Getac P470 review

Our review sample also included a 1.3-megapixel camera in a fixed position above the screen, with a microphone alongside the lens. We generally prefer webcams to be swivel-mounted rather than fixed. However, the P470 is all about providing services while protecting the internals from the ingress of foreign objects, and a swivel mounted lens is a lot harder to protect than a fixed unit.

Another optional extra, not included on our review unit, is built-in wide-area wireless connectivity in the shape of a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA module.

The P740 is shock, drop and vibration resistant, conforming to MIL-STD 810F. To that end the 120GB hard drive is shock mounted to help it resist knocks. The optical drive, mounted on the right-hand side, does not have any particular protection against dust or liquid getting into the caddy. This side also houses two vertically-stacked USB ports, protected by a rubber cover. These ports are very close together, and if your peripherals have large connectors you may only be able to use one at a time.

Towards the front of the right side is a SmartCard reader that can be used for added security over and above the fingerprint reader.

Much of the back edge is occupied by the 4,700mAh Li-ion battery, but there's room for a serial port and a VGA connector, each protected by a rubber cover, to the left and right respectively.

The remaining connectors are on the left-hand side. The microphone and headphone jacks at the rear are not protected at all, and nor is the adjacent power connector. A manual switch for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (and 3G if supported) is also located on this edge.

Modem and Ethernet connectors sit side by side, protected by a rubber cover. Another rubber cover protects a third USB port, a flash card reader (supporting SD, MMC and Memory Stick media) and a mini-FireWire port. The flash card reader is a little fiddly to use as it's very close to the rubber cover's hinge. A third rubber cover protects ExpressCard and PC Card slots. All of these rubber covers have secure fastenings.

Performance
The Getac P470 has a very impressive array of specifications, and we found it an easy laptop to work with.

Battery life is clearly very important in this kind of system, as it may need to go for extended periods away from a source of mains power. We tested battery life using the Battery Eater tool and got just 1 hour and 26 minutes from the standard battery. This is less than we would have liked by some margin. Anecdotally we worked for several stretches of a couple of hours at a time between charges without using Wi-Fi and with the ECO mode turned on. Still, it's doubtful whether you'll get a full day's work from a single battery charge.

Conclusion
The Getac P470 is clearly designed for unusually harsh working conditions, and the level of protection it offers is mostly very good. However, we are concerned about the lack of protection for the optical drive and to a lesser extent the audio ports.

The touchscreen could prove handy in some environments, and we approve of the use of a passive display that can be driven by either fingertip or stylus. A longer, better weighted, more pen-like stylus would be preferable to the flimsy one provided, though.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday