Contents
MIL-STD-810G
Fair warning: we're going to spend a disproportionate amount of time on this one, given that it is an 803-page document and encompasses a lot of different tests.
The MIL-STD-810G is a United States Military Standard created by the Department of Defense to make sure equipment can withstand the harsh environments it would see in military applications. Passing MIL-STD-810G testing sounds like a lofty accomplishment, but that is not always the case. In reality, it's a flexible standard. It doesn't set specific goals, strict parameters, or required results. Instead, it mainly serves as a collection of descriptions for how various tests should be conducted. Not every test will be relevant to every product, so not every test is expected to be performed. This leaves a lot of wiggle room. As a result, some manufacturers of "ruggedized" equipment use the standard as a marketing tactic without necessarily being able to back it up. MIL-STD-810G compliance is thrown around so often and with so little oversight that simply to say that a product is "MIL-STD-810G compliant" doesn't mean very much. In fact, it doesn't necessarily mean that an item has been tested — only that it was built with the military standard in mind. For a rugged computer, it's important to know which tests were performed, which parameters were met, and whether testing was performed in-house or by a qualified, disinterested third party.
If testing is done in-house, you're essentially just taking the company's word for it that the product meets a certain quality standard. The documentation Panasonic provides comes with the following disclaimer at the top of the front page:
Testing is performed at an internationally recognized, independent research, engineering and evaluation laboratory who by contractual agreement with their clients does not allow the use of their name or logo because doing so may imply an endorsement of products or services. For this reason, all references to said independent third party lab have been removed. Should you require the full unedited version, please contact the company identified below.
Below that is basic information about Panasonic and the equipment tested. The report was written by Eric Dornes, Principal Engineer of Structural Dynamics and Product Assurance Section at this unnamed mystery laboratory. Armed with that information, it's a simple Google search to figure out which lab tested the Toughbook CF-31. We'll respect their contract with Panasonic and leave that information out, but suffice it to say that, if you so choose, you can find out for yourself that it is, indeed, a respected research lab.