Dell launches sorta-indestructible laptop

You may be tempted to drop-kick, drown, or otherwise abuse the new Dell Latitude ATG D620. That's not because of any sort of personal animosity--the ATG stands for All Terrain Grade, and it's Dell's first semirugged laptop.

The ATG isn't exactly a new system built from the ground up. It's essentially a Dell Latitude D620 with a new case and a few other rugged extras. It has a magnesium-alloy shell with high-durability textured bumpers built onto the edges, a shock-mounted hard drive (a 1.8-inch drive in a cushioned 2.5-inch drive bay), a spill-resistant keyboard, and plastic port covers. While it doesn't meet military specs for truly rugged laptops (MIL SPEC 810F), it does meet the specs in certain categories, such as vibration and humidity.

For in-the-field action, the LCD screen is about 50 percent brighter than the standard D620's, and there's a red task light for illuminating the keyboard in low-light situations, especially useful for vehicle-mounted systems at night.

The Latitude ATG starts at $2,499, and like most Dell systems, is highly configurable.