Heat

Computers, like engines, need to be able to breathe and dissipate the heat they generate. The more powerful the computer processor the more heat that will produced and the more cooling that will be required to keep the computer at optimum operating temperature to maintain performance. Likewise, the thinner the computer design the more susceptible it will be to direct sunlight overheating the machine more quickly than a thicker, rugged design which has more of a buffer against the outside temperature.

Rugged cases for non-rugged tablets need to be able to let the computer breathe, and the majority of rugged cases on the market achieve this by not being fully rugged and having the I/O ports exposed allowing dust and water to enter and damage the machine.

Where most people notice how heat affects computers is when they leave their machine inside a parked car during the middle of the day, and then return to find out that either the computer will not turn on, or the cooling fan is working overtime and being really noisy trying to cool the machine down, or simply that the computer is too hot to even touch.

Some mainstream tablet computers are only designed to operate up to 35 degrees centigrade, before they will automatically initiate shutting down to protect their internal components. We have seen some computers completely warp from the heat, and even suffer damaged displays similar to what you would expect if you put the computer inside an oven.

Some rugged tablet computers by comparison can operate for up to 60 degree centigrade. When you are thinking about your next purchase check out the operational and storage temperature ratings in the specifications. If the manufacturer doesn’t mention these then they likely have not been tested. If you cross reference these results against the environment you are going to be working in, you can decide whether this is going to be the right tool for the job.