The Case Of The Travelling Laptop
Sydney Morning Herald
Sunday September 9, 1990
Until recently, no manufacturer has ever really done anything about one of the most notable failings of laptop and notebook computers - an infuriating fragility during travel, attributable not so much to the machines, but to patently inadequate travel cases.
Now Toshiba has rectified this by announcing what it calls a "survivable case". This case makes it possible, according to the company, for a laptop to be knocked about and survive in a number of "hostile environments", such as in the water, desert, or places with high vibrations.
Developed by Toshiba's research and development team in Australia, the specially constructed case features high density foam, seals that are air and watertight, and heavy-duty locking clips.
It has an in-built power supply, and an internal fan which ensures that air filled with dust, sand, and other damaging particles is blown out, not taken in.
According to Toshiba, the case is suited for use by the mining industry, armed forces, Telecom or other organisations which need to use laptops in unusual places.
One could argue that such a "survivable" case may be useful for just about any laptop user, who still has to treat his or her machine with utmost care when travelling with it, or using it in hostile environments like the lounge room or kitchen.
We know of a user who once destroyed an expensive Toshiba laptop's screen when the bag carrying the folded computer merely bumped against his knee.
Toshiba has also announced a new, high-security laptop, which is the first in a suite of "secure" laptops to be released by the company.
The user is able to restrict anyone else from using the computer's hard disk, floppy disk, or both.
© 1990 Sydney Morning Herald
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