Getac P470 rugged laptop

Most manufacturers would no doubt describe their laptops as “built to last”, but there aren’t that many who go the extra mile to make their models robust enough to withstand more than just the odd knock they’ll get on the daily commute. Getac is one manufacturer that does, however, and its new P470 rugged laptop is built to shrug off all manner of harsh treatment.

At exactly 3kg without the charger, the P470 isn’t what you would call easily portable, but it isn’t as heavy as you may expect for such a well-protected laptop. The magnesium alloy case can withstand drops to the floor from waist height, liquid spills on the keyboard and temperature extremes that would soon put a standard portable out of commission.

To achieve this, Getac has designed every part of the P470 with resilience in mind. The rugged magnesium alloy chassis keeps the case intact during impacts, while fragile components like the hard disk are shock mounted to protect them from vibration and drops.

Less violent, but equally dangerous eventualities are covered, too. The ports are protected by plastic covers to stop the ingress of dust and dirt, although some seem to clip shut more securely than others. The hinges are simply bent plastic, which means that fatigue is likely to set in after a few hundred openings and closings, and we fear they will eventually snap off. They are at least attached by screws, so are easily replaceable. Worryingly, the catches did have a tendency to pop open when the laptop is dropped, but otherwise do a fine job of keeping out dust during normal use.

The weak point of the rugged exterior seems to be the optical drive. This has a standard tray opening mechanism – not something that’s renowned for ruggedness to begin with – and it offers an easy entry point for foreign bodies.

Since rugged laptops such as this tend to be used outdoors, Getac has also specified a bright sunlight-readable screen for the P470. This is clear even in strong sunshine and practically luminous when indoors. The panel is also touch-sensitive and works as well with the included stylus as with a fingertip, though the stylus is far too small and fiddly to remove and use with gloved hands – an important consideration for a rugged laptop. Disappointingly, the touch-sensitive layer gives the screen a grainy quality that can make reading smaller text uncomfortable after long periods.

As a result of all these rugged features, the design of the P470 is more about function, than form. At a glance, it looks more like a piece of military hardware than a laptop – the plastic pasrts of the case are durable ABS that feels remarkably rigid, with just enough flex to not be brittle and risk breakages when dropped.

The dark silver-grey colour scheme with stepped contours may not be to everyone’s tastes, but is functional. Components like the clasp that holds the screen shut and the handle are vastly over-engineered, but reassuringly so, and look like they belong on a military vehicle rather than a laptop.

Despite the utilitarian design, the input devices are comfortable to use. The keyboard has a lot of travel and feels rather springy, but is actually very usable for long periods of time as all the commonly used keys are full width. Some, like the cursor keys, are reduced in height, but this has little impact in use. The trackpad and mouse buttons also feel sturdy, but accurate.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both present, so connecting wirelessly to networks and peripherals is no problem. There is also a 1.3 megapixel camera built into the screen surround, as well as a microphone, and onboard GPS and EV-DO/HSDPA are optional extras.

A TPM chip and fingerprint reader provide additional security -- again important for a laptop that will spend much of its working life outdoors, where it’s more vulnerable to loss and theft. The only omission we missed was a dedicated Wi-Fi switch, presumably omitted because it couldn’t stand up to the harsh punishment that the rest of the case could.

Performance of a laptop like this may be secondary to toughness, but it’s still an important consideration. Obviously you get nothing like the power that you would if you spent the same money on a conventional laptop, but the specification is enough to run any office applications. And since Windows XP is installed rather than Vista (though the latter is also available), the 1GB of RAM is less of a bottleneck to speed than it otherwise could be.

For a laptop that’s likely to be used away from the mains for much of the time, therefore unplugged, the P470’s battery life didn’t impress. It lasted only 2 and a half hours in our light use tests, so surveyors, engineers, or anyone else looking for a rugged laptop for use in the field may find themselves carrying several heavy spare batteries as well as the 3kg Getac. There is an Eco that slows the processor and lowers the screen brightness in order to coax out a longer battery life, but the difference isn’t dramatic.

The main point of a laptop like this is its ability to survive harsh environments, and the P470 does this job well. We tested it several times by dropping it from waist height, and it remained unscathed. The trade-off for this resilience is the high cost and weight, and less than stellar battery life.

In demanding environments there is little that can match the Getac, and all of its competitors carry the same downsides of bulk and price. Before buying such a machine you should carefully think about whether or not you will test its protection features, because if not then there are slimmer, faster and cheaper options. If you do need them, then the P470 will be sure to save your money and data in the long run.