Dell, army, d630, gadgets, laptops, latitude, latitude xfr, latitude xfr d630...

Dell Latitude XFR D630 Will Stop a Tank Shell (Almost)

Dell's first fully ruggedized laptop is the Arnold of notebooks: A massive block of a machine that can withstand a SWAT team assault while blowing up Cyberdyne Systems. The D630 meets Department of Defense MIL-STD 810F standards for operation in extreme temps, moisture and altitude with a solid magnesium chassis, sealed keyboard, SSD and shock protection for its delicates. Dell also says it stomps out Panasonic's ruggedized Toughbooks like girlie men with 23 percent better performance.

The specs are pretty solid too: Core 2 Duo, 14.1-inch, 500nit screen, 802.11n, GPS and high-end thermal management for the processor and RAM. Interestingly, it looks like Vista is too much of a pansy ass for the army—the standard config is Windows XP.

Round Rock, Texas, March 4, 2008
* 23 percent better system performance than the Panasonic CF-301
* 100 percent commonality with Latitude components and images
* Unmatched standard Next Business Day Onsite Service

DellTM today unveiled its first fully ruggedized laptop, the LatitudeTM XFR D630. The system is one of the only in its class to simplify IT with seamless integration into existing infrastructure and deliver extreme durability without compromising performance. The rugged laptop, intended for government and commercial customers, is available today in the U.S. and starts at $3,899. Visit www.dell.com/xfr for more details.

The Latitude XFR D630 meets MIL-STD 810F standards from the Department of Defense for products that operate in extreme temperatures, moisture and altitude, to name a few. The system shares common images and components with Dell's current line of Latitude laptops to greatly simplify deployment and maintenance. Also, a patent-pending thermal management system allows the rugged laptop to use latest generation technology and deliver up to four times better graphics performance than the Panasonic CF-30.2

"The Latitude XFR D630 represents a tectonic shift towards simplicity in the ruggedized laptop space," said Brett McAnally, director, Dell Product Group. "We are taking a multi-dimensional approach that focuses on simplified deployment, service and durability without sacrificing performance. Major competitors focus their efforts on 'rugged' only."

The Latitude XFR D630 leads major rugged laptop vendors in standard service with Next Business Day On-Site3 service for major components inside the laptop. Competitors require customers to return systems for service. Dell's rugged laptop also allows users to service many components in the field.

The Latitude XFR D630 includes several features that keep users productive:

* Five times more data durability of leading competitors with solid state drives4
* Latitude ExpressCharge charges batteries at least 30 minutes faster than competitors5
* Outdoor readable screen at 500 nits
* Integrated resistive touch technology to easily interface with the system
* Shock isolated mounting to help protect hard drive, LCD and core electronic elements
* Dual locking butterfly mechanisms for easy access to components
* Sealed keyboard designed to withstand driving rain and dust

[Dell]

1:20 PM on Tue Mar 4 2008
By matt buchanan
11,029 views
53 comments

Comments

Xavoc at 01:31 PM on 03/04/08
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I can see it now, I'm going to take a round to the laptop and the damn dreaded mouse drifting up and to the right issue will manifest itself mysteriously.
regnez at 01:33 PM on 03/04/08
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That thing looks like a bomb shelter with a computer built-in.
nutbastard at 01:35 PM on 03/04/08
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finally a fucking HANDLE on a laptop. it's about time.
jcrockerman at 01:41 PM on 03/04/08
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can it handle one handed web browsing ending a money shot??? i didn't think so...
Kaiser-Machead at 01:41 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard: A few laptops of this type have handles. They're just not consumer models.
Rain-man at 01:43 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard: Uh, not the same thing, but remember? [images.google.com]
Xavoc at 01:44 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard: Great, just make it easier for the woman to blugeon me with her lappy.
nutbastard at 01:46 PM on 03/04/08
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@Rain-man:
uh, oh yeah! the toilet seat had one!
AngrySicilian at 01:47 PM on 03/04/08
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This is great.. if only it wasn't a Dell.
gadgetfanatic at 01:47 PM on 03/04/08
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I wonder where they do these tests?
nucreation at 01:50 PM on 03/04/08
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"The Latitude XFR D630 leads major rugged laptop vendors in standard service with Next Business Day On-Site3 service for major components inside the laptop. Competitors require customers to return systems for service. Dell's rugged laptop also allows users to service many components in the field."

