The Business Blog at Intuitive.com

Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since 1980 and is recognized globally as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written twenty business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. He's a columnist for the Boulder Daily Camera and Linux Journal and frequently appears in other publications both online and in print. Additionally, Dave maintains four weblogs: The Business Blog at Intuitive.com, Ask Dave Taylor, Dave On Film, and GoFahterhood. Based in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, Dave is an award-winning speaker, sought after conference and workshop participant and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs, as well as active member of his community and busy single father to three children.

"The Toughest Laptops In the World!"

I had to laugh when I read the following letter sent to Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal, with his response:

Q: My husband has given an elderly Compaq laptop to our 20-month-old twins. They love to "type" on it, while Daddy works on his -- but they also jump on it, like the gorilla used to do in the old luggage commercial. If they manage to break it open, is there anything in the screen (or anywhere else) that can harm them?
A: Of course. You could get sharp pieces of the screen and the plastic case, not to mention various sharp-angled internal plastic and metal parts, and wires, that weren't intended to be handled by babies.
I don't know how sturdy the laptop is, or how large and destructive the twins are, but I suspect it will be hard for them to break open the case in any major way. However, it's much easier to damage the screen and keyboard. Even keyboard keys that pop off could choke a baby if ingested. So, I'd advise close and careful parental supervision of their laptop activities.

Perhaps Dad hasn't heard of age-appropriate toys yet? And more likely than not, there's a funny laptop advert now brewing in the minds of some Madison Avenue hotshots... :-)

Posted by Dave Taylor at February 4, 2003 8:49 AM

Comments

Walt Mossberg, I haven't heard a word of him, the last time I saw him whas when he had a air-TV show titled "Ditital Duo" He did a segment on Best Sturdy Laptop, and went bowling with several laptops. I remember the results a little in little peices.

Posted by: Tony Fuller on February 8, 2003 8:22 AM

Hi,

I'm looking for advice. Every laptop I've bought has a plastic cover and hinges that degrade over time. I was fantasizing that ther
is a laptop top with a metal body and a really durable hinge configuration. Any advice?

Posted by: Kenney Mencher on April 18, 2005 9:32 PM

OK, I'm a fairly mild mannered person, but a very strong 6' 4" 240 pound guy.

Yesterday I was faced with immense frustration, took my older Toshiba Tecra M1 and smashed it flat onto an end table as hard as I could, twice, then twice more---------broke the top of the table off and onto the floor, and into three pieces of 1� thick maple, the external mouse was crushed under the laptop with the second WHAM, and then a full glass of water fell onto the laptop as it sat on the floor, all of it into the keyboard and into the computer, as there was very little to no water on the floor.
The next morning, I just fiddled with it, no surprise, the 40 gig hard drive was toast, so I installed a spare HD, didn't bother to plug the laptop in, since there was no way it could possibly work again, I pushed the button, and up, went the WIN XP set up screen, to desktop, and OMG, the laptop worked flawlessly, as if new.
not only no sign of broken parts, nothing, and in seconds I was on the internet via: my internal wireless, listening to Internet Radio and surfing Drudge.
Now that's a tough Laptop.

Posted by: tgvas on August 25, 2008 11:12 AM

Nice testimonial. Now that your laptop works again, though, sounds like maybe you should be using Google and Amazon, searching on "anger management"? :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor on August 25, 2008 4:28 PM

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