Itronix’s XR-1 is fully sealed against water, allowing it to be hosed down if it gets dropped in the mud or decontaminated in bleach when used in a medical environment or during hazardous-materials cleanup.
The XR-1 sits in the fountain outside CNET Networks’ headquarters in San Francisco. General Dynamics, which owns Itronix, plans to start shipping the new rugged laptop to customers in September.
Itronix President and CEO Tom Turner stands atop his company latest notebook, a pose that Michael Dell or Hewlett-Packard’s Mark Hurd are unlikely to duplicate with their newest portable systems. All Itronix notebooks with the “rugged” label have been designed to withstand strenuous tests for pressure and vibration.
General Dynamics’ Itronix division plans to release its newest rugged notebook, the XR-1, in September. The XR-1 has a fully sealed keyboard and chassis that allows it to be used in a number of outdoor settings.
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.
