Case Study: Altitude Junkies Operate A General Dynamics Itronix GoBook® MR-1 At The Top Of The World

By General Dynamics Itronix Corporation

Computers that are used for planning and communications on high altitude mountaineering expeditions rarely survive the duration of the expedition. Rugged handling throughout the climb can tax the reliability of the system's design. Extreme altitudes often create hard drive failures. Even more, broad temperature ranges, from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, can dramatically impact system speed, battery life and overall performance. For a notebook to survive a trip to the highest point on earth and to operate in that environment, it would need to be extremely durable and reliable, and come in a lightweight, portable form factor that can be easily carried.

"Altitude performance has always been the deciding factor on what computer an expedition should choose," said Crampton. "In addition, size really does matter. The ease of transporting a notebook computer and its weight are very important. But for many years, the options in rugged notebooks have been very limited."