another battery. It lasted me a couple of years, then I stopped using it due to the "Blue Screen of Death". I ended up throwing it in a box, and I have no idea where it is now.

Compaq- Again, I bought this one used. I don't think I bought a "new" laptop until I went to College, mostly because I didn't have the funds, and I didn't really need anything too up-to-date. This one was an older notebook, was running Windows 98, had the basics. Pentium III, wi-fi, CD drive (eventually upgraded with the DVD drive from the IBM, it worked great, but for some reason the video feed from DVD's was very temperamental, it wasn't very good quality video output. The computer lasted quite a while, but one day, I got the "Blue Screen of Death," and it turned out to be a fried motherboard. Don't know how it happened, but that one was beyond repair, and not really worth it anyway.

Toshiba- Dad bought me this one, it was an A75-S2112. I remember the model number because of the amount of time I spent on the phone with Tech Support, which, you guessed it, was in India. The DVD drive stopped working. Then the Wireless card stopped working. Then it would stop charging randomly (DC port became loose, so you had to plug in the power cord, and keep tension on it by wrapping it around the LCD), then, you guessed it, "Blue Screen of Death". I gave up for a while, went without a computer, and eventually got the computer working again (Sans internal optical drive), by re-soldering the DC port to the MoBo, and running a fresh install of Windows XP. The motherboard is still bad on it, but it is still (somewhat) operational, and I still use it, with the help of external USB components (like CD/DVD drives, HDD's, etc.), but with the charging issue, it has sat on my desk since the DC port came loose from the MoBo again. The case cracked in 2 places, and it really looks like a POS. It lasted my about 18 months before it started acting up, and if I plug it in and wrap the cord around the LCD again, it will fire up, but it's really a finicky machine. Toshiba's Tech Support SUCKS!

Acer- Where to start. . . This one wasn't too bad. Intel Dual Core processor, 2 gigs of RAM, DVD-R/RW drive, Windows Vista, all the bells and whistles. It was a "cookie cutter" machine, I bought it new for like $650 because I was in a pinch in my Sophomore year of College, and I didn't have a whole lot of money to spend on a new notebook. It worked fine, but I had numerous hard drive issues. I'm pretty hard on my computers, so the HDD is usually the first thing to go. I carry my laptop EVERYWHERE with me, so I needed something a little tougher to stand up to MY definition of "Normal Use". The HDD finally took a dump about a year after I got it, just out of warranty, so I'm waiting until my sister graduates HS, and I'm going to upgrade the HDD, install a fresh copy of Vista and Office '08 on it for her, and give it to her for Graduation. It was a decent machine, I never had any issues with it (besides the HDD), and it's still a fairly new computer.

HP/Compaq- My original compaq was from around '98, it was pretty old when I got it. This machine is a Presario CQ-60 that I picked up for around $475. I got this one after I finished AIT after enlisting in the Army last year, probably purchased it in July '09. Not a bad machine, Vista Home Premium, DVD-R/RW drive, 15.6" LCD, 2.0 GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-62 Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, not bad for the price. I used it up until about November of '09, and it hasn't given me any trouble at all. I haven't beaten on it at all, it generally stays at my desk in the barracks, and I really liked the full numeric keypad built-in, that was a nice little bonus. Overall, that unit feels like a cheap, mass-produced computer, and it has slowed down quite a bit since it was new, probably from various viruses, spyware, etc. I'm probably going to hold on to that one, or give it to one of my sisters. The only thing I don't like about it is the lack of built-in webcam.

Apple- Yes, I jumped on this bandwagon, too. I've been working with Windows machines since Dad bought our first family computer, a Hewlett-Packard 486 running Windows 3.1. I had to try it out, I got my enlistment bonus, and found a decent deal on a 13" Macbook with the aluminum unibody, Intel Dual-Core, DVD-R/RW, built-in webcam, all the goodies. I bought it in November '09, and I love this computer. I've seen the insides, and I really don't like how it's put together, but overall, it feels very sturdy, and it has taken a beating so far. My problem is that it's too "pretty", and with what it cost me, I really don't feel comfortable taking it everywhere with me, because I really don't want to damage it. It hasn't slowed down at all, still runs just as fast as the day I bought it.

