12. Durabook D14RM
Here are 12 gift ideas for the most generous gifters: people giving computers. From cheapest ($300) to priciest ($1500), these are our picks.
$1,519
Whether you’re buying a laptop for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors or on a construction site, or you’re look for a laptop for someone who constantly abuses technology, the Durabook D14RM series fits the bill.
The Vista Business-equipped D14RM we received for the gift guide came with a 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor, 4GB of memory, a 320 GB hard drive, DVD drive and integrated 4500MHD graphics (all connected to the Intel GM45 chipset). The LCD screen is a 14.1-inch 1280x800 glossy panel. If you want a higher resolution, the D14RM model is available with a 1440x900 display.
Ports include four USB 2.0, RS232 serial, VGA, HDMI, PCMCIA, Ethernet and modem, microphone/headphone jacks, and a card reader. A description like that makes the D14RM sounds pretty average, like a laptop you could buy on Newegg for $799.
However, Gammatech’s Durabook line isn’t famous for its internal specs, it’s famous for being rugged and impervious to the elements.
The chassis of the D14RM is made from magnesium alloy, which is about 20 times stronger than the plastics you will find in most laptops, and it can handle way more abuse than any aluminum notebook. The rim is diamond-cut, and each corner is covered in a “concussion bumper” for added protection.
The D14RM series is built to U.S. military specifications—for those in the know, it meets the 8 10F standard. If a notebook meets or exceeds all components of the MIL-STD-810 tests, then the computer meets the minimum needs of any component of the U.S. Department of Defense.
DoD jargon aside, the D14RM is concrete-drop resistant up to about three feet, and the spill-resistant design keeps fluids from reaching important internal components. In other words, the way the computer is designed means liquid will fall onto the keyboard and through the laptop without hitting the processor, memory or other important parts.
While no specific ratings are provided by the manufacturer, the D14RM has a shock resistant LCD screen and hard drive, the latter of which is mounted in its own shock cage. Despite this, the drive is still “field swappable.” It is fun to imagine people with dangerous jobs installing a hard drive in any number of intense situations. In fact, we see a major motion picture somewhere in all of this.
If you do drop the D14RM, you can rest easy about the optical drive, which can lock in position so the tray won’t accidentally eject during a fall. The D14RM is also dust resistant, thanks to the rubber caps that cover all I/O ports.
The D14RM is certainly rugged on the outside, but it also has plenty of security on the inside. Along with an available fingerprint scanner and the usual BIOS security measures, the D14RM also comes with Trusted Platform Module (TPM), version 1.2. TPM 1.2 offers a very high level of hard drive encryption in case the Durabook ever gets stolen by the Illuminati…or it gets left behind on an airplane.
The D14RM starts at $1519, but the configuration we received costs about $1850. If you need Vista Ultimate, additional software, or a warranty beyond the standard two years, expect a price above $2500. --Devin Connors
Glad to see the Alienware M15x made the list. I've never been particularly fond of Dell or Alienware in the past, but it's really one of the best valued gaming laptops available on the market right now. If I recall correctly, you can configure it with a Core i7, 4GB (or maybe 6GB) od DDR3 RAM, 1920x1080 RGBLED screen, and GTX 260M for just bit more than $1700.
I don't even care about the products... I just like the chick.
She's BEAUTIFUL!
I think she'd look a lot hotter with her hair down.
Is it just me, or am I seeing any article with Sarah have 90% of the comments focused on her?
The Durabook is my kind of laptop! Make it 1920x1200, give it a 4830m, a 80GB intel x18-m (I would think they'd be more durable than standard disk drives), and make both the magnesium and rubber twice as thick.
Then shoot it with a 12 gauge full of bird shot and continue playing crysis on it after buffing the scratches out. =D
Really though, I like the Durabook, as I could leave it around my brothers or nephew without worrying about having to buy a new one.
Does it include accidental damage warranty? What about heat resistance? Does the magnesium have a protective coating on it, or if I just scratch a little paint off and leave a lighter by it, or have a peice of molten steel fly on it while welding, will the thing turn into a firebomb (the heat from magnesium combusting blowin the battery). More importantly, how bullet proof is it?
Happy holidays everyone. =D
I'd go for the ASUS RoG G71Gx. I spec'ed out the M15x vs it (and others) and it ended up being $900 cheaper with virtually the same specs. And not only this but you get the RoG-branded backpack and a customized for Asus/RoG Razor Copperhead gaming mouse as throw-ins. And the model would look even hotter holding up the Asus with it's geeky flashing case-lid LEDs, IMO. :-)
Is it just me, or am I seeing any article with Sarah have 90% of the comments focused on her?
Yeah, she's pretty hot. Didn't even read the article. Ended up wondering if I was the only one and sure enough, I wasn't.
New to Toms...
girl is Hot...Who she??...
and Artical wise , i like that Alienware is included.
But I think For me the best deal is the All in one HP touch monitor , which i am thinkin of givin my mom...She loves to cook different dishes and try all sorts of things..and I think this will make a big difference in keepin all her recieps and search for new ones online as it happens....
Thanks for a Great Artical..
HP Envy 13/15 didn't make the list??? Too bad. I know they're priced high, but they do look sexy, and the Envy 15 has some pretty impressive hardware built in.
damn ugly girl what a turn off
Why does tom's always criticize low end cards like 9400GT/GSs and HD4300 series and HD4500 series. These cards would MOST CERTAINLY get playable frame rates at medium/low settings for COD4-6 @ 1024x768 and low settings for crysis at 800x600... My old ATI X1050 played COD4 at medium settings (low shadows, textures on high) at 1024x768 @ about 28-33 fps. That same rig played crysis at an awful 24fps at 800x600. An HD4300 series card is faster than my old X1050- i know that for a fact.... unless your GFX tiers suck (from the best gpus for the money articles).
A 9400GT/GS? HD4300/4500? Really? Come on man! I've got a machine with a 9600GT that is awesome. A 9400 is for someone who just wants to add on a cheap card so they've got one.
Hell, I've got an older rig running two 7600GT's and they can run Crysis. Not great, but it works. As for straight-up low-end cards, you can do a lot better than a 9400.
Some good suggestions there. I'd rather have a MacBook Pro/Air though, although now's not the time to buy since they're towards the end of product cycles.
Wow, 12 computers and not a single one of them made by Apple! I mean, really, not a single Macbook or MacBook Pro? If you just look at sales figures alone, Tom's Guide is seriously out of touch with what many people percieve as a great computer.
Wow, 12 computers and not a single one of them made by Apple! I mean, really, not a single Macbook or MacBook Pro? If you just look at sales figures alone, Tom's Guide is seriously out of touch with what many people percieve as a great computer.
They probably don't want their Christmas gift guides to turn into Apple bashing threads like many fanatics on this site insist on.
FWIW, the model prefers Apple.
"Do you come with the laptop?"
"ohhh you hehe"
hmmm...i definitely have the $1400us to buy someone a present
but the ultimate question is .... can they play crysis?