Any opinions on Twinhead Durabooks?

[gal220]

I'm looking to replace my laptop and I stumbled upon some information about the Twinhead Durabooks. They sound like they should stand up to some pretty heavy use which is what appeals to me about them. I just haven't heard much about them before. Has anyone had real world experience with one to know if they live up to their reputation? I'd really like some input. Thanks!

[LaptopExtreme]

If you're near a Best Buy or CompUSA, I believe they carry them now... well at least some do.

[glc]

We used to sell Twinhead laptops. They had some innovative stuff, but the quality is average at best and their tech support/customer service barely speaks English.

[gal220]

GLC,
So, you really didn't see the magnesium alloy case or the built in shock protection as being of much value? That was what was drawing my interest because I want a laptop that will withstand tough conditions. Do you have any other suggestions?

[kosova]

I've never heard of Twinheads, and they seem amazing.

* Added protection from damage caused by mishandling your notebook. * Added protection from damage caused by accidental drops and bumps during transport. * Added protection from damage to vital electronic components from accidental spills. * Lower the risk of expensive component repairs. * Lower your total cost of ownership by protecting your investment.

Link
Commercial

[glc]

Look at the Panasonic Toughbooks.

I did NOT say I don't see the value of those features - I was commenting on the overall quality and my experiences with the company.

[gal220]

Thanks, GLC. I don't think I worded my last post very well. It is helpful to know about the overall quality and availability of tech support. I'm just really concerned about getting a computer that's built to last because I anticipate using it in less than Ideal conditions. So the Panasonic Toughbooks measure up pretty well then? I'll give them a look. Thanks again!

[mairving]

To me it is a cost/value thing. Is it worth it to spend the extra money on laptops that are usually very pricey for what you get and don't have very good upgrade paths is the question that you have to ask.

If it is just a matter of worrying about just dropping the laptop, most can withstand dropping as long as you...
.drop it flat and not on the edge
.drop it from less than 3 feet
.drop in on a soft surface.

Most won't take a drop off of a 5 story building. I think PCMag still does a drop test in the notebook testing.

[mairving]

Funny too that some of the toughbooks look like an Air Conditioner (Click on larger image link).

[glc]

The Toughbooks have been around for many years and have a proven track record. You will pay accordingly. Next best choice in my opinion for a road warrior would be a Thinkpad. Not as rugged, but very reliable and the hard drives have a shock prevention system.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc The Toughbooks have been around for many years and have a proven track record. You will pay accordingly. Next best choice in my opinion for a road warrior would be a Thinkpad. Not as rugged, but very reliable and the hard drives have a shock prevention system.

I agree on the ThinkPad. Unless you're really hard on your laptop, the titanium/magnesium case on the T-, X, and Z-series ThinkPads will be plenty of protection. In fact, they also have a spill-resistant keyboard (I've never tested it, but supposedly water just drains out the sides of the laptop if you spill it on they keyboard). If you get the T60, X60, or Z60, in addition to the Active Protection system that shuts off the hard drive when it detects sudden motion, they have shock-resistant hard drive mounts, and supposedly a ThinkPad Roll Cage (I have no idea what that is).

In other words, the ThinkPads sound like they have all the features of that Twinhead notebook -- but IBM (and now Lenovo) has a track record of good service and excellent reliability.

The one problem with the ThinkPad is cost -- they are quite expensive; in fact, you pay probably about 50% more than a comparable Dell or HP business notebook, which in turn costs more than consumer notebooks. But once you get a ThinkPad, you'll probably be able to keep it for years, providing you don't drop it off balconies or smash the screen while open.