Monday, August 13, 2012

Durable Computers Handle Rain Forest Conditions

By Allyson Westcot


When you hear about durable portables, you might think about things like army or industrial uses for portable PCs, or maybe things like mobile sales forces fitted out with shock-resistant computers. But rugged technology is employed in such a big amount of different industries today, plenty of which might be a surprise to folks unfamiliar with all of the benefits of sturdy PCs and the downsides of regular computers in the wrong environments.

A team called the Heart of Borneo Charity (which is made of filmmakers, explorers and scientists) received 1 or 2 donated laptops for their trek into the rain-forests on an expedition in 2010 to broaden awareness and education about the fragile ecology of the area.

Unfortunately, the limitations of standard computer technology became clear very quickly, with the first laptop failing after only 2 days in the 100% humidity of a rainforest environment. Storms are regular and regularly torrentialâ€"not a good environment for a fragile notebook computer.

Panasonic found out about their plight and supplied them with Panasonic Toughbooks that are built to stand up to intense humidity, rain and the other hazards found in the rain forest. The crew was able to communicate with the outside world for their own protection along with take note of their findings as they went. The amazing battery life let them explore farther and farther away from their base camp, and check their discoveries against museum and history info repositories.

They were able to scan photos from still cameras they'd set up in hopes of capturing new species or new behaviour from known species. They could check footage instantly and even send it where they wished. Anti-glare touchscreens on the PCs meant that they could work outside in the full rainforest sunlight.

The durable features of the computers meant they did not have to be afraid of an unanticipated downpour, or even the humidity seeping into the PCs and destroying the parts.




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