BW Online | April 11, 2003 | The Humvee of Laptops

Early in the war in Iraq, a firefight broke out in a neighborhood that had supposedly been secured by coalition forces. As bullets whizzed by, a U.S. soldier did what came naturally: He held up his laptop computer, a Toughbook 72 from Panasonic Computer Solutions Co. Unlike most plastic-covered laptops, this "semi-rugged" model has a hard magnesium shell and steel-reinforced innards. The improvised shield did the trick. "There's a bullet lodged in his hard drive," marvels Maria Leadingham, who manages technology for the Civil Affairs Psychological Operations Center at Fort Bragg, N.C.

More than 5,000 are in use in Iraq. Special Forces paratroopers pack a four-pound model in their backpacks. B-1 bomber crews use them for mission planning. After sandstorms in late March, 6 of 32 standard notebooks used in Leadingham's group suffered technical glitches, compared with only 3 of 200 Toughbooks. They are completely sealed from the elements and hold up even when run over by a truck, but often cost $3,000-plus. That's well above the current average notebook price tag of $1,580. See also Forbes review on their T-18 Tablet PC.