Panasonic- I saved the best for last. I bought a used CF-28, mostly because I had always wanted a Toughbook, partly because we use them in the field for various tasks, and partly because I found a good deal on one. By far the strongest (physically) computer I've ever used. I have dropped it, thrown it, stepped on it, spilled things on it, and it takes it all in stride. The reason I finally got one is because my platoon is getting ready to go on a field training exercise (FTX), and I didn't want to risk destroying my Macbook out at the range or something, so I picked up the CF-28 to watch movies, listen to music, surf the internet (when available), use as a step stool, etc. I'm still getting used to it, it seems rather "primitive" as compared to my Macbook, but that's the nature of the beast. I love the touchscreen, and when I get back to the states, I fully intend on mounting it in my car for use as a media player/GPS inside the car, as well as a take-everywhere computer that I don't have to worry about destroying.


Overall, the Apple is the most User-Friendly on the list, but that's mostly because they are engineered to be something the average retarded ape can use, and that was accomplished quite well. Unfortunately, the "hacker" won't be impressed by it, the first time they take it apart, they see how it's assembled, and it makes the Toughbook look like it was touched by God, and the Macbook was touched by it's uncle. The insides of the Macbook are horrid, I've never seen a more poorly constructed computer (As far as the internals go. The unibody chassis is actually pretty strong). The ToughBook just feels like you could throw it off a 10-story building, blow it up, run it over with a Humvee, shoot it a couple of times, throw it in a lake, fish it out, and after the dust settles and you wipe the screen off, still check your email and post up about it on NotebookReview.

I'm going to truly put this ToughBook to the test, I'm going to carry it around with me pretty much everywhere I go for the next few weeks, and see which gives out first. . . The Hard Drive, or my back. Results to follow.

 

Some of you guys are comparing a Chevy Silverado vs a BMW M3. They both get you to point B. It basically depends on how you want to get to point B. How fast you get to point B. How many times you want to succeed at getting to point B. Get my point? Toughbooks and the rest are are 2 totally different animals. But, I will say this. I know for a fact I can do alot more with my Toughbooks than any other brand of computer out there.

Mr Gameboy that comes on here puking about the high cost/low performance must sit behind a desk all day doing his Facebook while pretending to work every once in a while. While some of us Toughbook owners actually get out and work with ours. Physical work, hot work, dirty work, cold work, secret work, sensitive work, security work, and we can do itanywhere we want to. Try doing that on your Alienware and it will start working like an Alien.

 

I came across an interesting machine today. One of my government clients has a small fleet of Motorola ML910 laptops.

I have never heard of these before. They appear to be roughly equivalent to the CF-30 (similar design and specifications).

 

We have some of those deployed in the field, the CBP, Custom's Border Protection uses some of those.

 

ya it's moto's atempt at a CF-30 hear is a Youtube video some british computer show did were they tested the 30 aginst the moto now the 30 lost acording to them but you have to see the extremes they went to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckIV1MhGbXo

-John-

 

I have a Motorola 910 in my patrol car, the lid feels like very thin metal or plastic. All of the port covers are rubber and horror of horrors it has a fan, UGG. It has a very nice daylight readable screen. The only innovation that I see that I would like on my CF-28 is that the handle is spring loaded so it does not rattle around.

 

Klonsdale, take the handle apart and look at the 4 pivots. Get 4 very thin nylon or plastic washers that fit the diameter and put them in. It stops the rattle and puts the perfect tension on the handle when you pull it out.

 

Pure Idiocy!

