Dell considering ruggedized laptops, tablet PCs

We've seen other companies try their hand at ruggedized notebooks and tablet PCs, but today, we found out that an old hat may be getting into this specialized sector of the market as well. At Dell's Technology Day last week, Alex Gruzen, general manager of Dell's Product Group, said that his company was looking into entering these two product categories; an article in eWeek, however, added that Gruzen (pictured at right) stressed that the company was merely considering its options at this point, and hadn't decided if it would begin production anytime soon. Our take? If Dell could make a ruggedized computer as cool as that XPS 600 Renegade that we saw at CES, we're sure they'd make a killing.

[Via Laptoping]

[mattie @ Sep 18th 2006 6:52PM]

maybe they should make good on their claims for the XPS 700 first

[QUOW @ Sep 18th 2006 7:09PM]

I would love to get a powerful Tablet PC from Dell. As much as I hate to say it, their laptops are, for the most part, well above par in price and quality. What other company have a laptop model (the 600m) sell well for over three years?

[Blacknimbus @ Sep 18th 2006 7:23PM]

The tablet is on it's way. Motion dropped the ball...Dell is going to pick it up.

[wxrman @ Sep 18th 2006 7:34PM]

Motion was started by the guy that developed Dell.com

They are thriving in the medical industry, among others... it's likely that Dell would buy out Motion to acquire the tech, line, and marketing/sales chain.

I've had several... the Motion tablets are better quality than Dell laptops... It would be interesting to see it happen.

[Andrew Bragdon @ Sep 18th 2006 7:55PM]

Wow, this site redesign looks like sh*t. Bring back the old engadget!

[blackout @ Sep 18th 2006 8:13PM]

maybe they should make laptops that look good.

[Dayii @ Sep 18th 2006 8:28PM]

-runs around screaming 'battery recall'-

[blackout @ Sep 18th 2006 8:29PM]

andrew
theres a thread for this

besides the layout IS the sh!t

very well made, and with web standards.

[Nate @ Sep 18th 2006 8:39PM]

how about, dell considers not sucking anymore, then i would read this article!

[Sam @ Sep 19th 2006 12:07AM]

Ruggedized? So they're considering developing a line of laptops that don't blow up?

[Shmoe @ Sep 19th 2006 2:21AM]

More manufacturers like Dell need to sell these and drive down prices.

[Ferny @ Sep 19th 2006 3:19AM]

they should concentrate on making the laptops look better. I don't like any of dells laptops.

[TC @ Sep 19th 2006 3:16PM]

Maybe some asbestos battery compartments? I kid! I kid!

[spil @ Sep 19th 2006 8:13PM]

so... are they rugedizing the laptops to protect from exlosions, or to be used in rough applications?

If the former, Sony should take a hint and follow (apple gets off the hook, they don't make exploding lappies anymore)

[John Andrews @ Sep 20th 2006 10:52AM]

They better make them better then the Panasonic ones because the quality of those ones really sucked. They need to be more rugged like these ones: http://www.stealthcomputer.com/portables_notebook.htm

[Finished Law School @ Sep 26th 2006 10:39AM]

They should consider making PCs that and laptops that work as advertised and are available without a several month delay before trying anything new...