Bumps & Grinds

The Toughbook 74 has toughened black edges all the way around the magnesium alloy case, covered ports, a drip-proof keyboard, and a built-in handle. While it's only "semi-rugged," that basically means that while it's not fit for duty in Iraq, it's plenty hard enough for the rigors of the road. The fingerprint reader is optional.

Key Features

The keyboard has a nice feel, but the Enter key is smallish, as are the mouse buttons below the touchpad. We'd prefer full-size buttons for these important functions. We'd also prefer that the touchpad weren't depressed so much, as it makes it hard to go back and forth to the keyboard.

An Open & Shut Case

The Toughbook puts the optional WAN card (for your choice of EV-DO, EDGE or HSDPA service) on the outer right side of the case in a raised module that also has a pop-up antenna (not shown in this picture). A pull-out handle is built-in for easy transport.

Slim Customer

Despite all the ruggedizing and power features, the Toughbook case is quite slim. A slight wedge shape both angles the keyboard for easier typing, and provides room for that impressive 8-hour battery.