The randomness of a bomb blast is in not a valid test for the durability of an electronics device. A better test would been to allow both to dry and see which one still worked, or perhaps some drop tests. But, that show seems more geared toward sensationalism and hyperbole.

 

They claimed that moto won. How the hell did it won while bought of them are death. S..t..p.eh!


ohlip

 

ohlip thats exactly what i mean there is no way that could be a valid test just made for hype.

-john-

 

Thanks, I will give that a try.

 

I have been ripping apart Dells and IBM's and almost all iBooks for a several years now. I am just a hobbyist, but make a few bucks doing simple repairs and putting good parts together. I have done motherboard repairs and have had some luck modifying various units for various purposes. Same goes for HP, Compig and ASSer....I mean Acer. Lots of screen replacements for people who refuse to pay the geek squad $700 to replace a $70 LCD.

G3 iBooks were simple, but plagued with motherboard issues b/c of the flimsy case and faulty video cards....same for G4's. I just did my first repair on a newer MacBook, and what a p.o.s. it is. I cant believe how cheesy it is.

I just started playing with the Toughbook series after playing with the Itronix models a bit......wow, Toughbooks are so well built. If it wasnt for the Achilles heel keyboard attachment thingy, I couldnt find much to biatch about.

I look forward to ripping apart a cf-18 next.

 

What keyboard attachment thingy?

 

don't worry TB he will figure out the toughbook lingo here shortly. maybe he is talking about the third connector that gets flipped onto itself for the emmissive keyboard.

 

Rick,
I think Tom is referring to the ZIF keyboard connector on the mainboard

 

Ah... No he is referring to the stupid brown lever on the CF-28 I'll bet... I still can't believe that they designed it that way. Witht he other hardy connectors they use... And to use the one they did..... Sheesh....

 

wow this was a long thread.

I must say I was severely entertained.

Its true though I agree with everything that was said. Toughbooks aren't worth it!!!!

A m3 can get me from place A to place B going 180 MPH for about 60,000 USD.

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT A ARMORED VEHICLE LIKE THIS

http://www.treehugger.com/cougar-armored-vehicle-01.jpg

if it can ONLY go 65 MPH and costs half a million dollars????

All I have to say is that when they update the CF30 be it MK4 or CF31 im getting one. Will I ever use it in rugged conditions? Hell yes! When we are all sitting in our office and it starts to pour rain ill say: "Hell yea! RAIN! lets go work outside!" Ill pick up my TB and sit in the rain while I type away on rugged computer.

Why? Because I like toys but im too old for LEGOS.

I take my hat of to those who NEED a toughbook!

Dominik Gothe

 

Dominik, Depends on what's between A and B! I know some A's and B's where you couldn't get within viewing range in a M3 or a X5 for that matter.
CAP

 

Since this is a rant and rave thread.

Why do Toughbooks make extensive use of Phillips screws?

For something as advanced as a Toughbook, it seems counter-intuitive to use one of the worst designed screw-heads.

 

What type of securing mechanism do you like, and what is wrong with the phillips screws used with the CORRECT size screwdriver? Enough questions in there for ya!

I have never had a phillips screw head screw me without it being my fault. You have to assess the situation, prep for it, then use the proper tools.

Thank god they didn't use Torx. Now those should have never been invented. I simply do not trust them, or actually the torx bit is what I don't trust.

 

My apologies. I just had a look at my Toughbook and at least half the screws are not Phillips, they're actually JIS (you can identify the JIS screws by the single dot beside the cross). JIS is a better system than Phillips, though you need proper JIS drivers to get the benefits.

The Phillips system was purposely designed to meet the needs of unskilled workers using powered drivers on mass-assembly lines. That's why the heads cam-out if the screws are over-tightened (it's better for the factory if the screw gets damaged rather than the driver).

I would have used Torx or Robertson screws. Unlike Phillips screws they don't cam-out, don't require downward pressure on the driver, and allow the screw to 'stick' onto the driver.

