8. Testing Ruggedness: Drop and Pour
With Twinhead's Durabook N15RI in my hands, how could I resist doing at least a couple of the tests? What fun and drama! Not having a vibration tester, I decided to try the drop and spilled liquids tests. I didn't have a dropping machine either, but I wasn't going to do the official drop test, dropping the thing 26 times. Four or five times would be enough for my weak heart. So, hand holding the notebook would be fine.
Because I was working with a loaner from Twinhead - hey, I'm not fool enough to do this with my own computer - I asked for permission to perform the tests. When Twinhead responded with a very matter of fact "sure," I realized how uptight I was about doing this sort of stuff to a computer, even one that didn't belong to me.
So, I got some plywood, a yard stick, some water and my video camera and went into the backyard of my condo building. Still suffering from Winter Olympics 2006 fever, I yelled more loudly than I intended, "Let the games begin!" A couple of neighbors, not sure what that was all about, came out back. They were even more nervous about me dropping the notebook than I was. But I had a mission and it was time to complete it.
Here are a couple of frame captures from the video of the N15RI torture tests.
The tests went well. Except for one of the two spring loaded energy absorbing catches, nothing broke or got fried by the water. In the drop tests the clamshell case never opened even after the catch broke and the DVD/CD drive never popped open. My neighbors and I were duly impressed with the semi-ruggedness of the N15RI. Oh yes, a Twinhead spokesperson said the company had no record of the catches ever breaking and that they'd replace any catches that did break in an accidental drop at no charge.
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8. Testing Ruggedness: Drop an...
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1.
A Notebook Built To Take It And Give Back
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2.
Features Scream "Business Computer"
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3.
Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Build, Keyboard And Mouse
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4.
Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Build, Keyboard And Mouse, Continued
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5.
Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Buttons, Ports, Jacks And Holes
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6.
Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: The Display
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7.
What Exactly Does "Rugged" Mean?
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8.
Testing Ruggedness: Drop and Pour
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9.
Testing Performance: Methods And Benchmarks
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10.
MobileMark 2005 Test Results
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11.
MobileMark 2005 Test Results, Continued
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12.
PCMark05 Test Results
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13.
Conclusions
- 1. A Notebook Built To Take It And Give Back
- 2. Features Scream "Business Computer"
- 3. Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Build, Keyboard And Mouse
- 4. Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Build, Keyboard And Mouse, Continued
- 5. Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: Buttons, Ports, Jacks And Holes
- 6. Using The Twinhead Durabook N15RI: The Display
- 7. What Exactly Does "Rugged" Mean?
- 8. Testing Ruggedness: Drop and Pour
- 9. Testing Performance: Methods And Benchmarks
- 10. MobileMark 2005 Test Results
- 11. MobileMark 2005 Test Results, Continued
- 12. PCMark05 Test Results
- 13. Conclusions