ATG may not have

ATG may not have

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Asus Laptop Battery

By Brian Westover The Dell Latitude E6430 ATG$1,219.00 at Dell Small Business is the latest in a long line of rugged and semi-rugged laptops from Dell. The company gotten very good at taking some of the rugged tech used in the tank-like Dell Latitude E6420 XFR$1,459.00 at Dell Small Business and applying it to the semi-rugged E6430 ATG. Think business in work boots and blue jeans. This is the pick-up truck of laptops, designed to do business where the usual suit-and-tie-laptop risks being damaged. Sturdy construction is joined by a long-lasting battery like Asus AL23-901 Battery, Asus AP23-901 Battery, Asus Eee PC 1000 Battery, Asus Eee PC 901 Battery, Asus A22-700 Battery, Asus P22-900 Battery, Asus Eee PC 701 Battery, Asus Eee PC 900 Battery, Asus A32-W5F Battery, Asus Z35F Battery, Asus A31-W5F Battery, Asus W5F Battery, speedy solid-state drive, and Intel Core i7 processor, delivering solid performance in a wide range of circumstances. It's enough to earn our Editors' Choice for ruggedized laptops.

While the E6430 ATG may not have the boxy look or tank-like survive-it-all ruggedness of the Dell XFR or the Panasonic Toughbook CF-31%displayPrice% at %seller%, it's still a good deal more rugged than your average business laptop. MIL-STD-810G testing is used to certify that the E6430 ATG will withstand unusual amounts of abuse: shock, drops, temperature, and altitude. It's also certified IP5x, a rating that requires meeting stringent requirements for withstanding dust and moisture, which do the most damage by working their way into a system's insides and wreaking havoc.

The E6430 ATG is hardened from the outside in, starting with an aluminum lid, steel hinges, and magnesium alloy frame. Sturdy rubber port covers keep out dirt and dust. A layer of textured plastic armor—similar to the spray-on liner in truck beds—covers the edges of the closed laptop, and rubber bumpers on the corners add a bit more protection from drops and bumps. All this armor, however, adds both thickness and weight; thus, the E6430 ATG measures 2.6 by 14.5 by 10.5 inches (HWD) and weighs a hefty 6.3 pounds.

The 14-inch 1366-by-768 display has an anti-glare coating and an extra-bright backlight for superb outdoor visibility, and 180-degree visibility ensures clarity at any angle. The backlit keyboard is also spill resistant, and has a pointing stick to join the multitouch touchpad, similar to that seen on the HP EliteBook 8460p$549.99 at Amazon Marketplace.

Rubber port covers may be spurious on premium systems that won't ever venture outdoors, but on the E6430 ATG, they are a necessity for keeping out unwanted moisture and grime. One cover protects a USB/eSATA combination port , one USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port while the other safeguards a USB 2.0 port (with power), VGA output, and a headset jack. On the back of the system, you'll find a covered Ethernet port, covered HDMI port, an open power connector and case lock slot. On the front of the laptop is an integrated SD card reader. An ExpressCard slot, SmartCard reader and Intel vPro are available for use with specialized equipment and security. Multiple 3G and 4G Gobi wireless broadband solutions are also available.