 

yup! me too! thats why I have to have a tank

 

Or get an SRT8 like I have that gets you from point A to point B at 171MPH and they only cost about $45000.........

 

Or for about $ REDACTEDlion you can have an SR71 and get there at Mach REDACTED, as long as you have the special fuel and a ground complement of at least REDACTED.

http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/1/1-14.php

mnem
That, sir, is what we call a "Comely" engine; the faster it goes, the more efficient it gets. Just pray it never reaches 100%...

 

but Robertson and Torx screws you can overtighten and damage/crack things. You can't overtighten Philips heads as much as the other ones.

With a set of Wiha drivers the Philips screws on the TB are no problem.

 

That would be why I have a Chevy Silverado AND a 700hp Monte Carlo in the garage. . . lol

I use my computers for COMPLETELY different situations, which is why I have both. I'm in the Military, so my extensive use of the Toughbooks in the field (Blue Force Trackers in the HMMWV's) turned me on to them. I bought mine for field use where I don't want my MacBook getting damaged. I have my MacBook for when I'm in my room, or in a relatively low-risk environment. When I need to go outside where my computer may be exposed to dirt, dust, the elements, etc., I just grab the Toughbook and go.

Kind of like my cars. When I just have to get there, I take the Silverado. When I absolutely, positively have to get there a LOT faster than the Silverado can take me, I'll drive either my Firebird or the Monte Carlo. Sure, the fuel economy is worse in the fast cars, but that's not why you have a fast car. You drive a fast car when you need to go fast, you drive a truck or other 4x4 when you can't get there with the fast car. Both are great, but one is better at some things than the other.

That said, some people will say that owning a Toughbook is more a lifestyle choice than anything else, choosing to use a computer like this either out of necessity or otherwise. I haven't quite taken the plunge and bought a new toughbook yet, but I can appreciate the one I have for what it is. It's the strongest computer I've ever owned, and I can take it anywhere the MacBook won't go without worrying about it being damaged.


Sorry for reviving a thread from the dead, but it's only a little over a month old, so I thought I'd try to keep the discussion going

 

I'm a Mech. Eng. graduate student, and a cf-29 is my first laptop. While I really always go for bang for the buck, I really don't like fixing things I need to use on a daily that much. I'm good at it, and don't mind updating hardware....but as an engineer it pisses me off when something's down because the design was insufficient/inadequate.

I bought an Asus for my brother. Great machine (as far as specs go) for the price, but it's gone through 2 hinges and 1 fan in its 2 year life span. He's a gamer, so he needs it.

I bought an MSI for my dad, again, superb hardware specs, but it's cracked a hinge cover already and the headphone port seems to be going....it's only a year old.

Hardware specs are very important to me....we have to do renderings and run memory intensive simulations after all, but we have workstations at school for that, and I have a desktop at home. Really, I'm using the laptop for distraction mostly (one of the reasons I never got one), but when I have to get down to business, I don't want it crapping out.

I've only had 2 desktops in my lifetime (but many have seen my hands for repair), so I have learned to make due w/the hardware I've got. This is one of the reasons I chose a toughbook. I know how to run effective software that doesn't beat it to a pulp. My last 1.4 ghz athlon was beating the Mac G5 workstations when doing simple Adobe CS work because I kept the bloatware in check.

I really couldn't justify the price on Mac's when it came down to hardware/$ ratio, and surely can't justify the new panny's sticker price. But at the price these are going for in the used market, they make sense to me. Some people had mentioned to me how mac's hardware was so much better, and granted I had seen some nice aluminum shells in the past (which were also available in the PC at that pricepoint), but nowadays entry level stuff seems to be made of the same plastic stuff sprayed to look like aluminum. Apple is actually selling their OS at 300 bux like MS is, they are just sneaky about it.

