At some point, you have probably seen someone doing something on TV and said, “There is no way I could do that job.” Maybe they were an ambulance driver or a crab fisherman.
You probably wouldn’t last 5 minutes doing that job. But, then again, neither would your laptop.
Standard consumer laptops are no good to people who work in certain industries. These workers aren’t worried about spilling water on their equipment—they expect it to work after it has been dropped underwater.
If you think your laptop has a tough life, read what these devices have to stand up to.
1. Anything On A Boat
You may be a hydrographic specialist. You could be a member of the coast guard, or an offshore fisherman.
Working on a boat means the air is moist, the boat is shaky, and there is water literally everywhere. These conditions create a perfect laptop-wrecking storm. At the same time, you also have to read your equipment in high or direct sunlight.
You need marine equipment for a marine job. If you can’t find a laptop rugged enough to stand up to turbulent water, or robust enough to power your proprietary tools, you may want to check out some of the waterproof custom computers by Small PC to find something more suitable.
2. Mining
Mines can be some of the harshest and most dangerous worksites in the world.
You’re obviously dealing with an environment with no climate control or air filtering, with very wet and dirty air. This can be tough on most people, and even tougher on most laptops.
There are no soft surfaces in a mine. There isn’t exactly any carpeting or rug, so dropping a normal phone, tablet or computer would likely mean the end of it. Also, the vibrations from the heavy-duty mining equipment can destroy anything without a solid-state drive.
For a laptop to work in a mine, it needs to have:
- No moving parts
- A durable exterior, such as a solid aluminum chassis
- Waterproof protection
- Specialized passive heat sink cooling
Internet connectivity can also be a large and expensive challenge in these environments. It usually involves hard-lines and peer-to-peer networks.
3. Ambulance Drivers
Paramedics, EMTs, and ambulance drivers don’t have time to wait for information. A matter of seconds could mean life or death.
This means their equipment needs to be as fast as possible. They also need to be able to maintain that speed and connectivity while the ambulance is on the move, near tall buildings, or in rural areas.
Today’s ambulance technology needs to be able to give the team the fastest possible route to their destination, along with an aerial view of the patient’s location. It also needs to provide the team with the patient’s full medical history so any possible complications can be seen when they’re on route, not when they’re on site.
You don’t want to try to use a Netbook or a MacBook Air in any of the workplaces we’ve covered today. They are challenging environments that demand a lot from both man and machine.
If you don’t think you could last 5 minutes in these settings, don’t worry, you’re not alone. It takes a very specific type of person and a very specific type of laptop.
