General Dynamics GD8000 Rugged Notebook

There?s no need to go easy on a laptop that shares its bloodline with warships and tanks.

General Dynamics might be best known for building M1 Abrams tanks, Stryker armored personnel carriers, and the fabled F-16 fighter jet, but once in a while, it cranks out a laptop or two, as well. This week, the company’s computer arm, Itronix, released the GD8000 rugged notebook. And if the company’s other products are any indication, it can take a beating.

Like rugged competitors from Panasonic, the GD8000 uses a magnesium shell that’s been sealed tight against any number of environmental woes, from the relatively tame dust to far-more-hazardous hurricane-strength wind and rain (it had to survive 30 gallons blown over it at 40mph for four hours to meet the get the elusive MIL-STD 810F rating). It will also survive falls of 42 inches to the hard ground.

General Dynamics GD8000 Rugged Notebook

Size-wise, the GD8000 falls on the smaller size for a rugged notebook, with a compact 13.3 inch-screen, but also weighs a hefty 6.9 pounds in the basic configuration (or 7.9 fully equipped). That hardware load includes an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 120GB hard drive, and up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, along with options like a backlit keyboard, WLAN, and Bluetooth. And since not many foxholes come with outlets, GD says the supplied 7200mAH battery should last 8 hours, or 12 hours with a supplementary pack.

Not surprisingly, a laptop that you can leave out in the rain, kick to the ground, and bury on the beach costs a good deal more than your run-of-the-mill Dell. Pricing starts at $3,800, and goes up with additional options. More information can be found at General Dynamics.

General Dynamics GD8000 Rugged Notebook