TechNewsWorld has an interesting article that details how manufacturers engineer fully rugged devices -- and how to tell if a device is fully rugged.
The paragraphs below are snipped from the complete article, but do read the entire piece, there's lots of useful information for buyers of any type of rugged device.
Mobile devices like laptops and phones are small enough to venture outside the home or office and into the bad, wicked world of dust, heat, cold, water and concrete. In some situations, it's just not possible to keep them completely sheltered. Makers of fully rugged devices have plenty of tricks to keep them ticking after treatment that would send normal consumer electronics to an early grave.
Portable electronics like smartphones and laptops aren't generally known for their ability to withstand drops, splashes and harsh conditions. Yet the portable nature of these devices means they're often in the line of fire -- swimming pools and toilets for cell phones, dusty places like construction sites for laptops, or even dairy farms with kicking cow hooves, milk and, well, greenish-brown pies.
Some companies specialize in "ruggedizing" electronics to make them ready for harsh elements and the occasional accident, and some specialize in making their products ready for military or government use. So what goes into making a ruggedized electronic device tougher and more robust than its more fragile counterpart?
Continue reading "What Makes Rugged Electronics So Tough?" »
