Several questions about toughbooks

Background
I've been working for an NGO in Central Asia for the past year and my non-ruggedized laptop has taken a serious beating. Various plastic pieces are falling off or cracked and the dust / grime is not doing good things to the mechanical parts. Last week I finally reached the point where I though 'screw it, i'm getting a toughbook!'

Workflow
My workflow is fairly simple. I use MS office for work, Inkscape / GIMP for graphics, and occasionally use VLC to watch a movie. I prefer to use Scientific Linux.

Questions
I'm trying to decide between the CF-19 and the CF-30. I really like the compact size and tablet mode of the CF-19, but am concerned about the size of the screen since this will be my primary computer system. 10.4 inches seems too small to use comfortably for 8+ hours in a row of typing. Does anyone here use a CF-19 as his only computer? If so, do you recommend using it as such?

I'm primarily a Linux user. Are there any caveats or gotchas with regard to running Linux on these systems?

Will mk1 versions of the above toughbook models be fast enough to handle my fairly modest workflow?

I'm considering replacing the hard drive with a SSD. I noticed that toughbooks throttle the SATA speed to SATA I or SATA II speeds depending on temperature. Do the speed gains from installing an SSD still make it a worthwhile investment?

I heard that toughbooks can survive an encounter with a Kodiak bear. Are they more or less toddler-proof?

 

The CF-19 has a lot smaller keyboard, if you are going to be doing a lot of typing I would lean more toward a 30 model. If you type alot on a desk you could consider a dock. My girlfriend is down to her CF-19 as her main since her dell's motherboard has finally called it quits. I just got her a dock for when she does her collage papers because of the smaller keyboard and 7 to 14 page papers she has to write. You can get use to it. I have used mine for a month straight at work, but I do like the 30 size better. The weight between the two you 30 feels twice as heavy though. You just need to decide what is best for you. If you have ever handled a CF-25,27,28,29 the 30 is pretty much the same size. Same thing if you have held a CF-18 compared to a 19.

On Linux my CF-30 and CF-19 are dual booted with Ubuntu 10.10 and XP. Google "Ubuntu 10.10 is this the toughbook version" for reading up on tweaks need for it all to work on as CF-29. Touch works out of the box, but you have to do some tweaks to calibrate it.

The Mk1 is a good machine, but two things to consider is the Mk1 is core duo 32 bit only CPU and it has 945 intel chip set and 950 graphics. The touchscreens on the Mk1 19/30 also have a history of going bad. I have had 4 different CF-19's and only one had a working touch so far. As far as power goes if you can live with out touch you will be fine.

How tough?

 

(wouldn't let me post all three videos in one reply)

 

I agree with ADOR, go with ths CF-30 if you will be using this as your main computer too and yes put a SSD in it. Boots into windows in about 35 seconds and runs just about everything so much faster. The MK1 should be fine but the MK2 is a Core 2 Duo which will be faster but will cost about $200.00 +/-.

 

Reading your post, it seems you travel a lot with it, have it everywhere with you, just like me. If you do that, weight and size are really important. I don't know how big/strong you are, but I like the 19 a lot for it's relative low weight and unobtrusive size. And I'm not a whimpy guy

As a consulatant for (maritime) companies, I'm often on the road, working in rougher/tougher places, often writing 5-20 pages a day, replying emails and watching series or web-tv in the evening. But I also have my laptop always with me when I'm not working. So I use my 19 as my main machine. The huge advantage of the 19 is size and weight. It weights less then 2.5kg, the size is perfect for carrying it in a backpack or satchel. And while the 30's have a large keyboard and larger screen, they are pretty big overall and not very light.

Before the 19, I had a new Macbook (pro/air) every year. The last one, a Macbook Air 11" craped out on me in 5 months. It was repaired under warranty, but I had enough. I don't need great service, I need a great laptop that doesn't stop working.
I still have the repaired 11" and combined with a 27" thunderbolt screen it sits at my office. The only time I still use the 27" screen is when I need to make/edit large XLS files. I'm even thinking about selling them. I would get a larger screen for the XLS-sheets, but other than that, I really like the 19.

A few things that you might consider.
SSD. BIG difference and if you don't need huge amounts of data it's certainly worth it.
Swapped the standard keyboard with a chicklet backlit keyboard. The regular keyboard is good, but the chiklet is really great.
Last thing is the memory. I've upgraded it to 8Gb. It's not as much of an improvement as the SSD, but it makes a lot of things easier, like the huge PDF files I somethimes work with.

Good luck picking the new laptop, let us know what you've chosen and how it's working for you!

 

For overall goodness... Go with the CF-30... You really cannot go wrong with this choice. If, however, you are the "James Bond type" and find yourself skydiving into distant jungle locales... A CF-19 might be best.

