ASUS rolls out toughened B51E notebook

PC maker ASUS on Thursday saw fit to introduce one of its first semi-ruggedized notebooks. The B51E's magnesium-alloy chassis is sturdy enough to survive potentially crushing pressures and is braced by rubber edges that both soften shocks and drops (up to almost 2.5 feet) and guard against dents; the keyboard itself is both spill-resistant on its own and includes a drainage path underneath to prevent liquids from seeping into core components. The system is one of ASUS' first to meet US military-grade standards for durability, the company says.

Although hardened, the system is still given some of ASUS' better components with processors between a budget 2GHz Core 2 Duo and a 2.4GHz, Penryn-era equivalent. It also supports up to 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Some versions also ship with Bluetooth or a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

ASUS is characteristically silent on pricing and launch details but notes that all B51E ship with Windows Vista Business; the system is likely to ship in the US. [via I4U]