Does anybody know of a notebook that does not have any harddisk? This notebook can have solid state memories to store its Windows OS, etc. I am interested in this because I would like to be able to operate the notebook in a rugged environment, and the most fragile component of the notebook is the harddisk.

Good idea, but I don't think it's being done yet. With the bloatware that everyone puts out you would need too much memory to be affordable. I would argue that the display is the most fragile part of a notebook.

Haven't IBM just released a notebook who's HDD braces for impact? "like an airbag" the advert states. It senses the fall and prepares itself........... Some people are like Slinkies™, not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs...

Hi, Look at laptop computers from Husky http://www.huskycomputers.com What specific environmental condition are you looking to work under Damp, heat, vibration, Pressure, G force or ??????? If you want to avoid a hard disk, you could look at a laptop with a removable modular hard disk, that can boot from a USB device. This is normally a BIOS setting. Then invest in a large, one or two GB, USB 2 pen hard drive Set up your O/S on this and boot from it. Use another for data. Solid state hard disks only fans moving. I don't know if this would work, but there is no reason for it not to. Desktop computers with USB ports and suitable BIOS versions can boot from these devices. The screen is as previously advised probably the most fragile part of a laptop. Hard drives don't like heat, vibration or G-force whilst spinning. If the drive has spun down and heads parked. it is a lot more safe to move. You can also get external hard disks firewire / USB that are in rugged mountings. hth Ceri

Thanks for all your suggestions. I agree that the screen is fragile if you consider that getting dropped, hit or something. But if you are talking about putting it on a 4x4 vehicle, and operating it while moving cross country, I guess the hard disk will not survive. Anybody knows which notebook allows booting up from USB? Maybe, then we can get a 4GB flash disk and it will be able to operate. Better it this flash disk is internal on the mother board...

You still need to have an operational HD to use the USB, I think. Are you thinking of pulling the HD out or just trying to boot from and run off of an external flash disk? I would think that the suggestion about the hardened IBM would be the best for you. Even if you could install and run an OS from a flash drive it would be really slow. Might be better to think about how you could cradle the laptop when driving. Some kind of device to absorb the bumps.