Asus B51 Ruggedized Notebook Announced
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Asustek announced yesterday the Asus B51, a ruggedized notebook PC that is “built to endure harsh treatment”.
“Starting with a lightweight yet strong magnesium alloy chassis that offers excellent protection for its components, the B51 is additionally buffered against shock by rubber bumpers along its edges, and high strength protective film to shield the notebook from scratches,” the company explains.
The Asus B51 is drop tested to military specifications and is able to withstand drops from tabletop height. The notebook’s hard drive is floated on a sponge protection system, while its LCD display is protected from scratches by a high strength film. The B51 also has a spill resistant keyboard.
Regarding internal components, Asustek’s ruggedized laptop is based on Intel Centrino mobile platform with Core 2 Duo T8300, T8100, T5850, and T5750 processors, and the GMA X3100 integrated graphics. The system supports up to 4GB of RAM, and comes with up to 320GB of hard drive storage and a Super-Multi optical disk drive. There are also Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/4965ABGN, optional Bluetooth, and a built-in 1.3-megapixel web camera.
Asustek did not provide info on screen size in its press release. However, its dimensions are 36.5cm (W) x 27.3cm (D) x 3.82 cm (H). With an 8-cell battery, the B51 weighs around 6.83 pounds.
It runs Windows Vista operating system.
Availability date and pricing are unknown.