So here I am on a rugged cf-29 on xp pro awaiting the arrival of a general dynamics xr-1 to see which one I stick with. Sure I found Mac OS X sleek, but going past that, I find myself turning off Aero 7 on my dad's pc, because I know at the end of the day, it's hogging resources; not to mention I hate the unnecessary learning curve that had to be put in there by MS when jumping from xp.

 

@ chingon
Let us know what you think of the Itronix
I find power jacks failing , and I don't like the keyboard

 

well you can get a m6400 xfr for around 1K with dells 25-35% off coupons. and it sure beats anything except a current i5

 

@ Boo Boo

I like the dell too
Good specs , but hard to find used models, and too pricey at this time

 

yeah i was looking at dell as well, some models are going in the 500 to 600 range on ebay. The motorola ml900 i think it was, is also a viable option. The market for parts however (mainly cradles and batteries) just isn't there however.

 

there are alot in the outlet. only thing i couldnt find was the money. I really like the hdmi on my sony.

 

I had a IBM thinkpad til the plane took turbulance. The lappy took a jump off the jumpseat and smacked/skidded/ping ponged between the door and tie downs. 3 toughbooks and have no intent of going back. If I need power I'll save up for a CF-30. I have a OC'd C2Q desktop but fell off the gaming circuit. Most of the time i'm light weight gaming on the 29. Lots of games work fine with this comp. I did get a dell but the 72 showed it up so it had to go.

 

we should get a tribes - original team for the CF29

 

Rob™ can you upload special program and re-write the BIOS for GOBI support?

becouse im have t8 wireless ready and im buy gobi 2000 to HP

thx

 

It's all over the forums here... just search for it....

 

@ OP, you left out Clevo / Sager notebooks. I think for build quality, ease of assembly/disassembly, reliability, and durability, they are top notch if you exclude Toughbooks. About as good at Thinkpads IMHO, maybe a little less rugged.

 

I have to agree with OP on 99% of their analysis of most craptops.

Apple is bottom shelf hardware in a fancy package and slick software

HP laptops are utter CRAP. They keep the shop in business. 9/10 of my workdays, I'm reworking a DV series MoBo.

Toshiba...well...I think the "shi" is missing the "t"

The only Dell I was ever impressed with was the Latitude E5500. The D600's are acceptable. As fore-mentioned, Dell's Alienware lineup is just regular old Dells with a little extra balls and a pretty shell.

Acer's are okay considering their prices. Besides the keyboards, it seems that a lot of their problems are caused by kids not knowing how to take care of a computer.

I've only messed with a few Asus laptops and I have been impressed with them every time. Asus makes great products in general. I don't even own a laptop, but if I purchased one it would probably be an Asus.

The Toughbooks I've played with seemed to be great. My friend had a really old one[win98 old] and we took it out and shot it up with a .22 pistol...didn't seem to affect it. The others I've messed with seemed to be fantastic...one of few laptops that don't stumble everywhere with Vista. However Panasonic's "trained professional with special tools" BS is completely unacceptable. Total wallet rapists....

 

My stepdaughter's Acer Aspire 5100 has developed a battery charging problem: runs fine with a hot battery but will not run/charge off the power adapter.

She thought her adapter had failed, so I bought her a new one off ebaY™, but it still wouldn't charge.

Hooked the adapter to another Acer and charged her battery, placed the battery back into her laptop and VOILA!: her laptop booted just fine.

Any experience with such a power/charging problem?

 

If you take the battery out of the laptop and it will not work with the adapter, I'm willing to bet the DC jack is damaged.

 

Simply put: It can't play games...

 

Right.... WELL ANYWAYS.... my CF-31 plays every game on the shelf....

Now, what were we talking about again?

I like this thread

 

Right. And while you're spankin' it playing SOCOM or Splinter Cell on your Clevo in the comfort of your living room, REAL Marines and Seals and regular Infantry are depending on ToughBooks in the middle of live fire every day, fighting to protect your right to be a dou$he online.

Game over.

mnem
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