Itronix GoBook MAX

If you've ever broken a notebook, you'll know that horrible moment when the penny drops - you realise in that split second you've destroyed £2,000 worth of kit, and all you did was drop it. Your average notebook isn't built to be dropped, trodden on or taken outside in the rain, but the Itronix GoBook MAX is. It's water resistant to up to four inches of rain an hour, and that's when it's operating and accessing the hard disk too.

The ruggedised notebook isn't a new idea, but with the GoBook MAX Itronix has modernised the range - and about time too. Its predecessor - the Itronix X-C 6250 Pro (see Reviews, issue 73, p164) seriously lagged behind anything else on the market with its 266MHz Cyrix processor and 32Mb of RAM. We know that speed isn't the most important issue when you're on the road, but the X-C 6250 Pro's overall benchmark score of 0.21 was our record lowest ever.

Things are, however, looking up. While the GoBook still doesn't use the fastest chip on the market, the 700MHz mobile Pentium III is a current chip (you can still buy slower new) and the overall benchmark score of 1.98, while slow by modern standards, is fast enough not to cripple your productivity.

A larger 20Gb IBM hard disk is also a massive improvement on its predecessor's 3.2Gb disk and provides a more practical amount of storage for applications and documents. It's only a one-spindle notebook, which adds to the durability and, with just a hard disk buried deep in its shock-mounted interior, the GoBook is a solid and almost sealed box.

You have to remove a screw and flip a catch to access the single accessible PC Card slot (the CISCO Wireless LAN card is in a second internal PC Card slot), while pull-down flaps cover the ports. However, it's designed to withstand rigorous conditions when it's open and switched on, so there are no catches to hold the screen down.

It's reasonably light at 3.3kg, and the handle makes carrying easier. It adds 17mm to the GoBook's width, and 68mm to the depth, but is worth it for the convenience of easy carrying and also means the GoBook could hang on a wall.

With its claims of water resistance and shock protection, we had to put the GoBook to the test. It quite happily withstood a 1m drop on to the labs floor, being in the fridge for half an hour and also coped with being open and switched on under a running tap for a minute. This is impressive stuff; the water just ran off and left the GoBook as normal.

The good news is that the claims aren't just marketing hype either - Itronix backs up all its hardcore tests with a limited lifetime warranty on the case, connectors and electrical components. Plus, it's only limited in the sense that Itronix will cover you provided the notebook was damaged within the testing specifications. These include up to 54 drops to 2in plywood over concrete, five 24-hour cycles in a thermal chamber up to 60uC, and one 24-hour cycle at up to 30uC, all while the unit is operating. More details of the tests can be found at www.gobookmax.co.uk

The battery is only covered for one year, but has unlimited extension options. Unlike the Ni-MH battery with the X-C 6250 Pro, the GoBook uses a 5,400mAH lithium ion unit, and Itronix helps prolong battery life with its Mobile System Monitor software, which allows you to run the CPU at 25, 50, 75 or 100 per cent power. On its lowest setting, the GoBook lasted an incredible 198 minutes in our strenuous tests, which could easily equate to over five hours in lighter use.