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Itronix Hummer LaptopThe in-your-face status symbol for the ultimate road warrior. Price: $2,988
by Rich Malloy 
What sounds like a marketing gimmick gone awry is actually a surprisingly powerful and tough little number-cruncher that can eat most other laptops for breakfast. At 5.6 pounds, the Itronix Hummer is portable enough to take on flights, and it’s guaranteed to turn heads wherever you choose to show it off. Just don’t bring it to a Greenpeace rally.
If you’ve always thought Hummers were sweet, or garish, you’ll most likely feel the same way about this notebook. Taking a page from its vehicular namesake, the Hummer laptop is designed to stand out from the crowd. Our test unit was clad with a bright, eye-catching yellow and black lid. Along the spine of the laptop is a no-nonsense handle that makes it easy to carry without a case. The top panel has two prominent bulges protecting some impressive wireless equipment. This notebook doesn’t only look tough. The Hummer passed the arduous MilSpec 810F tests for extreme temperatures, humidity, and vibration. As a semi-rugged system, this laptop can withstand a 30-inch drop and a 100-ml water spill, but not the grueling 36-inch drop test and more intensive water tests outlined in the MilSpec 810F protocol for true rugged notebooks. This is not one of those rugged notebooks hobbled by yesterday’s technology. The Hummer offers a 1.86-GHz Intel Pentium M processor with 512MB of RAM and a shock-mounted 80GB hard drive. The Intel video accelerator is less than impressive, but it’s fine for watching DVDs or playing casual Web-based games. On the side panel is a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. The 12.1-inch, shock-mounted XGA screen stands up well to direct sunlight. It offers an automatic brightness adjustment feature, but we frequently had to bump up the illumination manually. Our test unit featured an optional touch screen. The Hummer’s best creature comfort is a keyboard light above the display, similar to the one found on many ThinkPads. The back panel has a pair of USB 2.0 ports, as well as a serial port for older peripherals. The Hummer accommodates two wireless connections: 802.11a/b/g and wireless WAN. It also offers GPS, and you can replace the high-speed WWAN transceiver with one from Cingular, Sprint, or Verizon. We were particularly impressed with the optional GPS module installed on our test unit, which worked inside cars and even buildings. As its flashy design suggests, the Hummer knows how to move quickly. In our MobileMark 2005 tests, the Hummer scored a solid 227 with the Wi-Fi off, which is well above average for a thin-and-light notebook. The 3DMark03 score was 1,012, which is typical for the system’s integrated Intel graphics. The battery lasted 3 hours and 29 minutes with the Wi-Fi off (more than enough for a movie). The Hummer performed above average on our wireless tests, turning in data rates of 16.7 Mbps at 5 feet and 11.9 Mbps at 50. At a base price of $2,988, the Hummer is much pricier than most notebooks and significantly more than the $2,149 Toughbook ultraportable, but you’re paying for extra ruggedness and the bling factor. To keep the price down, the Hummer has only a one-year limited warranty, but it can be expanded to three years for $399. If all you want is a semi-rugged laptop for basic applications, go with the Toughbook W4. If you want to go off the beaten path, the Hummer laptop is a durable and capable machine. It handles almost any environment where its SUV counterpart may wander and it gets much better mileage to boot. Itronix Hummer Laptop Specifications
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