If you need to type out the nuclear launch codes WITHOUT a mistake.... Go wth the CF-30. If you will be hidden... And can take your time... A CF-19 might do.

If you are a movie buff and like to pack a few movies onto your laptop... Then the CF-30 would be perfect... Unless you are skydiving into distant jungle locales... Then hey...A 10.3" screen might as well be a widescreen there.

The other poster said it best... Both are the best at what they do... But they can do slightly different jobs. It's all in what you need. I would suggest the Benjamin Franklin solution.... Write down the Pros/Cons for each model and see which one you end up with.

Believe me... Either way you go... As far as toughness, durability, portability, etc go... You cannot make a wrong decision here.

But I'd go with the CF-30... Just sayin'

EDIT:... Yes... You can KILL a Kodiak bear with a Toughbook... Snap pictures of it and upload it on the aforementioned Toughbook! Thus it is toddler proof. (As a matter of fact.. Several members here bought Toughbooks for their kids for just this reason!)

 

Obviously the larger screen and keyboard on the 30 would likely be more comfortable over the long haul. Tat said, I absolutely love my 19. I am a rather fast typer and have had no problems at all adjusting to the 19s keyboard. In fact, it's actually one of my favorites. I actually have more problems typing on larger keyboards now when I switch back. Everyone's mileage will differ on this, though I'm sure.

My 19 is a Mk 1. I use it for general MS Office type duties... Word, Minor Excel manipulations including V Lookups and Pivot Tables. I do some minor graphic stuff using Paint Shop Pro and I watch video in both Quicktime, VLC and stream Netflix and whatnot on it. No issues at all.

Instead of going with a full SSD, I went with a 500GB Hybrid drive and really love it. I ge tthe benefit of the larger cache and faster boot times while still having gobs of storage space without breaking the bank.

30 or 19, I don't think you can go wrong.

 

I specifically bought a CF-19 MK3 touchscreen for my 2 year old. And aside from the tip of the stylus she hasn't been able to hurt anything after two months. I went with the MK3 hoping it will last her a while, having a Core 2 Duo processor and LED backlit 1000 nit screen. I do have a rubber backlit keyboard installed. I'll probably upgrade the hard drive to an SSD eventually. About the only thing I've stopped her from doing is standing/jumping on the screen/keyboard, and the keyboard would probably be fine. When it is closed she does stand on it. Gotta love not worrying about spilled juice killing the computer! Although juice is damn sticky if you don't clean it up right away... When one comes up cheap on fleabay I'll get a docking port for it and that'll give it more flexibility as she starts using it for actual homework. I do think that kids need to learn to use computers as soon as possible. It won't play all the latest first person shooters but it will do whatever is needed for school for a while I think.

Anyway, as far as 19 vs 30 goes, it seems to me it's all about the weight. You should look up Alecgold's CF-19 review, it rocks! I suspect you'd get used to the smaller keyboard and screen. Does one get better battery life than the other, anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller? You didn't mention that, but I'm guessing where you are there isn't always electricity. I do think you can get media bay batteries for both of them. That's about all I can think of for the moment aside from be warned, you can't buy just one Toughbook ;P

 

Here it is... http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/677334-review-user-experience-cf-19-mk5.html

 

There is no media bay on the CF-19 to have media bay battery. One advantage of the 30 the internal DVD. But like it has been said and I have both, either one will be a good choice. Just need to plan out your needs. The media bay batteries come in handy and can be hot swapped while the computer is on.

When my kids were younger they all had CF-28 Mk2/3. Out of 4 kids my damage to the units were missing keys on standard and emissive keyboard and one damaged power point. Tripped while running over the power cord. Unit still works, just bent an internal pin. Now that they know how to treat a computer and want to do more stuff on them I had to upgrade them. Oldest has CF-51 Mk3, then CF-73 Mk3 1.7/ati 9000, and the youngest two got both CF-50 Mk4 1.7/ati 9600. Had a few missing keys, but everything else has worked fine with out problems.

 

The media bay battery on the 30 is nice indeed. IIRC, it will push the battery time to 15 hours?!

I now have a second battery on the 19, but you need to turn off the 19, switch the battery and boot it again. I can imagine it being a bit annoying when you're in the field. For me it works even though I only use it once or twice a week. With one battery I'm able to realise 8,5-9 hours. But then you're really pushing it: second to lowest backlight level, no backlit keyboard, minimal wifi use, just reading or writing etc.
Big advantage of a spare battery is that I don't have to manage my laptop use very closely, I can just keep working, play some music, use internet as much as I like, have 3G on all day. With the 30 and a media-bay battery you can do all that without switching.

@ADOR: nooooo way my kid is gonna trash my CF-19 mk5!!!
But I have to admid I've been looking for a nice 19mk1/mk2, just for him!! It's a bit early, he's just 11 months, but it's hard to resist... hahaha