Cop Proof Laptops

by Common Knowledge

Laptops are becoming the new wave of technology in police cars.

These portable computers allow officers to receive and clear dispatched calls, run plates, check driver's licenses, communicate car-to-car, and sound a 911 alarm - all without even keying a microphone on a radio.

However, these systems have to be easy to use, rugged, and able to survive the daily use/abuse of cops.  One of the newest to be used is the PCMobile by Cycomm.  This in-car computer can survive the toughest abuse anyone can hand out.  It can survive a three foot drop onto concrete, the keyboard is waterproof, the computer housing is magnesium, and it can take temperatures from 32 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  A built-in handle is also included.

On the technical side of the system, it is a Pentium 233 MHz with two Type II or one Type III PCMCIA interfaces, four serial ports, two parallel ports, a video port, and a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port.

It's Sound Blaster compatible and can accommodate an external 3.5-inch floppy or CD-ROM drive.  The 10.4-inch active matrix color display features an XGA graphics controller (2 MB), a light sensor for automatic intensity adjustment, 16-bit color with 800x600 resolution and 256K colors, and a touch screen.  The keyboard is an 88-key QWERTY layout with twelve function keys.  It's back-lit with a built-in state mouse and it comes with seven programmable function keys as standard with the option of twelve additional PF keys.

Other options include integrated CDPD modem and antenna, RF switch, vehicular and desktop docking stations, and universal AC/DC adapter.  In the field, these systems have proven to hold up to a Category 2 hurricane, which caused 50 million dollars in damage and loss.

On a different note, the keys for the PCMobile are spaced far enough apart for even a Secret Service agent to use.  The back-lit keyboard feature is also useful for working in the dark, and the screen adjusts its light levels for nearly every situation.