First I’m not going to touch on the Mac vs. PC debate. I use a laptop with a Verizon Air Card (I have found Verizon to have the best coverage, since I find myself in very remote locations) and find that I am able to communicate, have internet access where I am.
Ruggedized computers are great to have, but are very expensive. I owned a Rocky II (about $5,000.00 plus, 7 years ago) when I traveled on my motorcycle, but presently the most popular Ruggedized laptop seems to be the Panasonic Touphbook. For traveling in a motor home it’s my opinion that the Touphbook is an overkill, unless you plan on dropping it quite a bit or mounting the laptop to a brace to use it while driving (due to the vibration the laptop will be experiencing). These type of laptops are MIL grade spec. computers (military testing system for field computers).
If you plan on purchasing a Ruggedized laptop, because of the initial cost, build one with as much Ram, best of everything, this way the laptop will be able to serve your purposes over a longer period of time. Unless you have the disposable income to change laptops sooner.
I hope this helps some and are just my opinion, good luck on your search.
LUeno
Captain: Pops
Ist Mate: Harlee "Vicious Attack Dog" only if you try to move her when she's sleeping...
If you build your computer into the motorhome, and then leave the motorhome somewhere for service, you will be leaving all your private files where they will be vulnerable to theft. With a laptop, you take it all with you in a carry bag.
Marc, Boca Raton FL
2003 Beaver Monterey 40' triple slide
Blue Ox TruCenter
Acura MDX toad
Unified Tow Brake
Pressure Pro Tire Monitor
Garmin 2610 GPS
Datastorm D3/7000
Sirius Radio
Tivo on board
I found a company www.drivertech.com that makes ruggedized computer systems for trucking fleets. Seems to do everything I want in a pc, plus it's rugged, but I don't know if they only sell to fleets.
I had a link to a PC company that made a vehicle PC mounted under a seat kinda thing with a touch pad...but PC it was on is in the HP shop...will post if I get it back soon...
**GerryB54 - 2005 Fleetwood Bounder 34F Class A - 3 Slides **
don't bother with ruggedized for MH use. If you plan to scale a telephone pole in the rain or use a GPS in the middle of the bush OK. today's laptops will handle the vibration and coffee spills most average users will subject them to.
btw I know this because I use to work for a very large computer company and saw first hand what the engineers used to break the systems before being released to the public. Baked, frozen, dropped from 10+' poked like the Ikea chair and shaken like a good martini.
Having said that you should be able to go to your local small computer shop and house build your own if you know what you're doing. Just watch the fan noise as that can be loud on a "white box" PC vs one of the majors.
2008 Itasca Sunova 35J Class A
1997 TJ Sahara, hard and soft tops and AC
Held together via Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar and stopped by US Gear Unified Brake system.
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