Military hardware manufacturer
General
Dynamics is pitching its new Go-Book XR-1 rugged notebook at the high-end
consumer market, claiming extreme sports enthusiasts as a new target market.
The
Go-Book
XR-1 is the first fully rugged notebook to use the
Intel
Core-Duo 1.83GHz processor.
All the internal electronics are in a fully sealed casing. The heat-sink for
the processor is on the outside of the unit, and its range of peripheral ports
(from USBs to PC Card readers) are specially shielded to create a watertight
unit.
The notebook can withstand the bleach-water submersion and scrub tests
required after exposure to toxic substances, which is important to General
Dynamics' military and industrial customers.
The XR-1's in-built wireless capabilities, designed to work in the most
hostile and remote environments, can give support for GPRS, UMTS, HSDPA,
Bluetooth and GPS.
Sandy McCaskie, director of international markets at General Dynamics, told
vnunet.com
that, while the unit will be mainly aimed at traditional markets where it is
used by field service and mobile support users, it may also have traction among
executive adventurers.
"Globe-trotting executives, yachtsmen and mountain climbers would all find it
an attractive notebook to have with them," he said.
But they would need to be rich executives as well; a base unit without any
wireless radio options is £2,547, a far cry from standard prices in the notebook
industry.
The notebooks were designed by
Itronix,
which was bought by General Dynamics in September 2005.
The Itronix name is being phased out as General Dynamics expands its
commercial, non-military product range.
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