I would like to see this followed through with! There are some pretty remote places around where I live!
Viva La Volvo at 01:52 PM on 03/04/08
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"64GB Shock Mounted Solid State Drive, 2.5MM [add $509]" whats the point in shock mounting a solid state drive?
Out2gtcha at 01:52 PM on 03/04/08
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@AngrySicilian:
Very true.
But, at least its not an apple.
Xavoc at 01:54 PM on 03/04/08
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@sp00nix: Just because it doesn't have moving parts does not mean it is not succeptible to shock. Ever drop your cell phone?
Viva La Volvo at 01:58 PM on 03/04/08
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@Xavoc: The laptop or cell phone would be destroyed before the SSD would.
nutbastard at 02:01 PM on 03/04/08
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@Xavoc:
yeah id be more worried about cracking the display, or wonking up the hinges.
SomeoneUKno at 02:04 PM on 03/04/08
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Ok, so it can survive SWAT, but what about F.E.A.R?
Buzzed at 02:04 PM on 03/04/08
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Awsome
All_Thumbs at 02:05 PM on 03/04/08
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Soon to be seen on the set of Stargate Atlantis?
Xavoc at 02:07 PM on 03/04/08
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@sp00nix: You'd be surprised. A big part of the damage is stress that occurs at impact on the individual parts in the SSD. Chips, solder joints, resistors, diodes.

@nutbastard: After dropping my old cell phone about 20 times over two years, it tended to become more and more flaky with each drop. Sometimes to the point of rebooting itself when attempting to answer a phonecall, yet the display and hinge were fine minus a couple of scratches on the outer screen and case.

Whoops.

The damping material around the drive also serves to help protect it from vibration over time.
bpatten at 02:20 PM on 03/04/08
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I can't believe no one has said it yet.

Will it Blend?
SigmundTheSeaMonster at 02:22 PM on 03/04/08
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"Headquarters Located!!!"
sxr71 at 02:40 PM on 03/04/08
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That's Magnesium Alloy. Anyone who's taken high school level chemistry will know that Magnesium itself will react with air and burn into a white powder of Magnesium oxide.
nutbastard at 02:45 PM on 03/04/08
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@bpatten:
Yeah this place is amazingly populated with original, funny, clever commenters.

wait, what are YOU doing here?
ferrdidly at 02:45 PM on 03/04/08
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ugliest thing ever
takeshi at 02:48 PM on 03/04/08
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@AngrySicilian:
You could do a lot worse than Dell.
MacNewbTube at 02:52 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard

Handle on a laptop... Apple did this ages ago on the OG iBook.

Cue flame war in 5.. 4... 3...
mmmiles at 02:55 PM on 03/04/08
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@sp00nix:
A laptop is replaceable, but data is not - SSD's are far from indestructible, and every layer of protection they add the better, considering where some of these laptops end up getting deployed.
firesign at 02:55 PM on 03/04/08
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@ferrdidly: it's not meant to be pretty. it's meant not to die.

@bpatten: nobody has said it because the bit is so fucking old that anybody that still says it should be smacked upside the head with one of these laptops.
nutbastard at 02:56 PM on 03/04/08
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@MacNewbTube:
yeah, that's what i said here
nutbastard at 03:01 PM on 03/04/08
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@firesign:

yeah
SneakerFiend at 03:15 PM on 03/04/08
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Dam i wish this would've been out when i still had my nextel i580. (well when it was still activated)
It would've been the perfect match for miie beloved nextel phone.
I miss it but not too much. T-mobile rocks lolx. :-P
Out2gtcha at 03:27 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard:

HA!

After laughing at that I will now PRE-apologize for any of my future non-funny, non-original or non-clever comments.

So, basically I'm apologizing for all my comments past, present and future.
Klappstuhl at 03:39 PM on 03/04/08
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Do Want.

