Laptop heavy duty for 18 wheeler

Check out the Panasonic Toughbook's they don't get any more rugged than that.

 

No question about the ruggedness of a Toughbook. Only thing is the price is extremely high. I don't think you really need a Toughbook for trucking. Instead I would suggest purchasing a SSD and installing it in a laptop. Fewer moving parts less problems with vibration.

Toughbooks are meant to take serious abuse. If your not dragging it around outside of the truck and have a high chance of dropping it probably isn't worth the cost.

Prices of some of the "rugged laptops"
http://rugged-laptop-review.toptenreviews.com/

Prices for some "business laptops"
http://business-laptop-review.toptenreviews.com/

My suggestion would be to tell us what your wanting to do with the laptop and maybe myself and others can give you a good fit to your needs.

 

Wow! That's a major price difference in price and gigs. I now next to nothing about computers, I'm a using a HP netbook my wife got free at work, but I know one of those rugged versions would be overkill. Hel, you'd have to drag it down the road once and a while to feel like you're getting your moneys worth.LOL

 

A good laptop bag and store it on your bunk and any laptop is pretty much safe from abuse. After all, everyone of them has been on a truck before. Almost all the new ones have built in wireless.

You can buy Streets and Trips and buy the optional satellite antenna if you wanna go that route. I think they also sell it with it as a package deal. GPS technology is getting better. There's mixed opinions, but I like something that's easy to glance at.

 

I have been running a Lenovo net book for about 3.5 years.

Have had no issues with it. And I run flatbed, so it goes into some nasty places.

Has most of the current card slots, USB2.0 and WiFi. I also run an air card.
No optical drives (CD/DVD)

Have yet to run into any software it won't run.

 

One thing I would suggest, avoid Apple. It's got great user friendly options, however if you have problems alot of companies do not do troubleshooting for operating systems other than Microsoft. As some have already stated your basic laptop will be fine in the truck, I would suggest getting a pad to assist in cooling, as well as give you a better user angle/keep your legs from getting warm.

 

I suggest the SSD just due to the fact that if your planning on using it as a GPS it will be on while going down the road. I'm sure a standard drive would probably hold up but it just removes the chance of HD failure due to vibrations.

I still think giving us your price range and what your planning to do with it will help. I know if your not real demanding and looking for good priced I have purchased 2 nc6400 off of ebay for $150 shipped and they both had 2 gigs ram dual core 2ghz 14.1" display dvd burner and 80 gig hd.

 

I agree with the SSD, the only thing I dislike about them is that for some applications over the life of them they can be a PITA (or last time I used one that was the case).

 

If you are going to keep it on when driving, you probably want a business class laptop, or a netbook, preferably with a solid state hard drive, which will be immune to bumps and jolts. If you aren't using it when driving, just about any laptop will do, if you take care of it, put it in a case while you aren't using it. For GPS I prefer a GPS unit over a laptop. I don't like the temptation for distraction electronic toys provide while I'm driving. These days my phone has so much stuff for me to fool with, I just turn the ###### thing off when I'm driving. I couldn't imagine having a laptop at my fingertips while I'm doing 65 mph.