QOTD: How Should We Test Rugged Laptops?
Today's question of the day is a little bit different but it's probably more fun than usual so read on.
We're going to be testing rugged notebooks, but with half of us working in an office and the other half working from home in our sweats, we don't exactly work in an environment that calls for rugged notebooks. That's where you guys come in. We know all kinds of people read Tom's Hardware, so there's got to be some people out there who use their laptop in a way that necessitates a rugged notebook or actually require a rugged notebook for work.
We want creative but realistic ideas. We're going to use and abuse these machines but we're not interested in the over-the-top "Where can we get a grenade?" ideas. Your typical rugged notebook doesn't need to be able to withstand bullets and or blenders but we want to put them through their paces by subjecting them to the kind of situations you find yourself in every day.
Today's question of the day is: What can we do to test the durability of a rugged notebook?

1) put in backpack naked (no books as book is padding). drop it from shoulder height
2) same as #1 but drop it around 10-12 ft high
3) put in backpack naked, bang it against a metal pole like flag pole
4) put in backpack naked, pour small amount of soda on the backpack
5) same as #1 but pour a whole can of soda on the backpack
6) put laptop on stable table, drop a commercial-grade screwdriver directly on top (don't throw, just drop)
7) same as 6) but use commercial-grade hammer
8) do 6 and 7) with laptop open
9) attach the power cord, tie the cord to a truck and drive the truck 10-20 mph for 10 seconds
10) repeat 9) but continue at 25-35mph for another 10 seconds
ultimate test:
11) summon God and have Him break it
1) put in backpack naked (no books as book is padding). drop it from shoulder height
2) same as #1 but drop it around 10-12 ft high
3) put in backpack naked, bang it against a metal pole like flag pole
4) put in backpack naked, pour small amount of soda on the backpack
5) same as #1 but pour a whole can of soda on the backpack
6) put laptop on stable table, drop a commercial-grade screwdriver directly on top (don't throw, just drop)
7) same as 6) but use commercial-grade hammer
8) do 6 and 7) with laptop open
9) attach the power cord, tie the cord to a truck and drive the truck 10-20 mph for 10 seconds
10) repeat 9) but continue at 25-35mph for another 10 seconds
ultimate test:
11) summon God and have Him break it
3-4 foot drops of different materials
drops onto corner or edges of wood or metal desks
crammed into desks
Drop Test - 10 drops from 1, 2, or 3 feet high
Drop Test #2 - Drop objects of varying weight on laptop while its open or closed, on both sides of screen and keyboard.
Sand of varying grades (powdered clay to beach sand) and also mud.
Anything else that would be considered accidental damage to laptops but done repeated times to test how "rugged" it is.
Pour some liquids on it... attach the power cord and drag it around.... those seem like the most natural kinds of things you could do to damage it (or try to damage it).
2. Sand, dirt, mud, on the keyboard, screen, can the dirt get inside? Use a fan to blow some of the dirt around.
3. Put inside a car, while on, and drive on a bunch of rocky, bumpy, roads and see if it still works.
4. WI-FI strength, can they still connect to the construction trailer while looking at things outdoors.
5. How well can you read the screen in sunlight?
6. Battery life? How long to charge? How easy to swap out battery?
7. Can the laptop be used to detonate the charges to blow up the building?
+1 internets!