But, will it blend, ugh, I mean... play Doom?
mrxcel at 03:47 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard:
Where have you been? Panasonic Thoughbooks????
Nintenboy01 at 04:01 PM on 03/04/08
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@Klappstuhl: Please, quit the "Will it blend" stuff. And of course it'll play Doom with the specs it's got. Even Doom 4 probably in the future.
CruJones at 04:11 PM on 03/04/08
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That Dell is sexy. If the MacBook Air were a runway model in Madrid, it would be banned from the catwalk.
domogiz at 04:11 PM on 03/04/08
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these types of laptops (rugged/MIL STD grade, shock mounted drive, etc, etc, etc, with a handle) around for a quite a while... what's the big deal with Dell launching them?
ripfire4 at 04:16 PM on 03/04/08
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@sxr71: "That's Magnesium Alloy. Anyone who's taken high school level chemistry will know that Magnesium itself will react with air and burn into a white powder of Magnesium oxide."

Yeah and it would've taken a college level chemistry to realize that it's an alloy.
Out2gtcha at 04:22 PM on 03/04/08
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@Nintenboy01:
It was a joke on the fact that stupid people are saying does it bl..........

Never mind, my brain hurts.
nutbastard at 04:26 PM on 03/04/08
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@mrxcel:
sorry, i was unemployed... in greenland...
pizzlepaps at 04:29 PM on 03/04/08
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@Nintenboy01: dumbassssss
some people need to not post if they don't understand what sarcasm is
Out2gtcha at 04:31 PM on 03/04/08
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@nutbastard:

"Fezig, are there rocks ahead?"

"If there are, we'll all be dead!"
nutbastard at 04:47 PM on 03/04/08
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@Out2gtcha:
NO MORE RHYMING!
ab3 at 05:01 PM on 03/04/08
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i wont get any kind of "tough" laptop until they use depleted uranium armor (yes i know with uranium being even denser than lead it would weigh 30 lbs but i dont care I just want to be able to say I have a depleted uranium laptop). Hey maybe if there is still a little U-235 left (the radioactice isotope) then the laptop can be powered off of the beta particles that fly off of it! sigh but only in my dreams....
Triborough at 06:15 PM on 03/04/08
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If you guys buy me one I'd be happy to field test its ruggedness. We once broke a laptop's LCD screen when it "negatively impacted" with a subway turnstile.
whootowl at 06:32 PM on 03/04/08
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Apple should come out with a competing offering, the Macbook Rock.
nutbastard at 06:36 PM on 03/04/08
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@ab3:
lighter than uranium, this alloy is very, very tough:

[en.wikipedia.org]
Mandatory_Field at 07:09 PM on 03/04/08
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Meh, I might be interested if they'd named it the "Dell Latitude XFR Chuck Norris"
racermd at 07:13 PM on 03/04/08
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This thing looks like it was lifted from Panasonic's warehouse and got a bunch of Dell stickers. Seriously - there's only so many ways a truly rugged computer can be configured in a compact package, so there's bound to be a similarity in appearance.

The handle isn't anything new, either. The Toughbooks have had them for a number of years.

One cool thing that the Toughbooks offer that this new Dell might not (I haven't RTFA): touchscreen. The Toughbook CF-30 offers a Core 2 Duo, SSD disk, WLAN, WWAN, DVD+/-R, expresscard AND CardBus slots, in addition to the touchscreen. Granted, most of that costs extra, but it's certainly possible to configure it with all that stuff. I know this because I was recently helping the local Sheriff's department replace their aging fleet of CF-28s with the CF-30s.

You'd be surprised just how rugged these things really are. Some of those older CF-28s came back with thick layers of grime all over them. None of them had any screen problems and worked perfectly (if a bit slow due to the older hardware). If I was going into a post-apocalyptic environment, I'd want one.
shiner980 at 08:28 PM on 03/04/08
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Looking at the the configuration possiblilities, yes touchscreen is indeed available. I have experience with the Toughbook, and though it can be very slow at times, at least you're guaranteed to not break it, short of trying to put bulletholes through it. I certainly won't need this kind of laptop, but it'll be good for say the Army, or maybe accident prone work areas xD
smeee at 03:15 PM on 03/05/08
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That thing looks like it could be my mini-safe. Jesus, they couldn't have gone with a better color scheme to lose the ugly 90's grey? But its Dell, even their high-end stuff looks tacky.
Bokusatsu_Tenshi at 05:19 PM on 03/05/08
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I wonder if they made the LCD screen with the same stuff they made that LCD TV that could withstand some hammering and arrows..